Pontefract was referred to as "Pomfret". William Shakespeare's play "Richard III" mentions the castle:<br> Pomfret is referred to in Shakespeare's Richard II also My lord, the mind of Bolingbroke is changed:You must to Pomfret, not unto the Tower.And, madam, there is order ta'en for you;With all swift speed you must away to France Pontefract suffered throughout the English Civil War. In 1648–49 the castle was laid under siege by Oliver Cromwell, who said it was "... one of the strongest inland garrisons in the kingdom." Three sieges by the Parliamentarians left the town "impoverished and depopulated". In March 1649, after the
Honour of Pontefract reign of King Stephen, though records dispute over whether Robert himself was still alive to regain his title or if it was his son, Ilbert. In 1294 the Honour was inherited by Thomas, 2nd Earl of Lancaster by marriage to a daughter of the 9th Baron, which later passed to the Duchy of Lancaster. In 1625, Charles I granted the Honour to Sir John Savile, giving him the title of Baron Savile. Honour of Pontefract The Honour of Pontefract, otherwise known as the Feudal Barony of Pontefract, is a medieval English feudal barony which has existed since 1068 in present-day