2 4 o THE ROYAL FORESTS OF ENGLAND 



prison ; also in the house of Roger Tock they found ears and 

 bones of deer. The latter was taken and imprisoned. Robert 

 Sturdi came before the justice and said that the dogs of 

 Walter of Preston used to be kennelled at his house, and that 

 Walter's hunters ate the venison whence came the bones ; and 

 Robert vouched the aforesaid Walter to warranty of this, 

 whereupon Walter is ordered to appear on the morrow. 

 Walter came and warranted him, saying that his dogs were 

 kennelled in his house for fifteen days while he was hunting 

 bucks. Roger Tock also appeared and denied everything ; 

 and the verderers and foresters witnessed that the ears and 

 bones were those of the deer which Walter's hunters had 

 taken. As Roger had lain long in prison, so that he was 

 nearly dead (quod fere mortuus es], the justices permitted him 

 to go quit, but henceforth he was to live outside the forest. 



Rockingham forest in the time of Henry III. was divided 

 into the three divisions or bailiwicks of Rockingham, Brig- 

 stock, and Cliff (Kingscliff), each of which had its own 

 ministers. This division lasted until the time of disafforesting. 

 The keepership of the forest of Rockingham, with Cliff, 

 Geddington, and Brigstock, was conferred by Henry III. on 

 Hugh de Neville in June, 1219. In the following month he 

 was instructed to permit Walter de Preston to hunt these 

 forests, and others in the county, in order to secure forty 

 bucks for the royal larder. In the following year the same 

 huntsman had orders to take twenty bucks in Rockingham 

 forest, and Richard de Waterville the same number for a like 

 purpose. In the same year Hugh Bigod had royal permission 

 to take six bucks in this forest, and others a smaller number. 

 In September, 1225, the king gave leave to the Bishop of Ely 

 to have ten bucks and two harts caught for him in the forests 

 of Essex. But there was so much difficulty and delay in 

 catching them (apparently alive for stocking purposes) 

 in Essex, that the order was transferred to Rockingham. 

 In December of the same year William de Cantilupe obtained 

 a grant of twenty does and two bucks from this forest for 

 stocking his park at Aston. The supply of venison must have 

 been exceptionally good, for at the same time Martin de 

 Tattishall was permitted to take ten does in Rockingham 

 forest. 



