In the year 1016, the inhabitants having revolted to Canute, Edmund, afterwards, when king surnamed Ironside, marched quickly hither from the north, and having taken the city, exercised every species of cruelty on them as a punishment for their revolt. No material transactions appear to have occurred in the annals of Shrewsbury for nearly half a century, from the last named date until the conquest of England by the Normans under William. The city was then granted, together with nearly the whole of the county and a great proportion of land in other parts of the kingdom, to Roger de Montgomery, a Norman chief related to William, and by whom he was attended in his English expedition. Roger was no sooner put in possession of his newly acquired property, than being sensible of the advantages resulting from the situation of the town, he constituted it the capital of his earldom, and fixed his abode in it as lord paramount of the county; and having judiciously built a castle on the isthmus, for the purpose of protecting his residence from the attack of his enemies, with the assistance of inferior barons of his court, administered various solemn and kingly acts of justice, donation, and investiture within its walls. Earl Roger was, however, not suffered to enjoy the immense possessions bestowed on him by the Norman conqueror without molestation: Owen Gwynedd, a spirited Welsh chieftain, excited either by hopes of plunder or a desire to dispossess the invaders, of a place which was capable of being rendered a great annoyance to his countrymen in the hands of powerful enemies, attacked it with a considerable body of Welsh; and so important was his attack considered by William, that he marched with a numerous army from the north, for the purpose of repelling the daring disturber; nor did his usual good fortune desert him in this instance, Owen being defeated and a great portion of his followers slain. As a suitable acknowledgment to divine providence for his good fortune and the splendid triumphs of his arms, the Earl founded the benedictine Abbey of St. Peter and St. Paul. A short time previous to his death he was shorn a monk. He died July 27th, 1094, and was buried in the chapel of the Abbey; over his tomb was placed an armed knight in stone.