After the banishment of Earl Ralph, the castle was given to Ralph Bigod, who was styled the Constable, as was usual when any castle was committed to a baron or earl, and he exercised royal power within the jurisdiction of the castle. To him succeeded Roger Bigod, a great favourite and friend of Henry I., and one of the witnesses to the laws made by him during his reign. William, the son of Roger, succeeded his father, and by King Henry was made steward of his household. This William was drowned at sea, and his brother Hugh became possessed of his estate and honours. To him is referred the finishing and beautifying of the tower of the castle; but he was supplanted in the office of constable by William de Blois, Earl of Moreton, son of King Stephen. He in his turn was dispossessed of it by Henry II. Hugh Bigod joined with the son of Henry, afterwards Henry III., in his revolt against his father, for which adherence he was reinstated in the Castle of Blancheflower, but was obliged again to surrender when the son repented of his rebellion, and submitted to his father. To Hugh succeeded another Roger Bigod, his son, who received from the hands of Richard I. the earldom of Norfolk and stewardship of the king’s household, and most probably was constable of the castle also. During the troubled reign of John, it passed into the hands of Lewis, son of the French king, who made William de Bellomont, his marshal, constable, and placed him with a garrison within its walls. To him succeeded Roger Bigod, who figured amongst the revolting barons in the reign of Henry III. At the memorable interview between the confederated nobles and the king, at the parliament in Westminster, he took a leading part in the proceedings. All the barons having assembled in complete armour, as the king entered, there is described to have been a rattling of swords; his eye gleaming along the mailed ranks he asked, “What means this? Am I a prisoner?” “Not so,” replied Roger Bigod, “but your foreign favourites and your own extravagance have involved this realm in great wretchedness, whereof we demand that the powers of government be made over to a committee of bishops and barons, that the same may root up abuses and enact good laws.” The committee when formed numbered in its list both Roger of Norfolk earl marshal, and Hugh Bigod. In this reign it is mentioned that the castle became a gaol for the county, and state prisoners were confined here. Many a dark tragedy was doubtless witnessed by its dungeon walls during those troubled times, when civil wars were hourly peopling them with political offenders. In Edward II.’s reign the castle was partly re-fortified, but in the following reign, falling completely out of repair, it came to be regarded simply as a county jail, and its jurisdiction vested in the hands of the sheriff of the county.