THE FOREST OF ROCKINGHAM 241 



The Close Rolls of 1228 mention royal grants of seven does ; 

 of 1229, two bucks and eight does ; and of 1231, six bucks and 

 seven does. 



The orders for wood out of this forest in the time of 

 Henry III. and later were very scanty in comparison with 

 other royal forests, and hardly ever included grants to out- 

 siders ; this seems to be a proof that well-grown timber was a 

 rarity. In December, 1224, Walter the Miller, warden of 

 Rockingham bridge, received one of the forest oaks for the 

 repair of the bridge. In 1226 Hugh de Neville was ordered 

 by the Crown to supply Ralph de Trubleville with sufficient 

 timber in a convenient place, and where it would be of least 

 detriment to the forest, for the repair of a section of the royal 

 preserve (vivarium} and houses at Brigstock. In the same 

 year further timber was granted for the repair of the chapel 

 and other parts of Rockingham castle. 



There is an important series of forest inquisitions on Rock- 

 ingham rolls from 30 to 39 Henry III. From these Mr. Turner 

 has taken a variety of transcripts. The following is the first 

 that he cites, giving full and interesting particulars relative to 

 a serious poaching affray : 



" It happened on Wednesday the morrow of the apostles Phillip and 

 James, in the thirtieth year of the reign of King Henry, that when 

 William of Northampton and Roger of Tingewick were on their way 

 from the pleas of Stanion (within Rockingham forest) to the pleas of 

 Salcey, they were given to understand that poachers were in the 

 laund of Benefield with greyhounds for the purpose of doing evil to 

 the venison of the lord king. And when they had reached the laund 

 and were waiting there in ambush, James of Thurlbear, forester of 

 the same bailiwick, and Mathew, his brother, forester in the park of 

 Brigstock, came with the walking foresters on the order sent by the 

 aforesaid William of Northampton. And they saw five greyhounds, 

 of which one was white, another black, the third fallow, a fourth 

 black covered, hunting beasts, which greyhounds the said William 

 and Roger took. But the fifth greyhound, which was tawny, 

 escaped. And when they returned to the forest, after taking the 

 greyhounds, they lay in ambush and saw five poachers in the lord 

 king's demesne of Wydehawe, one with a cross-bow and four with 

 bows and arrows standing at their trees. And when the foresters 

 perceived them they hailed and pursued them. And the aforesaid 

 R 



