A query made by so experienced a writer as the noble historian of
_Audley End_, cannot admit of an easy solution; and instead of
professing to answer the two-fold query on _pokership_, it might more
become me to style this note an attempt to answer it.
In the _Historical collections of the noble families of Cavendishe_,
etc. the passage which contains the doubtful word is printed thus:--
"He [Sir Robert Harley, of Bramton, Herefordshire] was in the
next year [1604], on the 16th of July, made forester of
Boringwood, _alias_ Bringwood forest, in com. Hereford, with the
office of _pokership_, and custody of the forest or chace of
Prestwood, for life."
Are we to read _parkership_ or _pokership_? If _pokership_, what is its
meaning?
Skelton, the rhymer, has _parker_ for _park-keeper_, so that
_parkership_ is an admissable word; but I reject it on this occasion, as
inapplicable to a forest or chace. I incline to believe that _pokership_
is the true lection. _Poke_ denoted a purse; witness Chaucer:--
"Gerveis answered; Certes, were it gold,
Or in a _poke_ nobles all untold,
Thou shuldest it have."--C.T. v. 3777.
We do not find _poker_ in Barret or Cotgrave; but if _poke_ denoted a
purse, _poker_ might denote a purse-bearer or treasurer, and
_pokership_, the office of purse-bearer. So we have BURSA, [Glossarivm
manvale, 1772. I. 849.] _bursar_, _bursarship_, etc.