

THE FOREST OF THE HIGH PEAK 157 



The fines imposed for venison trespasses varied at this eyre 

 from ^zooto 13^. 4^., and seemed to have been proportioned in 

 accordance with the position of the offender, as well as the 

 comparative gravity of the offence. The long intervals be- 

 tween the eyres, and the frequent changes of the forest 

 custodian, together with the wildriess of the country, seemed 

 to have led to the Peak Forest being hunted, with a certain 

 amount of impunity, by not a few of the nobility and gentry 

 of Derbyshire, and of the adjacent parts of Yorkshire and 

 Cheshire. The game trespasses at this eyre were entirely for 

 red deer, save for the single instance of a presentment against 

 Robert de Wurth for killing a roebuck, for which offence the 

 huge fine of ,100 was imposed. The amount of this fine had 

 nothing to do with the nature of the game, but was caused by 

 the non-appearance of the accused, accompanied probably by 

 some aggravating circumstances not recorded on the brief 

 entry on the plea rolls. At the next pleas (1286) the justices 

 imposed a like enormous fine of 100 in the case of John Clarel, 

 who did not appear, on the charge of taking a hart, adding to 

 the record words which do not elsewhere appear si placeat 

 domino rege as though to mark its exceptional nature. 



When the justices at the 1251 pleas came to the considera- 

 tion of vert offences and encroachments various particulars 

 were missing. Mathew de Langesdon and Adam de Stanton, 

 hereditary verderers, were each fined 20^. for not producing 

 their father's rolls. There seems to have been much careless- 

 ness among the various officials in the keeping of their respec- 

 tive yearly lists of offences. Peter del Hurst, regarder of one 

 section of the Peak Forest, was fined los. for the non-present- 

 ment of assarts and purprestures in his rolls. A considerable 

 number of agisters were at the same time declared in mercy 

 for not producing their agistment rolls according to the custom 

 and assize of the forest. There is, however, a fairly long list 

 t of vert offences (about sixty) that had accrued within the Crown 

 demesnes since 1218, the damage done being in most cases 

 valued at 6d. Richard de Smallcross, who had been fined 6d. 

 at the swainmote for the value of a vert offence in the demesne 

 park, had now to pay a fine of 6s. 8d. and to obtain pledges. 

 Richard de Redescaye, who had paid a value fine of i2d., was 

 also fined 6s. 8d. by the justices. The majority of the offenders 



