THE FOREST OF ROCKINGHAM
The wealth of unused material in connection with all the forests of
Northamptonshire, particularly with regard to Rockingham, is so great
that it becomes exceedingly embarrassing to know what is the best
method to adopt in giving a mere outline sketch of the more salient and
interesting features of their history. It is much to be hoped that some
capable pen may before long be found to write a monograph on the forests
of this shire. Such a history, if thoroughly written, would prove more
interesting and valuable than that of any other county, not excluding
Hampshire or Essex.
The most important and valuable portion of Mr. Turner’s scholarly work
on _Select Pleas of the Forest_ (Selden Society), is concerned with this
county. There is also a good deal that is of genuine value regarding
Rockingham forest in Bridge’s history of the county, and in Baker’s later
work with regard to Whittlewood forest; nor must Mr. Wise’s _Rockingham
Castle and the Watsons_ (1891) be omitted from mention; but practically
their story is as yet unwritten.
The frequent presence of the Norman kings at their castles of Rockingham
and Northampton was one of the chief causes for the appropriation of such
large tracts of this county for royal forest sport. Apart from parks of
early formation, the largest and chief forest tracts were—(1) Rockingham
forest in the north, which was mainly in the Corby and Willowbrook
hundreds; (2) Whittlebury forest in the south-east, in the Cleley,
Norton, and Towcester hundreds; and (3) Salcey forest, nearer the centre
of the county, in the Cleley and Wimersley hundreds. The whole of the
Nassaburgh hundred, north of Rockingham, was under forest laws in the
early Norman days, but it was disforested in the time of John.
As the Conqueror built Rockingham castle, it is practically certain
that, at the same time, he afforested the district around, and probably
included within its then vast bounds the whole of the Nassaburgh hundred.
[Illustration: HUNTING COSTUME. FOURTEENTH CENTURY
(See p. 65.)]
The earliest known record of forest pleas, which is among the “Treasury
of Receipt Forest Proceedings” of the Public Record Office, pertains to
this county, and has been given _in extenso_ by Mr. Turner; it relates to
the pleas held at Northampton on 20th February, 1209. The proceedings are
full of interest. The following are some examples of the cases brought
before the justices. Roger Grim, the harvestman (_messarius_, _i.e._
the foreman of the harvest labourers) of the abbot of Peterborough,
was caught following four hinds with his dogs; he was delivered to the
custody of Geoffrey Gilbewin, the abbot’s steward. Geoffrey failed
to bring him before the justices, whereupon the steward himself was
delivered to the custody of the sheriff to be imprisoned. William of
Barton was proved to have falsely and through hatred charged Stephen de
Pin, a clerk, with having feasted upon two fawns; the sheriff was ordered
to imprison him until levy had been made for a fine upon his chattels
at Barnact. The whole township of Newton was in mercy because of the
flight of Richard Gelet, their harvestman, accused of shooting a doe in
Nassington wood, for which Henry, the son of Benselin, was taken. The
foresters found a doe with its throat cut in Nassington wood, and Henry
concealed in a bush near by. They put him in prison, but on his appearing
at the forest pleas, Henry stoutly denied the offence, saying he had only
gone into the wood to seek his horse. Thereupon the justices inquired of
the foresters and verderers whether they now thought him guilty. They
replied in the negative, adding that they thought Richard the harvestman
was the culprit, for he fled as soon as he heard of Henry being taken.
Because Henry had taken the Cross and is not suspected and had lain long
in prison, the justices granted him that he might make his pilgrimage,
but he was to start before Whitsunday; if he lived to return, and could
find pledges for his fealty, he might afterwards remain in the forest.
Thomas Inkel, forester of Cliff, found in the wood of Siberton a certain
place wet with blood, and he traced the blood in the snow as far as the
house of Ralph Red of Siberton; and forthwith he sent for the verderers
and good men. They searched his house, and in it they found the flesh
of a certain doe, and they took Ralph himself and put him in prison
at Northampton, where he died. But before his death, when he was in
prison, he appealed Robert Sturdi of Siberton and Roger Tock, of the same
town, because they were evil-doers to the forest together with him. The
foresters and verderers searched the house of the aforesaid Robert, and
in it found the bones of deer, and they took him and sent him to prison;
also in the house of Roger Tock they found ears and bones of deer. The
latter was taken and imprisoned. Robert Sturdi came before the justice
and said that the dogs of Walter of Preston used to be kennelled at his
house, and that Walter’s hunters ate the venison whence came the bones;
and Robert vouched the aforesaid Walter to warranty of this, whereupon
Walter is ordered to appear on the morrow. Walter came and warranted him,
saying that his dogs were kennelled in his house for fifteen days while
he was hunting bucks. Roger Tock also appeared and denied everything;
and the verderers and foresters witnessed that the ears and bones were
those of the deer which Walter’s hunters had taken. As Roger had lain
long in prison, so that he was nearly dead (_quod fere mortuus est_), the
justices permitted him to go quit, but henceforth he was to live outside
the forest.
Rockingham forest in the time of Henry III. was divided into the three
divisions or bailiwicks of Rockingham, Brigstock, and Cliff (Kingscliff),
each of which had its own ministers. This division lasted until the time
of disafforesting.
The keepership of the forest of Rockingham, with Cliff, Geddington,
and Brigstock, was conferred by Henry III. on Hugh de Neville in June,
1219. In the following month he was instructed to permit Walter de
Preston to hunt these forests, and others in the county, in order to
secure forty bucks for the royal larder. In the following year the same
huntsman had orders to take twenty bucks in Rockingham forest, and
Richard de Waterville the same number for a like purpose. In the same
year Hugh Bigod had royal permission to take six bucks in this forest,
and others a smaller number. In September, 1225, the king gave leave to
the Bishop of Ely to have ten bucks and two harts caught for him in the
forests of Essex. But there was so much difficulty and delay in catching
them (apparently alive for stocking purposes) in Essex, that the order
was transferred to Rockingham. In December of the same year William
de Cantilupe obtained a grant of twenty does and two bucks from this
forest for stocking his park at Aston. The supply of venison must have
been exceptionally good, for at the same time Martin de Tattishall was
permitted to take ten does in Rockingham forest.
The Close Rolls of 1228 mention royal grants of seven does; of 1229, two
bucks and eight does; and of 1231, six bucks and seven does.
The orders for wood out of this forest in the time of Henry III. and
later were very scanty in comparison with other royal forests, and
hardly ever included grants to outsiders; this seems to be a proof that
well-grown timber was a rarity. In December, 1224, Walter the Miller,
warden of Rockingham bridge, received one of the forest oaks for the
repair of the bridge. In 1226 Hugh de Neville was ordered by the Crown to
supply Ralph de Trubleville with sufficient timber in a convenient place,
and where it would be of least detriment to the forest, for the repair of
a section of the royal preserve (_vivarium_) and houses at Brigstock. In
the same year further timber was granted for the repair of the chapel and
other parts of Rockingham castle.
There is an important series of forest inquisitions on Rockingham rolls
from 30 to 39 Henry III. From these Mr. Turner has taken a variety of
transcripts. The following is the first that he cites, giving full and
interesting particulars relative to a serious poaching affray:—
“It happened on Wednesday the morrow of the apostles Phillip
and James, in the thirtieth year of the reign of King Henry,
that when William of Northampton and Roger of Tingewick were
on their way from the pleas of Stanion (within Rockingham
forest) to the pleas of Salcey, they were given to understand
that poachers were in the laund of Benefield with greyhounds
for the purpose of doing evil to the venison of the lord king.
And when they had reached the laund and were waiting there in
ambush, James of Thurlbear, forester of the same bailiwick, and
Mathew, his brother, forester in the park of Brigstock, came
with the walking foresters on the order sent by the aforesaid
William of Northampton. And they saw five greyhounds, of which
one was white, another black, the third fallow, a fourth black
covered, hunting beasts, which greyhounds the said William
and Roger took. But the fifth greyhound, which was tawny,
escaped. And when they returned to the forest, after taking
the greyhounds, they lay in ambush and saw five poachers in
the lord king’s demesne of Wydehawe, one with a crossbow and
four with bows and arrows standing at their trees. And when
the foresters perceived them they hailed and pursued them. And
the aforesaid malefactors standing at their trees turned in
defence and shot arrows at the foresters, so that they wounded
Mathew, the forester of the park of Brigstock, with two Welsh
arrows, to wit with one arrow under the left breast, to the
depth of one hand slantwise, and with the second arrow in the
left arm to the depth of two fingers, so that it was despaired
of the life of the said Mathew. And the foresters pursued
the aforesaid malefactors so vigorously that they turned
and fled into the thickness of the wood. And the foresters
on account of the darkness could follow them no more. And
thereupon an inquisition was made at Benefield before William
of Northampton, then bailiff of the forest, and the foresters
and verderers of the country on the day of the Invention of the
Holy Cross, in the same year, by four townships neighbouring
on the laund of Benefield, to wit, by Stoke, Carlton, Great
Oakley, and Corby.
“Stoke comes, and being sworn says that it knows nothing
thereof except only that the foresters attacked the malefactors
with hue and cry until the darkness of the night came, and that
one of the foresters was wounded. And it does not know whose
were the greyhounds. Carlton comes, and being sworn says the
same. Corby comes, and being sworn says the same. Great Oakley
comes and, being sworn, says that it saw four men and one tawny
greyhound following them, to wit, one with a crossbow and three
with bows and arrows, and it hailed them and followed them with
the foresters until the darkness of night came, so that on
account of the darkness of night and the thickness of the wood
it knew not what became of them.”
Pledges were taken of the four townships to appear at the next pleas. The
arrows with which Mathew was wounded were delivered to Sir Robert Basset
and John Lovet, the verderers, and the greyhounds were sent to Sir Robert
Passelewe, then justice of the forest.
Another inquisition of 13th January, 1347, is well worth giving in full:—
“It happened on the Sunday next after the Epiphany, in the
thirty-first year of the reign of King Henry, that when Maurice
de Meht, who said that he was with Sir Robert Passelewe,
passed in the morning with two horses through the town of
Sudborough, he saw three men carrying a sack. And when he saw
them he suspected them, and followed them as far as the town
of Sudborough with his bow stretched. And when the three men
saw him following them, they threw away the sack and fled. And
Maurice took the sack and found in it a doe, which had been
flayed, and a snare, with which the beast was taken. And when
he had done this he went to the church of Sudborough, and made
known to the whole township what had happened. And when he had
done this he returned again to the sack, and carried away the
skin of the doe. And the township of Sudborough sent after the
verderers and foresters, who came and found all the things,
just as aforesaid. And upon this an inquisition was made at
Sudborough on the Monday next following before the verderers
and foresters of the county by the four neighbouring townships,
to wit, Sudborough, Lowick, Brigstock, and Lyveden.
“Sudborough comes and, being sworn, says that Ralph the son
of Mabel of Sudborough was one of those men who fled, and
he delivered that venison to William the son of Henry of
Benefield. And the third was Robert of Grafton, who a short
time before was with Agnes Cornet, and he fled and is not yet
found. But the said Agnes Cornet pledges on her behalf of the
said Robert of his being before the justices of the forest, to
wit, Hugh the son of Roger, and Peter the son of Roger. And the
aforesaid Ralph the son of Mabel, and William the son of Henry,
were taken and sent to Northampton to be imprisoned; and they
were delivered to Sir Alan of Maidwell, then the sheriff of
Northampton.
“The flesh of the doe was given to the lepers of Thrapston. And
the snare with which the said doe was taken was delivered to
Robert the son of Luke of Lyveden, and Ralph the son of Quenyl
of the same town, to keep until the coming of the justices of
the forest.
“The township of Sudborough finds pledges of being before the
justices of the forest, because it allowed Maurice de Meht
to carry away the skin of the doe. The chattels of Ralph the
son of Mabel were taken into the hand of the lord king, and
appraised by the verderers and foresters at nine shillings, and
they were delivered in bail to Thomas of Grafton, who dwells in
Sudborough. Robert of Grafton, the fugitive, and William the
son of Henry had no chattels. Maurice de Meht was not taken
because he said that he was with Sir Robert Passelewe, then
justice of the forest.”
On the same rolls were entries of the Rockingham venison given by the
lord king. In 1247 these royal gifts included two bucks for Nicholas
de Criel, ten bucks for the Countess of Leicester, two bucks for Sir
Geoffrey Langley, one buck for Robert de Mares, and ten bucks for Aymar
de Lusignan. In the following year Richard Earl of Cornwall, who held
a general hunting warrant, took deer in the park and without it about
15th August, and the same in the following month, on his return from
the north. About August, Sir Simon de Montfort had twelve bucks out of
Rockingham bailiwick of the king’s gift, and at Michaelmas the Bishop of
Carlisle had a present of three bucks. In 1248-9 Henry III. hunted in
person at two different seasons, namely, about the Feast of St. Katherine
(25th November) and about the Feast of St. Peter’s Chains (1st August),
taking deer at his pleasure. Among the royal gifts of 1249 were five live
bucks and ten live does for the Earl of Derby, and eight does for the
abbot of Westminster.
When an archbishop, bishop, earl, or baron passed through a royal forest,
he was entitled, under the Forest Charter of 1217, to take one or two
heads of game, but only in the sight of the forester, and not furtively.
Among those who availed themselves of this privilege about this period
were the Bishop of Lincoln, a hind and a doe, in 1245; the abbot of
Westminster, a buck and a buck’s pricket, in 1246; Henry, the son of the
Earl of Leicester, a buck’s pricket; the Count d’Aumale a doe, and the
Bishop of Carlisle a buck in 1247.
The pleas of the forest were held on 25th June, 1255, at Rockingham,
before William le Breton, Nicholas de Romsey, and two other justices
in eyre. Ten years had elapsed since the last eyre, and several cases
brought before justices were about ten years old. About thirty-five cases
of venison trespass were presented and proved. Among the offenders was
Simon the parson of Old, who took a roe in 1249. He did not appear, and
order was sent to the Bishop of Lincoln to cause him to attend. Before
the court rose he was fined in the heavy sum of £5.
In June, 1254, a deer was taken beneath Rockingham castle wall by the
men of the parson of Easton. The foresters lay in ambush through the
night, and at daybreak they saw three men and three greyhounds, of
whom they took one man and two greyhounds. The man was sent to prison
at Northampton, and died there. As the men and hounds were with Robert
Bacon, the rector of Easton, order was sent to the bishop to cause Robert
to appear on the 10th of July.
The next forest pleas for Rockingham were held in August, 1272,
after an interval of seventeen years. The justices were Matthew de
Colombieres, Nicholas de Romsey, and Reginald de Acle. The following
serious poaching offence, aggravated by contemptuous action, then came
before the justices; we venture again to avail ourselves of Mr. Turner’s
translation:—
“It is presented and proved that Simon the son of William
Tuluse, Richard of Ewyas, the page of William Tuluse, William
of Wootton, Ralph of Drayton, the chaplain at Wootton, Simon
of Hanslope, the page of the aforesaid Simon, Alan the son of
Hugh of Lowick, the woodward of Robert de Nowers of his wood
of Bulax, John Messias of Lowick, Robert Pette of Lowick,
Ralph Iuelhering of the same town, Robert of Grafton, Henry
of Drayton and others of their company, whose names are to be
ascertained, entered the forest aforesaid on Wednesday, the
feast of St. Bartholomew in the fifty-sixth year, with bows
and arrows; and they were shooting in the same forest during
the whole of the day aforesaid and killed three deer without
warrant, and they cut off the head of a buck and put it on a
stake in the middle of a certain clearing, which is called
Harleruding, placing in the mouth of the aforesaid head a
certain spindle; and they made the mouth gape towards the sun,
in great contempt of the lord king and of his foresters. And
the foresters, when they were at last perceived by them, hailed
them; and the evil-doers shot at them against the peace of
the lord king. And the foresters, after raising the hue upon
them, fled and could not resist them. The aforesaid Richard of
Ewyas, Alan, Ralph, Robert, and Henry came; and being convicted
of this they are detained in prison. And the aforesaid Simon
Tuluse and Simon his page did not come; therefore an order is
sent to the sheriff of Berks that he cause them to come on
Monday next before the feast of the apostles Simon and Jude. As
to the aforesaid William of Wootton an order is given above.
And as to the aforesaid Ralph the chaplain an order is sent to
the Bishop of Lincoln that he cause him to come on the feast
of the apostles Simon and Jude. And the aforesaid Robert Pette
and John Messias are not found; therefore let them be exacted
etc. And because the aforesaid Alan, the sworn woodward, was an
evil-doer with respect to the venison, therefore, by the assize
of the forest, let the aforesaid wood of Bulax, which he had in
custody, be taken into the hands of the lord king.
“Afterwards an inquisition is held and it is proved by all
the verderers of all the forest of Northampton that Ralph of
Heyes the bailiff of the Earl of Warwick at Hanslope, who has
lands at Binsted near Alton in the county of Southampton,
Roger, Ralph and Thurstan the sons of John the son of John of
Hanslope; Henry the son of the parson of Blisworth, William
Wolfrich of Wick, the man of Simon Tuluse, Walter the man of
William Tuluse, and Thomas who was the son of the chaplain
of Blisworth, with all the above-mentioned persons, by the
provision, counsel, order, and assent of William Tuluse entered
the forest of Rockingham on the aforesaid Wednesday the feast
of St. Bartholomew and during the two preceding days and killed
eight deer at least, and a doe, as is aforesaid, whose head
the aforesaid Simon Tuluse cut off and put on a stake. And the
aforesaid Richard of Ewyas put a billet in its throat. And the
venison of the aforesaid eight deer was carried from the forest
in the cart of Ralph Iuelhering as far as Stanwick; and it
rested there for one night at the house of Geoffrey Russell,
he himself not being at home, nor knowing anything thereof;
and from thence it was carried to Hanslope to the house of the
aforesaid William Tuluse and Simon his son, who had caused
all this to be done; and there the aforesaid venison was
divided and eaten. And it is proved that while the aforesaid
evil-doers were in the forest obtaining the aforesaid venison
during the three days above mentioned, they were harboured at
the houses of Alan le Gaunter of Cotes and Robert of Lindsay
in Lowick, who were privy to this. And afterwards Robert de
Nowers came and made fine for having his wood again by one
mark; his pledges were Simon of Waterville and Robert Grenleng.
Afterwards Alan le Gaunter came, and was detained in prison.
Afterwards Henry the son of the parson of Blisworth came and
was detained in prison. And the aforesaid Thomas the son of the
chaplain came and was detained in prison.”
Gifts of Rockingham venison continued to be made by Edward I.; it would
be tedious to detail them even if there were abundance of space. The
grants of timber were but rare.
The king often directly interfered to secure the release on bail of
venison trespassers. On 30th July, 1280, Edward I. ordered the release
of Matilda de Braundeston from imprisonment at Rockingham for a venison
trespass to twelve mainpernors to have her before the forest pleas. In
the following year the king instructed his steward or keeper, Richard de
Holbrok, to order an inquisition on oath of foresters, verderers, and
others, whether one William Genn, imprisoned at Rockingham for a trespass
in Rutland forest, was guilty or not, and if not guilty to deliver him to
twelve mainpernors to produce at the forest pleas if anyone had aught
further to say against him. In the same year the steward had like order
to release on bail another trespass prisoner, unless he had been used to
offend in the forest. In 1282 two prisoners were released on bail by the
king’s orders, and in 1283 eleven more venison trespassers, one of whom,
Roger Acle, was a clerk.
A perambulation of 1286, ordered by Edward I., bears witness to the
vast extent of the technical forest of Rockingham at that date; it
extended from the south bridge of Northampton to the bridge of Stamford,
a distance of thirty-three miles, and from the river Nene on the east
to the Welland and the Maidwell stream on the north-west, yielding an
average breadth of between seven and eight miles. But when Edward I.
formally confirmed the Great Charter in 1299, the forest bounds were more
carefully investigated, and the limits of the 1286 perambulation were a
good deal reduced, the new afforesting of Henry II. in several directions
being struck out. The land that was then disafforested became purlieu.
It may be well to refer to just a few of the many incidents affecting
this forest during the long reign of Edward III.
In 1331, Nicholas, abbot of the Cistercian house of Pipewell, with two
of his monks and another offender, were imprisoned at Rockingham for
trespasses of both vert and venison; they obtained letters from Edward
III. to the keeper of the forest to release them on bail until the next
eyre was held. This order had to be strongly repeated, the keeper being
accused of keeping the abbot and others in prison to satisfy his malice;
eventually they were released on bail in chancery.
In 1342 the keeper and other ministers of the forest of Rockingham were
ordered to permit the provost and chaplains of the college or chantry of
Cotterstock to have the tenths of assarts and wastes within the forest.
In accordance with the king’s letters to them, Edward II. had granted to
John Gifford, his clerk, right of common for all his animals and cattle
within the forest, and subsequently power to assign this grant to the
provost and chaplains of this new foundation. The grant of the tenths was
to cover various newly-made assarts.
The ministers’ accounts for 1461-2 show that Robert Roos had succeeded to
the keepership of the castle and forest, on the death of Humphrey Duke
of Gloucester. This office was held on the annual payment to the king
of £65 10_s._, with the addition of £16 10_s._ for the custody of the
herbage and pannage of Brigstock park. The hedging in of sixty acres in
the great park of Brigstock, and of forty acres in the lesser park for
hay, cost 66_s._ 8_d._, whilst 20_s._ was paid for the carriage of the
hay in winter for the sustenance of the deer; considerable repairs were
done to the lodges of Brigstock and Benefield.
The accounts of 1437 show that William Prostagne was at that date
constable of Rockingham, keeper of the forest, and ranger of the
bailiwick. Payments were made in the Rockingham bailiwick for rights of
sheep-folding, called _faldage_, from the different townships; thus Corby
paid 7_d._ a year, Great Oakley 3_d._, Little Oakley 2_d._, and Carlton
12_d._ For the escapement of horses and mares payment was made by the
townships at the rate of 7_s._ 4_d._ a year. The fence month payments
amounted to 9_s._ 4_d._, Cottingham and Middleton paying jointly 3_s._
4_d._, Corby 2_s._, and Great Oakley 2_s._ The lawing of dogs was known
at this time as houndsilver. The total of houndsilver was 27_s._, namely,
6_d._ for each man having a dog; the township of Gretton paid 14_s._,
whilst Corby and Little Oakley only paid 3_s._ each. The total receipts
exceeded £100, by far the largest items being the rents for different
manors. For instance, the abbot of Peterborough paid £12 yearly for the
manor of Cottingham. The expenses amounted to £13 9_s._ 0½_d._ The clerk
who enrolled the accounts had a wage of 7_s._ 6_d._, and the parchment
used for the accounts and for the swainmote roll cost 8_d._
Pleas of the forest were held at Rockingham on 7th September, 1490,
before Sir John Ratcliffe and Sir Reginald Gray, when Thomas Haslewood
was sheriff. Juries from the hundreds of Willybrook, Hamfordshoe,
Polebrook, Rothwell, and Corby; in each case twelve in number were in
attendance. There were also present Viscount John Welles, the master
forester and keeper; Edmund Malpas, Esq., his lieutenant for the baily of
Rockingham; Thomas Digby, his lieutenant for the baily of Brigstock: and
John Pylton and William Lynne, rangers, riding foresters, and agisters
for the king.
The full total of the foresters, woodwards, parkers, “palesters,”
launders, constables, and four-men, and other ministers in attendance as
officials at this eyre amounted to the considerable number of 221.
Those who put in their claims to their respective liberties in the forest
were the abbots of Peterborough, Pipewell, and Croyland; the prior of
Fineshead; the prioress of St. Michael of Stamford; and the master of the
College of Fotheringhay; together with a variety of claims from lay-folk,
mostly of a small character.
The venison presentments at this court, covering the period of the first
five years of the reign, made by the foresters, verderers, and regarders
were considerable, and included the legal distributions made by the
master forester as keeper. They also presented many others, knights and
esquires, for killing ninety-nine deer, during the same period, with
dogs and bows and arrows _contra statutum et assisum foreste_; probably
some of these changes were in the main covered by some real or imaginary
permit or right; but they are mostly endorsed on the margin _Coram
Rege_, and must therefore have been referred for the decision of the
ordinary justices of the Crown. Separate presentments were made, under
a different heading, of eighteen charges of deer-slaying against yeomen
and husbandmen, several of which were by night, and may be considered as
ordinary poaching charges. In all these cases the sheriff was ordered to
apprehend the offenders and to deliver them at Westminster for trial.
There were also certain charges against the foresters themselves, and in
these cases the offenders were admitted to bail.
In the vert pleas, presentments were also made of the authorised cases
of felling timber for specific purposes, or in compliance with letters
and warrants; of cases of officials acting against the assize of the
forest with regard to cutting down trees or clearing coppices, which were
referred _Coram Rege_; and also of upwards of fifty cases of the alleged
illegal removal of trees and underwood, etc., by foresters and other
transgressors.
An interesting case of encroachment and enclosure came before the court.
John Zouch had enclosed with “dykes, quyksettes, and clausures” certain
common ground and pasture at Cokendale and Wrenstye adjoining the forest,
against which action the king’s tenants and farmers of the lordships
of Brigstock and Stanion within the forest protested. The court
gave judgment in favour of the tenants, and instructed David Malpas,
lieutenant of the forest, to take with him a sufficiency of the king’s
servants to cast down, if necessary, the ditches and hedges, and to see
that the tenants had sufficient and easy ways of approach to the common;
but he was in the first instance to call upon John Zouch and “such other
gentelmen” as might be concerned in the encroachment, to themselves
remove the fences, and in no case was he to suffer the actually aggrieved
tenants to take part in the work of demolition.
Viscount Welles, as master forester, was entitled to twelve bucks and
twenty-four does annually throughout all the bailies, and these are all
duly entered for each of the five years. There seem to have been at
this period far more deer in the baily of Cliff than in the other two
bailies. John Nightingale, yeoman, lately deceased, who had been keeper
of Cliff park for a long period, had killed therein 340 deer during the
reigns of Henry VI., Edward IV., and Richard III. The murrain during
the same period had been terribly severe, for 1,400 head of game had
died of disease. In Moorhay and Westhay (in Cliff baily), during the
first five years of Henry VII.’s reign, the foresters killed twenty deer
with dogs and bows and arrows. Two were allowed to be killed yearly by
the foresters in each of these subdivisions for the training of their
young dogs. In the same two districts of the forest, Viscount Welles
and Sir Grey Wolston, the lieutenant of Cliff, killed in the first year
thirty-one does and fourteen bucks; in the second year, twenty-five does
and twelve bucks; in the third, twenty-nine and thirteen; in the fourth,
twenty-three and sixteen; and in the fifth, fifteen and ten. The deaths
from murrain during these five years amounted to 282. During the same
period David Philip, Esquire, who was constable of Fotheringhay castle,
and who had succeeded Nightingale as keeper of Cliff park, killed five
bucks and eight does. The Earl of Wiltshire killed a buck and a doe; and
100 died of murrain. Those killed by David Philip and Lord Welles in
Moorhay and Westhay were for distribution among the county gentlemen to
secure their goodwill—_inter generosos patrie pro meliore securitate et
utilitate domini foreste_.
Sulehay and Shortwood formed another division of the baily of Cliff.
During the five years Lord Welles had killed therein sixteen bucks and
twenty-eight does for distribution among gentlemen, and David Philip five
bucks and eight does for distribution among the inhabitants.
These pleas were largely concerned with vert. John Nightingale was
presented by the regarders as cutting both wood and underwood in Cliff
park, of which he was the keeper, without due warrant. A like charge
was made against Robert Isham, Esquire; but in both these cases the
proceedings were rendered nugatory through the death of the alleged
offenders. Thomas Scarbrough was charged with carrying off twelve
trees called “stubbes,” and David Philip with removing a large number
of “spires,” a word in use in some forests to denote upstanding young
timber. Philip was also reported for the removal of many spires in
Moorhay and Westhay and Totenhoe; but much of the timber that he took was
used in the repair of Fotheringhay castle, for which there was ancient
precedent. Richard Sownd was charged with felling twelve spires, five
other trees, five principal trees called “bordur” (boundary) trees, and
taking twelve loads of underwood, all without warrant.
In Rockingham forest, as elsewhere, it was customary to lop the twigs of
the oaks and other trees to afford sustenance for the deer in the winter.
Here it passed under the name of “derefal wode.” The amount depended on
the season. Thus in 1488 Lord Welles had twenty-six loads of derefal cut
in Cliff park, but only sixteen loads in 1489.
In addition to ordinary fuel wood (usually eight loads of windfall,
valued at 8_d._ a load), each forester had other vert perquisites. They
claimed yearly on the recurrence of the fence month additional timber in
recompense for their extra trouble. Thus John Wade, forester of Totenhoe,
cut down and removed two stubbs, valued at 5_s._, _pro le fence stubbe_;
another year he is entered as removing a tree, _voc’ a fense stubbe_,
valued at 2_s._ 8_d._; and there are like entries for other foresters.
Special fence timber for foresters occurs in some other counties, but
nowhere save Rockingham have we met with entries of “fox trees.” John
Holcot, forester of Moorhay, in 1485, removed a tree called a “foxtre”
for his own use, value 2_s._, and in the following year he had a
stubb of like value under a similar term. William and Nicholas Smythe,
foresters of Moorhay, had four stubbs called “fence stubbes” and two
stubbs called “fox stubbes.” Another entry for a different part of the
forest clears up the difficulty, where record is made of “fox et varmint
trees.” It seems obvious that this timber was a recognition of the
foresters’ industry in keeping down the number of foxes and other vermin.
Among incidental references to timber may be mentioned the felling of
spires for the repair of lodges, and for providing rails round the laund
of Moorhay. In 1488, Richard Watkinson, forester, felled four stubbs
worth 2_s._ 6_d._ for the men-at-arms who were going with the king to
northern parts.
The particulars furnished for this eyre by the verderers and the paid
officials of the bailies of Rockingham and Brigstock are almost as
detailed as the return of Cliff baily. The keeper of Geddington wood
had six stubbs allowed yearly for fuel. As fox and vermin trees, he had
received twelve stubbs during the five years, and ten more as fence
stubbs during the like period. Four trees from this wood were used in
the construction of a pinfold. In Fermyng wood, by Lord Welles’ orders,
eighty loads of derefal wood were cut in the first year of Henry VII.,
and ten loads of fuel wood and one stubb were taken for his hearth.
Robert Johnson, keeper of the wood, and John Salmon, the ranger, had each
a like supply for their hearths, whilst the deputies each received four
loads. There was a similar return for all the five years.
Amongst a great variety of details pertaining to this eyre that have to
be omitted, there is one that should not be passed over. It was then put
on record that twelve acres of wood and underwood had been cleared in the
coppice of Hamorton Dale, and the proceeds, together with those of other
clearings, given by Henry VI. to the repairs and rebuilding of the church
of Kingscliff and of the mill of the same town.
A variety of cases that came before the justices at the forest pleas
which opened in September, 1490, showed the prevalent use of crossbows
throughout the district. In 1493 Sir Reginald Gray held a court at
Collyweston for the sole purpose of restraining their use, at which all
crossbow owners were required to be present and produce recognisances.
“These be the names of personnes,” as is stated on a forest role, “yt
carrie crossebowes within the forest of Rokyngham of whom Recognisaunce
was taken as foloweth.” The list is headed by David Malpas, Esquire, and
John Zouch, Esquire, of Bulwick, followed by twenty-eight more names
who are chiefly described as yeomen. Richard Lownde, of Brigstock, had
two crossbows. The recognisances provided that anyone found bearing a
crossbow within the forest after 8th October, 1493, should be mulcted
in the sum of £10 to the Crown for every such offence, and the weapon
forfeited to the lord keeper of the forest.
Ten years later than this, namely in 1493, a general Act was passed
forbidding the use of a crossbow by any man save under the king’s
licence, unless he was lord or had 200 marks in land. In 1514 a much
severer statute was enacted, raising the property qualification to 300
marks, and imposing a £10 fine for every use of such weapon.
Notwithstanding, however, the registering of crossbows at Collyweston,
this weapon, so much more fatal in comparatively unskilled hands than the
longbow, continued to be used illicitly. At a court held at Brigstock, on
11th September, 1494, before Richard Empson, acting as deputy justice of
the forest by command of Sir Reginald Gray, and which was in reality an
adjournment of the pleas of 1490, there were several cases presented of
the killing of deer (sores and prickets) with crossbows, particularly in
the Little Park.
There is an elaborate account book at the Public Record Office (96
pp.) of the wood sales and expenses of 1555-6 in Rockingham and other
Northamptonshire forests. The parcels of wood sold to different persons
out of the woods of Apethorpe, Bulwick, Oundle, Polbrook, Newton,
Fotheringhay, etc., amounted to £117 16_s._ Hedging was paid for at the
rate of 2_s._ 8_d._ the acre; this was the rate of pay assigned to Greye
and his company for hedging eighteen acres. An entry like this probably
refers to the temporary enclosing with rails and thorns of a piece of
laund for hay for the deer. £5 4_s._ 0½_d._ was expended this year on the
repairs required by the various lodges and launds.
In the same year (2 and 3 Philip and Mary) forest pleas were held for
Rockingham.
The personal expenses of the justices of the forest eyre on this occasion
are set out in detail:—
“Mr. Attornay and others appoynted to be there” had for supper at
Stamford, on 27th July, 1556, “Chickens 11_d._, rost muton 17_d._,
pidgeons 5_d._, bread and ale 3_s._ 6_d._, taille (teal) 8_d._, buskyetts
and carawayes 5_d._, and wynne and suker 20_d._” On Monday at breakfast
they consumed: “Chickens 6_d._, eggs and butter 3_d._, boiled meat
10_d._, a peace of beffe 8_d._, a pece more of befe 12_d._, rost beefe
6_d._, a conye 4_d._, a dishe of pike 3_d._, bread and beare 3_s._ 4_d._,
wynne and suker 6_d._” For dinner on the same day they had: “Boylled
meate 3_s._ 4_d._, vealle 5_s._ 4_d._, lamb 2_s._ 6_d._, pigs 2_s._
6_d._, befe 2_s._ 4_d._, pyes 6_s._ 8_d._, roste moutton 3_s._, rappetes
2_s._, bakynge of venyson 20_d._, peper 2_s._ 8_d._, paist 2_s._ 6_d._,
butter 6_d._, for payns and charges in the dressyng of the same 3_s._
4_d._, wynne and suker 7_s._, breade and beare 11_s._” The same day at
supper they began with “pig brothe,” followed by an abundance of beef,
mutton, chickens, and rabbits, etc.
“Horsemeate for Mr. Attornay his horses for on day and on nyght” amounted
to 14_s._; the sheriff’s man received 3_s._ 4_d._ for “settyng upp of a
tente for the Judges to sytt in and other Implements for the same”; two
poor men had a shilling each for fetching two bucks from the sheriff.
The charges for the Justice Seat at Oundle, on July 27th, was on a higher
scale; 40_s._ 6_d._ was spent in beer ale, and 39_s._ 6_d._ in wine. The
horsemeat of the judges’ 32 horses cost 14_s._ 4_d._; the horsemeat for
Mr. Attornay and the commissioners’ horses cost an additional 18_s._ Half
a mark was spent at Oundle in setting up benches in the Guildhall for the
judges and their clerk.
On the last day of August of the same year a Justice Seat was held at
Weldon. The eating and drinking was on much the same scale; “the swillers
in the kytching” cost 16_d._
A certificate of the regarders of Rockingham for 1577-8, presented by
Robert Ewarde and Rowland Slade, shows that wood was sold that year to
the value of £231 1_s._ 8_d._ Mention is made in the sales of “wrassel
okes,” a term not found by us in dictionaries, or usually met with in
forest accounts; it was probably an equivalent for the dotard oaks, or
those whose upper boughs were barkless and withered. The winter store of
“derefal” wood is at this date called “derebrouse.”
In 1638 the chief justice in eyre issued his commission to Edward Sawyer,
of Kettering, Esq., giving him full power and authority to inquire from
time to time of all such persons as are known and suspected of unlawfully
keeping and using dogs, nets, crossbows, guns, and other engines for the
destruction of the game in Rockingham forest. He was commissioned to
employ a constable or head borough to search for dogs, etc., within five
miles of Kettering, and to take into custody suspected persons and keep
them till further instructed.
On the last occasion when a great store of venison was brought to
Whitehall, “against Christmas,” for Charles I., then (1640) on the
threshold of his troubles, twenty-four does came from Rockingham; this
was by far the largest number out of those supplied by nineteen different
forests or parks; the only other two that reached double figures were
Whittlewood and New Forest, each of which supplied twelve.
The commissioners appointed by the 1786 Act for inquiring into the state
of woods and forests belonging to the Crown issued an elaborate report on
Rockingham in 1792. It then consisted, as of old, of the three separate
districts or bailiwicks of Rockingham, Brigstock, and Cliff, each of
which were divided into two or more walks. In Rockingham were Benefield
Laund, Vert Walk, and the woods of Gretton, Little Weldon, Weedhaw,
Thornhaw, and Corby; in Brigstock were the woods of Eddington and
Farning; and in Cliff those of Westhay, Moorhay, Sulehay, and Shortwood.
It is there stated that all the bailiwicks were formerly under one warden
or master forester, an office granted by James I., in 1603, to Lord
Burleigh for three lives; but Charles I. abolished the office, and gave,
in 1629, the master forestership of Rockingham, with Geddington woods, to
Edward Lord Montague, for three lives, and that of Cliff to trustees for
Mildmay, Earl of Westmoreland, for three lives. In 1674 the wardenship
of Farning wood was granted to Sir John Robinson for three lives. The
commissioners of 1792 found that Mr. George Finch Hatton was warden of
Rockingham, the Earl of Ossory of Farning wood, the Earl of Exeter of
Westhay, and the Earl of Westmoreland of Moorhay, Sulehay, and Shortwood;
whilst Geddington woods, which had been disafforested in 1676, had been
granted to Lord Montague and his heirs for ever.
The actual woodlands then included in the forest were 9,482 acres;
namely, Rockingham 3,500, Brigstock 1,400, and Cliff 4,582; but most of
them were private, though subject to certain forest rights and burdens.
The number of deer must have been very considerable, for upwards of 100
bucks and a larger number of does were annually killed.
The two swainmote courts that used to be held, the one for Rockingham
and Brigstock, and the other for Cliff, had long since come to an end,
together with the whole array of minor forest ministers, and the forest
had remained chiefly under the care of the hereditary keepers or master
foresters. In 1702 it was found that the Crown could claim the oak timber
in Sulehay woods, and over 2,000 trees were sold between 1704 and 1736,
yielding a net revenue of £3,623.
The commissioners came to the conclusion that:—
“A forest in a situation so distant from any residence of the
royal family, with an establishment of officers, either granted
in perpetuity or esteemed of little value by those who possess
them, and in which so little of the right to timber has been
preserved, can neither contribute much to the amusement of the
king, the dignity or profit of the crown, or the advantage of
the public.”
They therefore recommended disafforestation, and the sale to the owners
of the wood of any rights to the timber that the Crown might possess. The
commissioners’ recommendations were carried into law by Acts of 1795 and
1796.
Lack of space compels the entire omission of the accounts which had been
prepared of Salcey and Whittlewood forests in this county.