HUTTON IN THE-FOREST, 



CUMBERLAND. 



Tl 11^ Mutton is called Mutton-in-the-1-orcst to 

 distinguish it from the many other Muttons 

 of the North Country. The forest was wild 

 Inglcwood, the deep forest which flowed 

 over the midmost plain ot Cumberland. The 

 Conqueror, who loved all forests, took it into his 

 hands, but from time to time his descendants granted 

 away manors within its bounds. Chief among these 

 manors was Mutton, which the first Kdward gave for 

 a livelihood to a family taking their name from it, 

 Crown foresters at Inglewood, as it would seem, 

 bearing a hunter's horn on their shield of arms, and 

 keeping their lands by the tenure of holding the 

 King's stirrup when he should mount his horse at the 

 gate of the castle of merry Carlisle. Mere they 

 feasted or quarrelled with their neighbours, remem- 

 bering the ties of kinship to the third and fourth 

 generation, and the call of a Mood-feud to the 

 seventh. They hunted in the dark forest until the wolf 

 and the wild ox were no more, and their border 

 battlings went on until the quartering of the Scottish 

 lion with the Knglish leopards brought peace to the 



North. In that day the Muttons of I Uitton-in-thc- 

 1-orest come to an end as though their service was .it 

 an end. 



The purchaser of Mutton was a new man among 

 the manor lords of the lx>rder. There is trade in the 

 bl<x>d of all Knglish folk, but trade was not wont to 

 bring notable prosperity to Cumberland men. There- 

 fore, all Cumberland wondered at the ureat wealth 

 of these Fletchers, chapmen in Cockcrmouth on 

 Derwent. l-or three generations their fortunes hail 

 grown. When the Queen of Sots came into 

 Cumberland after all \v.is lost at I-ingside, the lady of 

 Workington gave body-linen to the hunted Queen, 

 but the rich Fletcher of Cockermouth clad her 

 gallantly in a velvet gown. loiter on, Sir Marry, 

 the rich chapman's son, was .is eager for war as any 

 of the rugged house that had passed aw.iy from their 

 forest tower. I Ic armed a regiment on behalf of 

 King Charles, and rode at its head in a colonel's siarf. 

 Mis men, amon>| whom must have been many forest 

 bred, were with those who defended Carlisle in vain, 

 and in the same year of ('145, Sir Marry, leading his 



I-' RUM I HI- 



