FORESTRY without a warrant, and 1005. from Henry Murdoch for his mastiffs that were found follow- ing his ploughman to Deepdale within the forest ; that he amerced various townships for offences at his will ; that every year, save the year between the battles of Lewes and Evesham, he had his piggery and pigs, sometimes to the number of 300, digging in the forest inclosure to the great injury of the pasturage of the king's deer ; that he had appointed a forester for the last three years to guard the road between Stamford Bridge and Casterton, on the outlying part of the forest on the east side, to take cheminage for his own use, charging /^d. on every cart carrying wood or timber from the county of Lincoln to Stamford, an entirely novel charge ; that he made a gaol of his own at Allexton (just over the border in Leicester- shire), full of water at the bottom, and there imprisoned unlawfully many men of his baili- wick in the county of Rutland, whereas they ought to be taken to the Castle of Oakham ; that whereas the king had given in his wood of Stokewood thorns and underwood to his brother the lord king of Germany for inclosing his town of Oakham in the time of turbulence, and for this reason the wood was placed in defence for three years by the king's precept, Peter had kept the wood (wherein the neighbouring people have right of common herbage) in defence for five years, and had taken for beasts entering during that period the sum of 305. in amounts varying from 2d. to i)d. Almost every one of these and other charges against Peter were con- sidered proved by the justices, the clauses on the rolls where they are stated ending for the most part with 'therefore to judgement with him' {idea ad judicium de eo). At this same eyre the chief forester and two verderers presented that a doe, shot and dead, had been found in the wood of Hugh of Upping- ham on 25 July 1256 (immediately after the last eyre) ; and Stephen of Uppingham, wood- ward of that wood, first found it, and showed it to one of the king's foresters. Stephen being suspected was delivered on the pledge of two men of Uppingham to appear at the next eyre ; but he did not appear and his pledges were in mercy. An inquisition had been made by the foresters and verderers and the four townships of Uppingham, East Stoke, Wardley, and Ayston, who stated on oath that they thought the doe was shot in the liberty rather than in the forest, and nothing else could be ascertained. The sheriff was ordered to produce Stephen before the justices. Another presentment charged James de Panton with taking six does in the forests, when the king's licence only gave permission for taking two. ' And by reason of the noise which he made by beating drums, when he beat the drum any deer came out of the forest into the liberty and were taken, to the loss of the lord 253 king and the detriment of his forest.' James came before the court and, on conviction, was detained in prison. From the proceedings of this eyre we learn that the Rutland Forest was divided into two bailiwicks, namely those of Braunston and Beaumont, and that there were two foresters for each ; there was also a fifth forester for Ridlington Park. The following recital of the bounds of this forest was enrolled at this time (1269) : — The perambulation of the forest of Rutland begins from that place where the old course of the Little Eye flows into the Welland opposite Cotton ; and from thence along the course of the water of the Welland up to the boundary between the counties of Lincoln and Rutland ; by metes and bounds as far as Stumpsden ; and from thence by metes and bounds as far as Great Casterton Bridge ; and from that bridge along the course of the water of the Gwash as far as Emping- ham bridge ; and from that bridge along the course of the water as far as Stanbridge ; and from Stan- briJge through the middle of the park of Barnsdale as far as Twyford ; and from Twyford along the course of the water through the middle of the town of Lang- ham ; and from thence as far as the park of Overton, and from thence between Flitteris and the wood of Knossington as far as the water of the Gwash ; and from thence along the boundaries between the open field of Braunston and Knossington as far as the Wisp; and from thence along the boundaries between the field of Owston and Withcote as far as the door of the castle of Sauvey ; and from thence by the rivulet which runs down from Sauvey as far as Harewin's mill ; and from thence to Coptre, and from Coptre as far as the boundaries of Fiachford ; and from thence by the old course of the Little Eye into the Welland opposite Cotton.'* Ralph Malore, king's serjeant, obtained from Edward I in 1280 the custody of the forest of Rutland, with the issues thereof, so that he answered, like other keepers, to appoint and remove foresters when necessary." In Novem- ber 1282 acquittance was made to the execu- tors of Luke de Tany, late justice of the forest this side Trent, for deliverance into the treasury at Westminster of a large number of forest rolls and documents of various counties, including two inquisitions made in the forest of Rutland, as well of malefactors in that forest, as of the death of Simon, sometime forester of the bailiwick of Beaumont." Pardon was granted to Reginald de Grey and John de Grey and their households, in 1286, for taking deer in the forest of Rutland during the late troubles in England, and also to Henry de Lascy, Earl of Lincoln, for taking a buck." William de Harcourt was pardoned of " This translation is taken from Turner's Select Pleas of the Forest (43-53), where full details are given of the more salient points of the 1269 eyre, from Forest Proc. Exch. T.R. no. 140. " Pat. 7 Edw. I, m. 3 ; 8 Edvv. I, m. 24. " Pat. 1 1 Edw. I, m. 4. " Pat. 14 Edw. I, m. 21, 17.
