26 History of the English Landed Interest, 



assembly on all-fours with the Barmote Court of the Derby- 

 shire district. Answering to the steward, deputy steward, 

 barmaster, deputy barmaster, and jury of the former are the 

 constable, clerk, gaveller, deputy gaveller, and jury of twelve, 

 twenty-four, or forty-eight miners of the latter. The rules 

 regulating the court's procedure are couched in the same rude 

 phraseology, and the stick of holly held in the hands of wit- 

 nesses whilst taking the oath probably dates back to some 

 ceremonial of the Druids. Every man entitled to the mining 

 liberties, and who had obtained the permission of the king's 

 gaveller, might dig for coal and iron ore where he pleased, and 

 carry it forth by any means " except carts and waynes." A 

 third of the profits belonged to the king, whose gaveller was 

 empowered to visit the works every Tuesday, '• between Mattins 

 and Masse," to receive the one penny due from each miner. 

 Only persons born and abiding in the Forest were allowed to 

 visit the miners. The various workings had to be kept sepa- 

 rate by a stone's-throw, and the property vested in each work- 

 ing might be bequeathed. The fellowship of miners was 

 compelled to supply the Crown with twelve charges of ore at 

 twelve pence per week, or three charges of coal at one penny, 

 which was estimated according to the standard measure called 

 the " bellis " ; and in case of dispute three witnesses, termed 

 " hands,'' were required for any evidence submitted to the 

 court. 



Since timber was allowed for the workings, another as- 

 sembly, that of the Swainmote, was concerned with mining 

 matters, and besides this there was the court for debtors, held 

 at St. Briavel's Castle. The history of the later centuries 

 records the spread of individual rights. Royal grants of 

 manors and castles occur frequently during the reigns of the 

 first three Edwards and subsequent monarchs. The farming 

 of the Forest was given to Sir Anthony Kingston by Edward 

 VI., and the lease of it to the Earl of Pembroke by James I. 

 The inevitable collision between popular and individual rights 

 occurs soon after, with the usual result of a compromise by 

 which seignorial authority, though established, was for a time 

 kept out of sight. The miners, henceforth permitted to dig 



