48 THE FORESTS OF ENGLAND. 



Warwick, for 100 annual rental. The singular perquisite 

 of a bushel of coal, worth twenty pence, from each pit at 

 the end of every six weeks, was now attached to the office 

 of ' Capital Forester of all the Foresters.' 



"After the battle of Edgecote, 26th July 1469, Earl 

 Rivers (the father of Elizabeth Woodville, recently 

 married by Edward IV., to the great offence of most 

 of his subjects) and his son, Sir John Woodville, fled 

 hither, but were captured and carried to Northampton 

 and executed, 



" Edward VI. farmed the forest to Sir Anthony Kingston. 



"In 1612 the Earl of Pembroke received a grant, 

 entitling him to cut 12,000 cords of wood yearly, for 

 twenty-one years, at 4s per cord, and the lordship of the 

 whole Forest of Dean, with the Castle of St Briavels, &c., 

 for forty years, at the yearly rent of 83 18s. 4d. 



" In 1613 an order dated 28th January was made, 

 limiting the privileges of foresters to dig for ore, and 

 they were henceforth ' out of charity and grace, and 

 not of right,' to dig for mine, ore, and cinders ; the latter 

 were the ashes or refuse left by a former race of iron 

 manufacturers, whose skill was too limited to effect more 

 than the separation of a portion of the metal, but which 

 the improved methods beginning to be introduced turned 

 to good account." 



St Briavells, of which mention has been made, was 

 built for the residence and defence of some of the lords- 

 marchers. St Briavells, formerly a place of some 

 importance, is now a village. Its inhabitants enjoyed 

 some singular immunities, which are now obsolete ; but 

 they have still a right of common in Hudknoll's Wood, a 

 tract of land on the banks of the Wye seven miles long. 

 They are supposed to enjoy the privilege through the per- 

 formance of a strange ceremony on Whitsunday. Each 

 inhabitant pays twopence to the churchwardens, who buy 

 bread and cheese with the fund, which they cut into small 

 pieces, and distribute to the congregation immediately 

 after the service is ended, in the midst of a general 



