HISTORY OF BRITISH WOODLANDS 



or English timber merchant is, however, of 

 much older standing than the foreigner, and 

 probably dates from the beginning of the 

 fifteenth century, as we find that in 1407 one 

 William Pomfrett, a timber merchant on the 

 borders of Sherwood Forest, was indicted at 

 Nottingham for placing timber upon Tymber- 

 hill on the King's highway to the nuisance of 

 the neighbours; and, moreover, through the 

 default of that timber there lying, John Ward, 

 a barber, was killed. Actual sales of timber 

 even at an earlier date are recorded, as in 

 1379 John Turner entered a debt of 6s. 8d. 

 (about 5 of our money) in the court against 

 a publican for " timber pertaining to an ale 

 booth " which should have been paid for at 

 the Feast of St. Martin. As early as 1290 

 Queen Eleanor, wife of Edward I., set up large 

 timber works at Glencree, in Ireland, to supply 

 timber for her castle at Haverford in Wales. 



The records of the Worshipful Company of 

 Carpenters, which were fortunately saved 

 from the Fire of London, make no reference 

 to the home timber merchant previous to 



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