EARLY HISTORY. i6i 



the sheriff is commanded to cause him to come in 

 the Octaves of Holy Trinity. There would have 

 been no offence in this case had they not entered 

 Hawkridge Wood, which was in the forest If they 

 had stopped their hounds in the Danes Brook they 

 would have been quite safe, being up to that point in 

 Devon. 



Thomas le Shetere, of Grutte, in Molland, and 

 William Wyme, of Bremley, were at the same court 

 presented for frequent poaching with bows and 

 arrows " and were harboured in the house of John, 

 then chaplain of Hawkridge, who consented to their 

 evil deeds." The chaplain came and was kept in 

 prison, and the usual procedure of ordering the 

 sheriff of Devon to bring the others and fining the 

 township was gone through, Dulverton, Ashway le 

 Erceneske (Ashwick), and the Prior of Taunton were 

 fined. 



" And the aforesaid John the chaplain is pardoned 

 for the sake of the King's soul." 



John Scrutenger, of Cloutsham, killed a hind in 

 Witsunweek, which must have been in the fence 

 month, when she can have been quite unfit to 

 eat, and suffered imprisonment and paid forty 

 shillings for his release, a very heavy sum in those 

 days. 



The records contain numerous instances which 

 show how vigilantly and rigorously the laws were 

 executed, for instance, in 1269, Richard of Dumesley 

 of Anstey (probably Dunsley Mill), and others 



M 



