60 THE ROYAL FORESTS OF ENGLAND 



Ferrers, Earl of Derby, in the reign of Stephen. Henry II. 

 granted cheminage throughout the whole forest of Pickering 

 to the burgesses of Scarborough, a right confirmed on several 

 subsequent occasions. 



The fourteenth section of the Charter of the Forest, 1217, 

 provided that it was only a forester-of-fee who had a right of 

 cheminage, namely, for carriage by cart for the half-year, 2d., 

 and the same for the other half-year ; for a horse that bare 

 loads, \d. the half-year. But this fee was only to be taken of 

 those who came as merchants from outside foresters' bailiwick; 

 cheminage was not to be taken for any other carriage by cart. 

 Those who bore on their back brushwood, bark, or charcoal, 

 though it was their living, were to pay no cheminage to the 

 king's foresters unless they took it in the royal demesne woods. 



The confirmation granted by Henry III. in 1256, to the 

 burgesses of Scarborough, stated that they were to be quit of 

 cheminage throughout the whole forest of Pickering, so that 

 they might carry timber, brushwood, turf, heather, fern, and 

 all else freely, wherever and whenever they pleased, except 

 during the fence month. The priors of Malton and of Ellerton 

 established their claims to be free of any payment, great or 

 small, for the passage of their loaded carts, wagons, or pack- 

 saddles throughout Pickering forest. The hospital of Crick- 

 lade had a like exemption in the Wiltshire forest of Braydon. 



The fence month, or in Latin mensis vetitus^ which lasted 

 from fifteen days before Midsummer to fifteen days after, was 

 the special time when the deer required quiet and protection, 

 for it was just about the usual time for fawning. The whole 

 principle of cheminage was to prevent forest roads being freely 

 used, so as to check disturbance of the king's game. These 

 precautions were naturally redoubled during this particular 

 season. In several forests agistment of pigs, and sometimes 

 of cattle and horses, was permitted during the fence month, 

 but in all such cases the agistment fee was very largely 

 increased. So too with cheminage. 



In certain forests the money for way-leave was materially 

 increased during that month ; whilst in some cases, as at Cran- 

 borne Chase and in Pickering forest during its later period, 

 such fees were only collected during that time. It was also 

 customary in some forest districts, as at Rockingham, to allow 



