CHAPTER XIX 

 THE FOREST OF ROCKINGHAM 



THE wealth of unused material in connection with all the 

 forests of Northamptonshire, particularly with regard to 

 Rockingham, is so great that it becomes exceedingly 

 embarrassing to know what is the best method to adopt in 

 giving a mere outline sketch of the more salient and interest- 

 ing features of their history. It is much to be hoped that some 

 capable pen may before long be found to write a monograph 

 on the forests of this shire. Such a history, if thoroughly 

 written, would prove more interesting and valuable than that 

 of any other county, not excluding Hampshire or Essex. 



The most important and valuable portion of Mr. Turner's 

 scholarly work on Select Pleas of the Forest (Selden Society), 

 is concerned with this county. There is also a good deal that 

 is of genuine value regarding Rockingham forest in Bridge's 

 history of the county, and in Baker's later work with regard to 

 Whittlewood forest ; nor must Mr. Wise's Rockingham Castle 

 and the Watsons (1891) be omitted from mention ; but practically 

 their story is as yet unwritten. 



The frequent presence of the Norman kings at their castles 

 of Rockingham and Northampton was one of the chief causes 

 for the appropriation of such large tracts of this county for 

 royal forest sport. Apart from parks of early formation, the 

 largest and chief forest tracts were (i) Rockingham forest in 

 the north, which was mainly in the Corby and Willowbrook 

 hundreds ; (2) Whittlebury forest in the south-east, in the 

 Cleley, Norton, and Towcester hundreds ; and (3) Salcey 

 forest, nearer the centre of the county, in the Cleley and 

 Wimersley hundreds. The whole of the Nassaburgh hundred, 

 north of Rockingham, was under forest laws in the early 

 Norman days, but it was disforested in the time of John. 



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