152 THE ROYAL FORESTS OF ENGLAND 



built by the foresters and keepers at Bowden about 1225, 

 which place was henceforth usually known as Chapel-en-le- 

 Frith. The Chamber of the Peak was not so important a 

 place as the central lodge of many other forests, because the 

 keeper of the Peak Forest being usually associated with the 

 custody of the castle, the residence of the chief local official 

 was at Castleton. The prison was at the castle of the Peak, 

 and the baily of the castle was sometimes made to serve as a 

 great pound for illegally pastured sheep ; but there is no 

 instance of the Justice Seat or even a swainmote being held 

 at Castleton. 



There are, unfortunately, too few records left of the smaller 

 forest courts of the Peak to speak with confidence as to the 

 regular holding of the frequent attachment courts or swain- 

 motes in all the bailiwicks for any long period ; but there are 

 sufficient incidental references to show that such swainmotes 

 were held in the thirteenth and early fourteenth centuries for 

 Campana at the Chamber of the Forest, for Longdendale at 

 Chapel-en-le-Frith, and for Hopedale at Hope. Subsequently 

 the greater swainmote courts were held at Tideswell and at 

 Chapel-en-le-Frith, though sometimes at Campana Lodge or 

 Chamber of the Forest instead of at Tideswell. 



In several of the larger forests, and notably in Peak Forest, 

 there were hereditary foresters-of-fee. In this case, when the 

 question of their origin came up at forest pleas, they always 

 claimed to date back to the times of William Peverel. There 

 were a certain number originally four, though afterwards 

 subdivided for each of the three great bailiwicks of the Peak 

 Forest who held certain bovates of land in serjeanty, dis- 

 charging their obligations in one case by the hunting of wolves 

 (see chapter iv.), and in the others by some amount of forest 

 supervision. In two of the three bailiwicks they had sworn 

 grooms or servants under them. This kind of forestership 

 could be held by women and by clerks, but the duties had 

 then to be discharged by deputy. The foresters-of-fee were 

 bound to attend all courts, even the frequent swainmotes of 

 their bailiwick, in person or by authorised sworn deputy. 



The tenure by which such foresters held their land is made 

 clear by divers inquisitions after death. Adam Gomfrey, 

 32 Edward I., died seized of a messuage and fifteen acres at 



