52 THE ROYAL FORESTS OF ENGLAND 



February. The summer hart or buck venison was considered 

 much more of a delicacy than the winter hind or doe venison. 



There are a variety of entries on the Close Rolls from the 

 time of John to Edward II., relative to the dispatch of the 

 king's huntsmen and attendants and hounds to different forests, 

 for the purpose of obtaining venison for the royal household ; 

 most of this was salted down on the spot and committed to 

 the sheriff for delivery. A small selection of such cases, of 

 the reigns of Edward I. and II., are cited here instead of 

 under the respective forests. Entries of this kind make it 

 quite clear that no large hunting staff or kennels were main- 

 tained in the actual forests ; they were reserved for the king, 

 and occasionally for his friends, the local foresters having only 

 a few hounds in training for the use of the master of the 

 forest. 



On December I3th, 1275, Matthew de Columbariis, keeper 

 of the forest of Clarendon, received orders to permit Henry de 

 Candover, the king's huntsman, to take twenty does for the 

 king's use against Christmas, and to give him due aid and 

 counsel ; certain of the king's yeomen accompanied the hunts- 

 man. In 1280, when Philip de Candover was king's huntsman, 

 he received during his visit to Clarendon forest 2s. 6d. a day 

 from the sheriff of Wilts for his wages, whilst the expenses of 

 his horses and of the pack of twenty-six hounds and their two 

 keepers (or berners) amounted to 18 i$s. 4^. In the follow- 

 ing year the pack numbered thirty-two, and the expenses were 

 24 15-5-. id. 



In November, 1313, the sheriff of Berks was ordered to pay 

 to Robert le Squier, whom the king was sending to take 

 eight hinds and six bucks in Windsor forest, with two 

 berners, three ventrers, one berceletter, twenty-four running 

 dogs, twelve greyhounds, and two bercelets, his wages, during 

 his stay in his bailiwick, to wit i2d. a day, and 2d. a day for 

 each of the berners, ventrers, and the berceletter, and \\d. 

 a day for each of the dogs, greyhounds, and bercelets. He 

 was also to deliver him salt for the venison, and carriage for 

 the same, to the king. There was another order to the sheriff 

 of the like kind in June, 1314, and in July, 1316. 



Edward II., in July, 1315, issued his mandate to the sheriff 

 of Devonshire to pay to Robert Squier and David de Franketon, 



