2IO DUFFIELD FOREST IN THE SIXTEENTH CENTURY. 



the said croping and browsewnodes have been soulde in the said 

 inhabitants and borderers by her Majesties offirers of the same 

 Chase and the prices thereof aunswered to her Majestie And 

 also by all the time of mans remembraunce some of the said 

 inhabitants and borderers have used taken and hade in the same 

 her Majestie's chase by grantes or custome as in right of her 

 manor and howses howsebootes heyebootes plowebootes and 

 hedgeboote with convenient and reasonable firewood to burne in 

 their dwellinge howses and maner places besides the great relief 

 of the said poore auncient Cotagers inhabitinge and borderinge 

 the said her Majestie's Chase whiche they have hade of the 

 comon and woodes in the said chase by her Majestie's goodness 

 and good favour of the honorable Chauncellors of her Duchie of 

 Lancaster your honours predecessors and quietly in reasonable 

 sorte injoyed to their great eade and comfort and meinteining 

 of their lives tyme out of mynde Nowe if it may please your 

 honor we your humble suppliants the said inhabitants and 

 borderers are put in feare that some haue or seeke to haue by 

 lease or otherwise her Majesties woods and vnder woods in 

 same Chase from us your poore supliants and so as not only 

 therby all your honors poore suppliantes having any right or 

 interest in the same woofles by auncient custome or other wayes 

 are like to be molested and grevouslye troubled and put to 

 extreme charges in suite for the same but we and all the reste of 

 your honours suppliants brought to great needines and povertie 

 if those her Majestie's woodes or comon of pasture in the same 

 chase be graunted from us for Right honorable suche is the 

 barrennes of our soil there and so stande our habitations as 

 her Majestie's woodes or our comon of pasture in the same 

 chase taken from us we and all ours shall be utterly impoverished 

 therby and constrayned to seeke dwellinges other where In 

 tender consideration whereof as your honor hath bene alvayes 

 a moste carefull majestret for the honor of her Majestie and pre- 

 servation of her comon wealth then which her highnes nothing 

 more intendeth nor regardeth our humble petition is that it may 

 please vour honor of your meare accustomed pitie and tender 



