THE TREES OF THE FOREST 69 



necessary for maintaining their houses, mending their hedges, 

 and supplying their hearths and ovens with fuel. Thus, in 

 addition to the claims of ordinary tenants, the abbot of Darley, 

 the parson of Duffield, the parson of Mugginton, the heirs of 

 Peter Nevill, the heirs of Cardell, the heirs of Bradburn, the 

 heirs of Kniveton of Mercaston, the heirs of Bradshaw, and 

 the heirs of four other families all claimed and used the liberty 

 of having housebote, haybote, and firebote in Duffield Frith. 



With regard to the question of the vert of the forest, some- 

 times called by the picturesque English term of " green hue," 

 it included all trees, whether bearing deer fruit (such as acorns 

 and beech mast) or not, as well as underwood. That which 

 grew in the demesne woods of the king was, according to 

 Manwood, "special vert," and the damaging of it was a 

 greater offence than the interference with other vert in private 

 woods within the forest ; but of such distinctions the records 

 of the local courts or eyres contain but little trace. In all 

 cases, however, the penalties were more severe on those who 

 dwelt outside the forest. Anyone using wagons to take tim- 

 ber out of demesne woods not only incurred a fine in propor- 

 tion to the value of the timber, but, if the offence was repeated, 

 also forfeited both wagon and team. Instances of this are 

 cited in the account of Pickering forest. 



In 1287, as stated subsequently in chapter xvi., the justices 

 drew up special vert by-laws for Sherwood forest, which are 

 of much interest and precision. 



If the regarders reported that a wood in private hands had 

 been wasted, the Crown had a right to take it into its own 

 hands, provided the justices in eyre confirmed such present- 

 ment. There are various instances of the Crown seizing such 

 woods in the forest of Essex during the reign of Edward I. ; 

 and in 1323 the prior of Bermondsey had his wood seized by 

 the Crown on account of waste. Such woods were usually 

 redeemed on payment of substantial penalties. 



The connivance of forest officers in vert offences was 

 frequently brought before eyres by the reports of the re- 

 garders, notably in the case of Pickering. 



The oak, as might naturally be supposed, was the chief 

 forest tree in every part of England, and its timber was the 

 most valuable. The special grants of timber from royal 



