208 THE ROYAL FORESTS OF ENGLAND 



Lincolft, and orders were issued on i3th March for fifteen does 

 to be supplied for the royal use at that season from Sherwood 

 Forest, in addition to twelve bucks from Galtres Forest. The 

 keeper of Sherwood was ordered in 1277 to cause Richard 

 Folyot to be supplied with two live bucks and ten does to stock 

 his park at Grimston. In 1279, eight live does and four bucks 

 were granted to William de Colwick to help to stock his park 

 of Colwick. 



The Close Rolls supply interesting information now and 

 again of merciful royal attention to venison offences. On 

 2nd March, 1278, the king ordered Geoffrey de Neville, 

 justice of the forest beyond Trent, to deliver John de Cokefeld 

 from prison to twelve men, who were to mainpern to have 

 him before the king in a month from Easter, if the king or any 

 other wished to speak against him ; the charge against him 

 was the taking of a stag (red deer) in Sherwood Forest. The 

 same justice was ordered by Edward I., in 1280, to take no 

 action against Eustace de Hacche and six other transgressors 

 for having taken three does and a hind in this forest, as 

 the king had pardoned them. In 1285, the heavy fine of 

 100 marks on Thomas de Carducis on account of venison 

 trespass in Sherwood was annulled by letters patent. 



Edward I. was much attached to the two younger sons 

 of Walter Bek, baron of Eresby, Thomas and Anthony. They 

 were both king's clerks, and eventually obtained high promo- 

 tion ; their names occur on various occasions in connection 

 with benefits from this great forest. Thomas, the second son, 

 was consecrated Bishop of St. David's in 1280. On Christmas 

 Day of the following year, Edward I. granted him four live 

 bucks and eight live does to stock his park at Pleasley, on the 

 confines of the forest. On the same day the king sent a letter 

 to the justices next in eyre for pleas of the forest in the county 

 of Nottingham, ordering them not to molest or vex the bishop 

 on account of four bucks taken by him in the previous autumn, 

 when passing through the royal forest of Sherwood, as the 

 king had sanctioned, by word of mouth, his taking four bucks 

 when next he passed through the forest as a royal gift. In 

 1285 the same bishop was granted twelve good oak trees fit for 

 timber out of these woods. Anthony Bek, the third son, the 

 celebrated Bishop of Durham, was a still greater favourite 



