Maidstone (1881, p. 47) that in 1848, "on the mantel piece of the refection room at the Castle might be seen the initials of Sir Thomas Wyatt, T. W. 1538," which gives us a date for some at least of the decorations. The room referred to was not the banqueting hail, for that had been burnt down long before 1848. Sir Thomas Wyatt was succeeded by his son Sir Thomas the younger, but he only held the place till 1554, when he was beheaded for his share in the Kentish rebellion. He apparently did nothing for the place.
   During the Wyatts’ tenure of Allington the castle enjoyed its most glorious days. Here Henry VII. visited Sir Henry. Henry VIII. came here in 1527 to meet Wolsey in all his glory returning from that famous embassy of his to France, when he negotiated the treaty which was sealed by both sovereigns with those splendid golden seals, whereof one is shewn in our Record Office museum and the other is in the archives of France. Henry VIII. seems to have been here again in 1530, if the well-known chair in the Maidstone Museum does not lie; whilst he was certainly

here on 31 July 1536, for two royal grants on that day are dated from Allington Castle. In October 1544 Queen Catherine Parr dined here on her way to Leeds Castle, and 7s. 4d. is charged in her accounts for making her dinner ready.
   After the failure of the Kentish rebellion, the castle, now in the hands of the Crown and destined soon to be confiscated, was used as a place of detention by the Sheriff of Kent for such of the prisoners awaiting their trial as were "men of substance." Into whose hands the castle came after that I cannot say, but a document exists in the Record Office, dated 17 December 1559, in which one Tho. Norton is described as "of Allyngton Castle."*
   The rest of the story is well known and need not be related at any length. In 1568 Queen Elizabeth granted the castle and lands to the master of her jewel-office, John Astley, to hold by knight’s service for 30 years at an annual
   * Calendar State Papers (Domestic), 1547—80.