i 9 2 THE ROYAL FORESTS OF ENGLAND 



relate to Duffield Frith have been cited in the introductory 

 chapters, and most of them have been printed in volume xv. of 

 the Derbyshire Archaeological Society's journal. 



A woodmote was held at Belper on i4th May, 1466. In 

 addition to a variety of 2d. fines for small vert offences, several 

 of the tenants in Hulland ward were fined a similar sum for 

 not repairing the border fences according to their tenure. The 

 parkers of Ravensdale and Mansell, as well as Postern, had 

 nothing to present. The foresters of Chevin ward (an alms 

 for Duffield ward) presented Ralph Sacheverell, lately of 

 Snitterton, who came into the ward on 6th March, and without 

 any licence cut down six oaks called "spyres" for repair of two 

 houses. Various other inquiries were presented at this court. 

 John Kniveton, of Mercaston, killed a fawn without warrant in 

 Shottle park ; and in the same park William Cook, of Bradley, 

 John Vernon, of Haddon, and John Bradburne, of Heage, 

 each killed a doe, and three others a fawn. In Morley park 

 John Fynedun (also an armiger] killed a doe. Thomas Gresley, 

 who was deputy lieutenant of Duffield Frith, presented William, 

 son of the vicar of Wirksworth, and two others for entering the 

 forest on several occasions with four greyhounds. 



At another woodmote held later in the same year at Ravens- 

 dale, the foresters of Belper presented that Thomas Gresley, 

 late deputy lieutenant of the chase, on Thursday before the 

 Feast of St. Thomas the Martyr, had killed a buck without 

 warrant, also that in Whitsun week he had killed another buck, 

 and that William Troutbek had committed the like trespass. 

 The keeper of Morley park charged Thomas Gresley with 

 a like offence in that enclosure. At the same court Roger 

 Vernon was presented for having sent Nicholas Bromhall, of 

 Alderwasley, to Shining Cliff within the forest to cut down eight 

 oaks called "spyres." 



The explanation of these outbreaks on the part of the county 

 gentlemen is not far to seek, and they were common at this 

 period throughout the forests of England. It was in the midst 

 of the Wars of the Roses. Advantage was taken of this period 

 of civil commotion ; those who favoured York or Lancaster, as 

 the case might be, seem to have readily persuaded themselves 

 that they were entitled to make a raid on the forests of the one 

 or the other whom they chose to regard as a pseudo-king. 



