198 THE ROYAL FORESTS OF ENGLAND 



of woody and bushy ground ; that in Duffield there is much 

 plain ground and also a great deal of thin set wood ground by 

 name of Chevin ; that in Helper there is much plain ground 

 and a good deal of wood soil chiefly set with birch under- 

 wood ; that the tenants of the frith and the copyholders 

 bordering on the same have every third year reasonable hedge- 

 bote out of the woods to hedge their common cornfields, and 

 in winter to lop hollies and other undergrowth for relief of 

 the queen's game when there were deer, and for their own 

 cattle and sheep ; that all borderers and strangers taking away 

 any fuel, wood or browse (other than what may be sold by the 

 collectors) are amerced at the woodmote courts ; that all the 

 alders throughout the wards had been lately felled and sold 

 for Her Majesty's use ; that all tenants of Duffield, Belper, 

 Makeney, Hazelwood, Windley, Turnditch, Holbrook, Hul- 

 land, Ideridghay, Biggin, Ireton Wood, and Heage, and 

 other houses in the precincts of the frith claim and use common 

 of sheep and cattle ; that small benefit would accrue to the 

 Crown from the encopsing of the woods, and that it would be 

 prejudicial to the tenants, who are mainly poor and dependent 

 on the relief of pasturage in the frith ; that the underwood 

 might with advantage be divided into ten parts or "hagges," 

 and let on lease, selling every year one part ; that the aptest 

 places for setting up "any bloweng mill for the melting of 

 lead ower (the same intended to be a water mill)" is in the Hul- 

 land ward at a little brook called Hulland brook, and in 

 Chevin or Duffield ward at Blackbrook, " so that there may be 

 one small overshot mill at cache of them, and will have water 

 to furnish worke one day at thone and an other day at the 

 other, onles it be in the drowght of somer " ; that near Hulland 

 brook are " one or two great and auncient heapes of Iron slag 

 or cinders whereby it should seem there hathe ben some 

 water worke there for melting of Iron stone " ; and that the 

 same preferment for lead ore should be charged in the manors 

 of the frith as in the Wapentake of Wirksworth, namely, a 

 halfpenny for every load of ore, twelve loads commonly 

 making a fother of lead. 



In 1587 the inhabitants and borderers of Duffield Frith, 

 numbering 509 copyholders, freeholders, and ancient cot- 

 tagers and householders (forming a population of 1,800 with 



