Newark Castle was built by Alexander, Bishop of Lincoln, between the years 1125 and 1135. Alexander also built the castles at Sleaford and Banbury. King Stephen arrested Alexander in June of 1139 believing that castle building should not be something done by the church. Alexander handed over the castles to Stephen after being imprisoned and forced to live on bread and water. It was at Newark that king John died in October 1216. John had seen his treasures sink in the Wash and at the Cistercian house at Swineshead, reportedly poisoned. John moved from there to Newark where he died. William Marshal rallied an army at Newark to free the city of Lincoln from the Dauphin Louis. The castle was largely rebuilt in the reign of Henry III.
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| 1216 | Oct | Death of King John
| | | King John died at Newark from excessive eating and drinking. Protestant historians of the 16th century wrote that he was poisoned by a monk at Swineshead in Lincolnshire. The monk received orders from the Pope to kill King John and took a small amount of poisoned wine himself to reassure the King and also died. But had King John become the Pope's ally before his death? | | Oct 19 | King John dies
| | | King John died at Newark. This was shortly after he lost his baggage train in the Wash estuary as the tide returned. There was supposed to be a large amount of treasure in the baggage train at the time. |
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