no THE ROYAL FORESTS OF ENGLAND 



During Edward II. 's sojourn at Pickering in 1322 he gave 

 icw. to John, son of Ibote, of Pickering, for following him 

 the whole day when he hunted the hart in Pickering chase, 

 and also the roe deer. 



The case of Sir John Fauconburg's poaching came up again 

 in the reign of Edward III. A close letter to the treasurer 

 and barons of the Exchequer, of September, 1327, sets forth : 

 That Sir John had shown the king, by petition before him and 

 his council, that Hugh le Despencer, the younger, had lately 

 caused Sir John to be indicted at Pickering, in Edward II.'s 

 presence, for taking a hart and a hind, and caused him to be 

 kept in prison until he had paid 100 marks fine, of which sum 

 he paid 10 marks ; that he prayed the king to be released from 

 the remainder of the fine as he was indicted contrary to the 

 law of the realm and of the forest ; that the alleged trespass 

 was made when Pickering forest was in the king's hands by 

 reason of the quarrel with Thomas of Lancaster, and it was 

 ordained in the late Parliament that the king was not to have 

 the issue of lands of those who were of the said quarrel ; and 

 further, that Sir John was indicted before another than the 

 keeper of the forest, contrary to the law and assize of the 

 forest. This last ingenious plea, namely, that Edward II. 

 had presided at the Pickering court in person, instead of John 

 de Kilvington, prevailed, and the barons were ordered, if 

 they found that Sir John had been indicted before another 

 than the keeper, to remit the arrears of the 100 marks. 



Pleas of the forest were held at Pickering on 6th October, 

 1334, before Richard de Willoughby, Robert de Hungerford, 

 and John de Hanbury, justices in eyre. The foresters-of-fee 

 of the West ward were Sir William de Percy, who was pre- 

 sent, and a lady forester, Petronilla de Kynthorp, who was 

 represented by Edmund de Hastings as her deputy. The 

 foresters-of-fee of the East ward, were Roger de Leicester, 

 Hugh de Yeland, and William le Parker. All these had 

 several sub-foresters under them. Sir Ralph de Hastings, the 

 keeper of the whole forest, had seven foresters immediately 

 under his control. Four verderers, thirteen regarders, and 

 four agisters (two for each ward) were also present. 



No pleas had been held since 1280, and the verderers, past 

 and present, or their heirs, were bound to produce the rolls, 



