184 



James (1603) taken before Sr. Roger Bodenham, Knight : Sr. Charles Fox, 

 Knight : Giles Foster, Esquire, his Mats, general! receuor : Robert Berry, 

 Esquire, his Mats, generall surueir : Roland Vaughan, Esquire : Willm Layton, 

 Esquire : by vertue of his Mats, commission to them directed." 



The Forest of Darvoll being measured, containeth in acres, 2,095 



Timber trees at 5d. the tree 22,050 



Underwood at 13s. 4d. the acre 399 acres. 



£5,778 10s. 



The Forest of Mochtree and Chace of Brindgwood being 



measured do contain, in acres 5,331 



Timber trees, at Ss. 4d. the tree 3,173 



£618 16s. 8d. 



(Then follows a valuation of the Iron Works at Brindgwood, after which 

 comes) — 



' ' These forests are stately grounds and do breed a great and large Deer 

 and will keep of Red and Fallow deer two or three thousand at the least." 



In an old MS. volume in the office of "Woods and Forests, Wliitehall-place, 

 is an entry relating to the Forests of Bringwood, Mochtree, and Dorvalltothe 

 effect that these forests were formerly pai't of the Honour of Wigmore, in 

 Herefordshire, and parcel of the ancient jjossession of the Crown. That Dorvall 

 contained 2095 acres, including the four woods, Wood-wood, Okeley, Knitte, and 

 Purven, all of which were granted by Queen Elizabeth to John Downing and 

 Maurice Kiffen, in the 33rd year of her reign (1591) for 21 years under a rent 

 of £18 2g. 6d. per annum. That the forest next came into the possession of the 

 Earl of Essex, and after him into that of Sir Henry Lindley, by whom it was 

 conveyed back to James I. in the 2nd year of his reign (1605). The three forests 

 were granted INIarch 21st, 13th Charles I. (1638) to Sir George Whitmore, Sir 

 Edward Sawyer, and Wm. Gibson under a fee farm rent of £55 2s. ll^d. per 

 annum, and this fee farm rent was settled on Queen Catherine. 



The lease granted to Downing and Kiffen — who worked the iron forges of 

 Bringwood — must have been given up for four years afterwards it was again 

 disposed of. 



By Letters Patent, 2nd May, 37 Elizabeth (1595) the Honour, Castle, 

 and Demesne lands of Wigmore, the Manor of Leinthall Earles, the forest, 

 chase wood and wood grounds called Darvold, the Manor of Burlington, the 

 forest and chase of Moohtre, Prestwood, and Bringwood were granted to Sir 

 Gelli Moyrick, Knt., and Sir Henry Lindley, of London, Knt. Sir Gelli Meyrick 

 ■was attainted for high treason in the Earl of Essex's rebellion, 43 Elizabeth (1601) 

 and executed. On his attainder. Sir Gelli's moiety of the manors above 

 mentioned was granted by the Crown to Sir Henry Lindley, who on the 22nd 

 of January, 1601, sold and conveyed the Honour, Castle and Demesne lands of 

 Wigmore to Thomas Harley, Esq., reserving to himself out of the gi'ant the 

 Forest of Darvuld and other jiroperty before mentioned. 



