154 THE RED DEER OE EX MOOR. 



Porter held Chilton Trivet, Hemstile, and Idstock, 

 between the Ouantocks and the river Parret ; 

 Ansger, the cook, had the manor of Lilstock ; while 

 Ansger Focarius, or the hearth keeper, was granted 

 lands in Petherton and at Durleigh. What office did 

 Robert D'Auberville hold ? We know that he was 

 granted the lands belonging to the Saxon foresters, 

 and that he held them directly from the King in 

 ^rand serjeanty, the service being the forestership 

 of Exmoor and Petherton ; it is a fair inference that 

 he held the important office of royal huntsman, even 

 if not the more important office of master of the 

 game. 



These same lands at Hawkridge and Withypool 

 together with the hereditary forestership were subse- 

 quently, in 1 199, given to a Kentish man, William de 

 Wrotham, who seems to have been the king's chief 

 forester for all the forests in Somerset and Dorset. 



The de Wrothams, from whom are decended the 

 families of Wrothe and Worth, held large estates, 

 and occupy a prominent part in the sporting 

 chronicles of the West of England. 



William de Wrotham was succeeded in his estates 

 and offices by his son William, who, being Arch- 

 deacon of Taunton, deputed his brother Richard to 

 act for him. He was succeeded by his nephew 

 Richard, who died without issue in 1251, when the 

 forestership devolved on William de Placetis, or de 

 Plecy, whose father, Hugh, had married Muriel de 

 Wrotham, Richard's sister. He in turn was 



