246 THE ROYAL FORESTS OF ENGLAND 



and Thurstan the sons of John the son of John of Hanslope ; Henry 

 the son of the parson of Blisworth, William Wolfrich of Wick, the 

 man of Simon Tuluse, Walter the man of William Tuluse, and Thomas 

 who was the son of the chaplain of Blisworth, with all the above- 

 mentioned persons, by the provision, counsel, order, and assent 

 of William Tuluse entered the forest of Rockingham on the aforesaid 

 Wednesday the feast of St. Bartholomew and during the two pre- 

 ceding- days and killed eight deer at least, and a doe, as is aforesaid, 

 whose head the aforesaid Simon Tuluse cut off and put on a stake. 

 And the aforesaid Richard of Ewyas put a billet in its throat. And 

 the venison of the aforesaid eight deer was carried from the forest in 

 the cart of Ralph luelhering as far as Stanwick ; and it rested there 

 for one night at the house of Geoffrey Russell, he himself not being 

 at home, nor knowing anything thereof; and from thence it was 

 carried to Hanslope to the house of the aforesaid William Tuluse and 

 Simon his son, who had caused all this to be done ; and there the 

 aforesaid venison was divided and eaten. And it is proved that while 

 the aforesaid evil-doers were in the forest obtaining the aforesaid 

 venison during the three days above mentioned, they were harboured 

 at the houses of Alan le Gaunter of Cotes and Robert of Lindsay in 

 Lowick, who were privy to this. And afterwards Robert de Nowers 

 came and made fine for having his wood again by one mark ; his 

 pledges were Simon of Waterville and Robert Grenleng. Afterwards 

 Alan le Gaunter came, and was detained in prison. Afterwards 

 Henry the son of the parson of Blisworth came and was detained in 

 prison. And the aforesaid Thomas the son of the chaplain came and 

 was detained in prison." v 



Gifts of Rockingham venison continued to be made by 

 Edward I. ; it would be tedious to detail them even if there 

 were abundance of space. The grants of timber were but 

 rare. 



The king often directly interfered to secure the release on 

 bail of venison trespassers. On 3oth July, 1280, Edward I. 

 ordered the release of Matilda de Braundeston from imprison- 

 ment at Rockingham for a venison trespass to twelve main- 

 pernors to have her before the forest pleas. In the following 

 year the king instructed his steward or keeper, Richard de 

 Holbrok, to order an inquisition on oath of foresters, ver- 

 derers, and others, whether one William Genn, imprisoned at 

 Rockingham for a trespass in Rutland forest, was guilty 

 or not, and if not guilty to deliver him to twelve mainpernors 



