130 DORSET AND KING JOHN. 



There was no war department in tlio?e times to pnrcliase whole- 

 sale and to distiibute in the army Low-strings made in Germany. 

 The bowmen had to weave their own strings, for Avhich the sheriff 

 supplied them with yarn. Yarn Avas purchased this year at a 

 cost of 15s. for the crossbowmen stationed in the King's castles of 

 Dorset and Somerset. 



£129 7s. 4d., a sum equivalent to between £2,000 and .£3,000, 

 was the cost of the works carried out this year in the rebuilding of 

 the King's houses at Gillingham. The viewers Avere Wido de 

 Osteilli * William Cusin, Thomas of Shaftesbury, Hugo de Droeis, 

 and Gilbert de Bankeham, and £10 that of the work about Sher- 

 borne Castle, of which Avork Warner de Bradford and Hugh de 

 Melburn Avere the vicAvers. At Corfe Castle 100s. Avas spent in 

 repairs. There Avas spent in putting up and entertaining at 

 Dorchester 8 carters, 3 packhorses, and 2 horses of Randolf 

 Parmentariis and Pictavinus Avith their grooms or pages nearly a 

 pound. Eichard de Limoges Avith 6 horses and 2 pages (probably 

 at Dorchester) £8 19s. Thirty-six shillings Avas the cost of keeping 

 11 of the King's horses at Dorchester. 



Kichard, son of John, William de Newmarket, and Thomas 

 Grenville paid " ne transfrettent." 



Amongst the curious facts in these rolls is the difficulty Avliieh 

 even persons of position found in res))onding to the request for a 

 little ready money. Many of them apparently had little. At one 

 time it is a bishop or an abbot Avho cannot pay at once a moderate 

 sum of money ; at another it is an impecunious knight Avho makes 

 fine with the King in the sum of four marks, but he has not the 

 four marks ; he has two Avhich he pays, and he OAves tAvo. Even 

 Peter de Schidimor, aa'Iio Avas sheriff two years before, oAves six 

 marks, his fine for keeping hounds. The same thing is noticeable 

 in earlier reigns, but not, I think, to anything like the same extent. 



* AViilo de Osteilli did not undertake this duty ANillinyly. He Avas 

 amerced in the sum of 10 marks because he Avas not present at the Avorks 

 about the King's houses unless he Avas attorneyed " q'n'int'fuit op'atio'i 

 donior' R' de Gillingh' n' attornat' fuit." 



