8 THE ROYAL FORESTS OF ENGLAND 



Edward I. in some cases broke the Forest Charter under 

 legal quibbles ; but he did not, in general, desire that the 

 boundaries of the forest as settled by his father, should be 

 disturbed. Towards the end of his reign, however, strong 

 political pressure induced him to consent to further dis- 

 afforesting. The Forest Charter was confirmed in 1297, but 

 further perambulations were undertaken between that date and 

 1301, by which large reductions were made in the forest area. 



It would have caused general disturbance to the industries 

 of the country, if the pursuit of special occupations pertaining 

 to the soil had been prohibited within the very wide areas of 

 the forests. Such industries were allowed to be followed under 

 particular restrictions, and were worked, as a rule, for the profit 

 of the crown. The most important of these was the question 

 of iron smelting, particularly as the forges consumed so large 

 an amount of wood or charcoal. Grants were made from the 

 crown for permission to have itinerant forges. Such forges 

 abounded in the Forest of Dean, and were also met with in the 

 forests of Sussex, Duffield, Sherwood, Pickering, etc. 



Henry III., in 1231, granted this liberty (forgia itinerans) 

 to Mabel de Cantilupe for life in Dean Forest. The grant 

 states this was in accordance with a custom sanctioned by 

 John and other of the king's royal ancestors. Another grant 

 of the following year provided that the lady might have an 

 oak on each of any fifteen days she chose, every year as long 

 as she lived, for the support of this forge. 



The symbol of a man who was entitled to use an itinerant 

 forge seems to have been a pair of bellows. This symbol is 

 to be found on two early incised slabs in the church of 

 Papplewick, Sherwood Forest. 



In some cases there were permanent forges of some size, 

 belonging to the crown, within the forest bounds ; of this 

 there were two instances in Duffield Frith. 



In the Helper ward of Duffield Frith there was considerable 

 surface coal mining ; on Dartmoor and Exmoor there were 

 particular regulations affecting the procuring of peat ; whilst 

 in other forests the quarrying of stone for building purposes, 

 for millstones and for tombstones, as well as the burning of 

 lime and digging of marl were pursued, but in all cases with 

 due regard for the non-disturbance of the deer. Such callings 



