58 REMARKS O.V THE PROBABLE DATE 



terition : Edward I issued out his mandate to 

 Peter Corbet to superintend antl to assist in the 

 destruction of them in the several counties of Glou- 

 cester, Worcester, Hereford, Salop, and Stafford. 

 Camden informs us that certain persons at Worm- 

 liill in the county of Derby held their lands by the 

 : duty of hunting, and taking the wolves that infested 

 the country, whence they were styled wolves-hunt. 



Wolf's Dale, near Huddersfield, like many other 

 ^places, very probably took its name from its abound- 

 ing with wolves ; which were once so numerous in thig 

 part of the kingdom, thai they attacked and destroy- 

 ed great numbers of the tame beasts of the villages. 

 The inhabitants, finding all their efforts to destroy 

 them in vain, petitioned king Athelstan, beseeching 

 him to grant them relief, by taking some effectual 

 method to destroy those ferocious animals ; for 1 

 which service they bound themselves, and their suc- 

 cessors for ever, to give every year one thrave of 

 corn, out of every carucate of land in the bishopric 

 of York. Their petition was granted, and buildings 

 erected in many places, particularly : n the woodg 

 and forests, for the reception of dogs and huntsmen j 

 by whose means those ravenous creatures were, in 

 a little time entirely extirpated. The thrave of 

 corn given out of every carucate of land, was after- 

 ward given by government to the cathedral of York; 

 -and is to this day called Peter-Corn.* 



Those animals are now inhabitants of Africa, as 

 as of Europe, Asia and America. Respecting 



* Hargrove's Yprkshire. .Gazetteer.- 



