228 THE ROYAL FORESTS OF ENGLAND 



The best account of Malvern Chase is that which appeared 

 in volume v. of \he Journal of Forestry, by Mr. Edwin Lees. 



Feckenham forest, on the east of the county, was of con- 

 siderable extent. A perambulation of Edward I. shows that it 

 began at the Foregate, Worcester, passed to Beverburn by 

 Stowe to Bordesley, round by Evesham to Spetchley, and so 

 to Sidbury. In the twelfth and thirteenth centuries it was not 

 infrequently termed the forest of Worcester. The following 

 are some of the references to this forest in the Patent and Close 

 Rolls of Edward I. : 



Pardon was granted in 1290 to the Bishop of Worcester, 

 John Gifford, Richard Archer, and Hugh de Aston, for a fine 

 of 500 marks made by the bishop for himself and the others, 

 for venison and vert trespasses in Feckenham forest. A pardon 

 was about the same time granted to the prioress of Westwood 

 for like trespasses. In this year grant was made to Eleanor 

 the king's consort, who held the forest by Edward's grant, to 

 hold pleas of vert and other trespasses through her stewards 

 and bailiffs every six weeks, and to take fines due for the same 

 to her own use, save pleas of venison and those which 

 belonged to the regard and agistment of the forest ; also all 

 attachments of indicted persons and venison trespassers, pro- 

 vided that all persons indicted of venison were imprisoned at 

 Feckenham, and then bailed against the next eyre of the 

 justices. In the same year Walter de Aylesbury was pardoned 

 all venison trespasses up-to-date, on condition of surrender- 

 ing his bailiwick in Feckenham forest. A special commission 

 had been appointed to inquire into the venison and vert 

 trespasses said to have been committed both by foresters 

 and other ministers, and this resignation was one of the 

 results. 



Edward II., in 1293, granted for life to James Beauchamp 

 liberty of hunting with his own dogs, in all the foreign woods 

 and groves without the great covert of the forest of Feckenham, 

 the hare, fox, badger, and wildcat whenever he will, save in 

 the fence month ; provided that he took none of the king's 

 deer, and did not hunt in the warrens. 



Licence was granted in 1294, after inquisition, by John de 

 Selvestrode, keeper of this forest, to Grimbald Pauncefot, who 

 was going to Gascony on the king's service, to sell wood to 



