THE FOREST OF PICKERING 119 



diminnished by excessive huntyng, and likely to be destroied, 

 without restreyn in the same be had in that depart." " We 

 desire," continued the king", "the replenisshyng of our seid 

 game not only for our singler pleasure but also for the disport 

 of other oure servantes and subjettes of wirshipp in theis 

 parties." 



The country had apparently not sufficiently settled down for 

 justices to be spared at this period to go through the long pro- 

 cesses involved in forest pleas at Pickering, and the king, in 

 1494, appointed Brian Sandford and Richard Cholmley to act 

 as commissioners in procuring inquests as to the various 

 transgressions in the forest, taking cognisances of all offences 

 for the past five years. The jury, which included five esquires 

 and three gentlemen, first presented that, on ist July, 1489, Leo 

 Percy, lately of Ryton, esquire, a forester-of-fee, killed a buck 

 which Sir Thomas Metham had; on i2th July, a buck, which 

 Master Babthorp, reeve of Hemingborough had ; on aoth 

 December, a doe, which John Clay and Robert Milner of 

 Kirby Moorside had ; on 22nd December, three does, one of 

 which went to Sir John Pickering, another to Sir Thomas 

 Metham, and the third to John Hotham, of Scarborough ; and 

 also at divers times six does and one hind in the park of 

 Blandsby for his own use. In 1490 he killed nineteen, in 1491 

 nineteen, in 1492 fifteen, and in 1493 twelve, disposing of them 

 to such persons as those already named, as well as to the prior 

 of Watton, the rector of Levisham, Sir Marmaduke Constable, 

 Guy Fairfax, and Robert Constable, of Holm. 



They also charged Roger Hastings, one of the foresters-of- 

 fee, with taking twenty deer. 



On the other hand, Lionel Percy and Roger Hastings each 

 claimed as foresters-of-fee two harts and two bucks in summer, 

 and two harts and two does in winter ; but the jury disallowed 

 this, and returned that they were only permitted one course 

 for their dogs twice a year. " The two foresters claimed from 

 every deer slain within the forest both the shoulders as well as 

 the entrails, or numbles (barbillas, que barbille proprie noun- 

 billes evocantur}. But the jury disallowed this, stating that the 

 foresters-of-fee had only a right to the left shoulder, the right 

 shoulder and the entrails belonging to the master forester or 

 his lieutenant. 



