THE FOREST OF THE HIGH PEAK 165 



numerous, although by far the largest portion of the forest 

 area was always clear of every kind of timber. The woods 

 were almost entirely of oak. 



Full lists of assarts and purprestures that had occurred since 

 1261, under the respective bailiffs, were also presented at the 

 1286 pleas. 



As to horses, it was presented that the Queen Consort had a 

 stud of 115 mares and their foals in Campana, to the great 

 injury of the forest, but that many had horses and mares in 

 Campana under cover of their belonging to the queen. Peter de 

 Shatton, forester-of-fee, had eleven horses and mares feeding in 

 Campana, whose pasturage was rated at 2s. Nineteen other 

 foresters had horses or mares in various proportions, all claim- 

 ing to be part of the queen's stud. They were all ordered to 

 remove their animals, and had to pay pasturage value, and in 

 addition, fines varying from is. to 4^., save in the cases 

 of Adam Gomfrey, John Daniel, and Cecily Foljambe, who 

 were pardoned. 



The ordinary vert rolls for such trespasses during the past 

 thirty-five years extended to a great length, embracing over 600 

 cases. The fines were chiefly is., but extended to 2s. 6d., and 

 in one case to 4^. Two of the offenders, Richard le Hunt and 

 Walter Bigg, both of Castleton, were excused any fine on the 

 score of poverty. 



The details of the farm stock for the year 1314-15 are 

 particularly full, especially with regard to the sheep, but space 

 prevents them being given here. 



There are various references to the milking of ewes in the 

 Peak accounts. It is often forgotten how almost universal 

 throughout England but more especially in Essex and the 

 eastern counties was the custom of cheese-making from 

 sheep's milk from the time of Domesday to the days of 

 Elizabeth. It lingered to a far later date in some districts. 

 , The milk of ten ewes was considered equivalent to that of 

 one cow. 



The bailiff of the Peak was allowed, within the forest limits, 

 to keep a limited number of sheep in certain defined places, 

 and one or two herds of cattle kept, as a rule, within enclosures, 

 and only occasionally pastured in the open. In later days, as 

 will be presently seen, when the pasturage was farmed out, 



