Editing Pontefract (section)

===Medieval===
[[File:Pontefract Castle.jpg|thumb|300px|Painting of [[Pontefract Castle]] in the early 17th&nbsp;century by [[Alexander Keirincx]]]]
{{main|de Lacy|Pontefract de Lacys' family tree}}
After the [[Norman conquest of England|Norman conquest]] in 1066 almost all of Yorkshire came under the ownership of followers of [[William the Conqueror]],<ref name=Ilbert>Fletcher 16–17</ref> one of whom was [[de Lacy|Ilbert de Lacy]] who became the owner of Tateshale (Tanshelf) where he built a castle.<ref name=Ilbert/>
[[Pontefract Castle]] began as a wooden [[motte and bailey]] castle before 1086 and was later rebuilt in stone. The de Lacys lived there for more than two centuries<ref>Padgett 54</ref> and were holders of the castle and the [[Honour of Pontefract]] from 1067<ref>Padgett 55</ref> until the death of Alice de Lacy in 1348.<ref>Padgett 85</ref>

[[Richard II of England|King Richard II]] was murdered at the castle in 1400.<ref name=H2G2/><ref>Padgett 106</ref> Little is known of the nature of his demise; Shakespeare may have "adjusted" the facts for his own purposes.<ref>Holmes 373</ref> At least three theories attempt to explain his death:<ref>Holmes 373, 374</ref> either he was starved to death by his keepers, he starved himself to death or he was murdered by Sir Piers (Peter) Exton on 14 February 1399 or 1400.<ref>Holmes 374</ref>