148 THE ROYAL FQRESTS OF ENGLAND 



wood in 1278, near Wolverhampton, a fire broke out ; the 

 justice of the forest was ordered to supply from Can nock four 

 oaks to Henry le Mercer, of Brewood, Dean of Lichfield, 

 four oaks to Philip le Clerk, and two oaks to Widow Amice, to 

 aid in the rebuilding of their lately burnt houses. 



KINVER FOREST 



The presentments at the Staffordshire eyres in Edward I.'s 

 reign for the smaller forest of Kinver have also been printed by 

 General Wrottesley. 



The Close Rolls of the same reign contain many references 

 to the forest of Kinver. In August, 1278, the king instructed 

 Henry de Ribbeford to cause thirty bucks to be taken 

 for him in the forests of Kinver and Cannock, as should 

 be agreed upon between the respective keepers. Grimbald 

 Pauncefote obtained three Kinver bucks in the same year. 

 In 1281 four live hinds were granted to Ralph Basset from 

 Kinver to help to stock his park of Drayton. A further proof 

 that red as well as fallow roamed over Kinver is the grant 

 of six harts to Edmund Mortimer in 1286. Two years later 

 John, the son of Philip, the keeper of Kinver Forest, was 

 ordered to deliver all eyries of falcons found that year in 

 the forest to John Corbet, the king's falconer, to be kept for 

 the king's use. 



In 1282 the king ordered the release from prison of Richard 

 Saladyn, who was in gaol at Bridgnorth for venison trespass. 

 Bridgnorth was the prison for this forest, as well as for Can- 

 nock ; the official calendar of these Close Rolls has made the 

 amusing mistake of putting Saladyn in prison at Bruges, in 

 Belgium ! Bruges was the usual Latinised form for the town 

 of Bridgnorth. 



Among Edward I.'s timber grants from Kinver were six oaks 

 to Margery de Wigornia, a nun of St. Wystan, Worcester ; 

 six oaks to the master of St. Wolfstan's, Worcester ; ten oaks 

 for fuel to Contisse Loretti, wife of Roger de Clifford, a forest 

 justice ; and twenty oaks for shingles to Anthony Bek. 



The perambulation roll of 1299-1300 shows the considerable 

 extent of Kinver Forest at that date. Part of Arley, with Ash- 

 wood and Pensnet Chase, in addition to the parish of Kinver, 



