n8 THE ROYAL FORESTS OF ENGLAND 



Robert Stephen, though fined 6d. , had nothing to pay because 

 he was a villein ; whilst John Foxlove was pardoned his fine 

 for two good reasons, as he was both poor and dead ! 



The records of various swainmote or attachment courts of 

 this forest for the year 1407-8 are extant. At one held at 

 Pickering on iyth September, the woodwards of Crosscliffe 

 and Stayndale were each fined 2d. for non-appearance. The 

 attachments for agistment of pigs in the West ward during the 

 close month were numerous. 



The attendance of the officials at these minor courts seems 

 to have been slack. At a swainmote held on St. Matthew's 

 Day, the forester of Alayntoft was fined zd. ; John Gower, one 

 of the verderers, 6d. ; William de Roston, deputy regarder, 

 ^d. ; John Westhorpe, regarder, 4^., for absence. The town- 

 ship of Brymyngeshoe was at the same time fined 6d. for the 

 absence of their reeve and four men. 



Fines were paid this year before John de Sultan, lieutenant 

 for William de Roos, lord of Hamelake, the keeper of the 

 forest, for the lawing of dogs. The West ward paid the large 

 sum of 10 i8s. 8d., duly portioned out among the different 

 townships ; Pickering, with Goathland, paid 6os. ; Cropton, 

 with Hartoft, 30^. ; whilst others like Newton only paid 3-r. 4^. 

 The sum received for a like cause from the East ward was 

 3 os. 8d. 



The due number of courts, namely, one every forty days, 

 were held in 1408 at Pickering, and other forest centres. 

 At the Langdon court, Sir David de Rouclyffe was presented for 

 having felled in Goathland, in a close called Malton close, 

 nine oaks for a balk then being made in Pickering at a place 

 called Barylgate, and also seven oaks and twenty-three logs of 

 willow and linden for building there. 



The forests pertaining to the Duchy of Lancaster naturally 

 suffered severely during the Wars of the Roses, and perhaps 

 none more so than Pickering. In October, 1489, Henry VII. 

 enjoined upon Brian Sandford, steward^ of the honor of 

 Pickering, constable of the castle, and "master forster of our 

 game within the seid honnor," that no manner of person be 

 permitted in any way to take or disturb the game for the space 

 of three years "As it is common unto our knowledge that 

 our game of dere and warenne within our seid honnor is gretly 



