A HISTORY OF PEAK FOREST. 79 



to shoot at any deer, or standing close by a tree with grey- 

 hounds in his leash ready to let slip. 



Back-bearing is where a man hath killed a wild beast in 

 the forest, and is found carrying him away. 



Bloody-handed is where one is found in a forest in any 

 suspicious manner, and is bloody. 



Regarders. — King Henry II. commanded that in every 

 county in which he had hunting, should be placed twelve 

 knights to preserve his hunting and vert in the forests, and 

 four knights to have the charge of the agistment of his woods. 



Less than twelve could not make a certificate of their view 

 or inquisition ; all must do it, and all must agree, as is the case 

 with a common jury. They may enquire into surcharges made 

 by the foresters. They must go through the forest every third 

 year to make regard, to enquire of all offences and concealments 

 of such offences by any officer of the forest. They must go 

 through the whole forest with the Foresters and Woodwards to 

 survey all the assarts, wastes, and purprestures. They must 

 enquire who made the same, and who holds the land where such 

 trespasses are made ; and if sown with corn, whose corn it is, 

 etc., etc. They must survey all woods that are wasted in the 

 forest, both old and new. They must report what kind of trees 

 have been felled, also concerning lopping of trees and destruction 

 of underwood. They are to enquire who doth keep any bows 

 or arrows, crossbows, guns, or any other engines and hounds to 

 hunt or destroy the deer. They are to write all offences done 

 in the forest fairly on a parchment roll, and bring it either to 

 the court of attachments, or Swanimote, at the first of which 

 courts, all the ofificers of the Forest ought to assemble every 

 forty days. In the enrolment, four things are to be observed : — 

 [a) What the offence is ; [b) When it was done ; {c) Where it 

 was done ; {d) By whom it was done. 



Agistors. — Officers who take beasts to pasture within the 

 forest. There are usually four in such forests where there is 

 any pannage. (Agistment is the herbage of land or woods, or 

 the money received or due for the same.) 



