248 THE ROYAL FORESTS OF ENGLAND 



the death of Humphrey Duke of Gloucester. This office was 

 held on the annual payment to the king of 65 10^., with the 

 addition of 16 IDS. for the custody of the herbage and pannage 

 of Brigstock park. The hedging in of sixty acres in the great 

 park of Brigstock, and of forty acres in the lesser park for hay, 

 cost 66s. 8d., whilst 2cw. was paid for the carriage of the hay in 

 winter for the sustenance of the deer ; considerable repairs 

 were done to the lodges of Brigstock and Benefield. 



The accounts of 1437 show that William Prostagne was at 

 that date constable of Rockingham, keeper of the forest, and 

 ranger of the bailiwick. Payments were made in the Rocking- 

 ham bailiwick for rights of sheep-folding, called faldage, from 

 the different townships ; thus Corby paid jd. a year, Great 

 Oakley 3^., Little Oakley 2^., and Carlton i2cl. For the 

 escapement of horses and mares payment was made by the 

 townships at the rate of 7-r. 4^. a year. The fence month pay- 

 ments amounted to 9^. 4^., Cottingham and Middleton paying 

 jointly 3-$-. 4^., Corby 2J., and Great Oakley 2s. The lawing 

 of dogs was known at this time as houndsilver. The total of 

 houndsilver was 27^., namely, 6d. for each man having a dog ; 

 the township of Gretton paid 14^., whilst Corby and Little 

 Oakley only paid 3-5-. each. The total receipts exceeded .100, 

 by far the largest items being the rents for different manors. 

 For instance, the abbot of Peterborough paid 12 yearly 

 for the manor of Cottingham. The expenses amounted to 

 13 9-r. o\d. The clerk who enrolled the accounts had a wage 

 of 7-r. 6d., and the parchment used for the accounts and for the 

 swainmote roll cost 8d. 



Pleas of the forest were held at Rockingham on 7th Septem- 

 ber, 1490, before Sir John Ratcliff and Sir Reginald Gray, 

 when Thomas Haslewood was sheriff. Juries from the hun- 

 dreds of Willybrook, Hamfordshoe, Polebrook, Rothwell, and 

 Corby ; in each case twelve in number were in attendance. 

 There were also present Viscount John Welles, the master 

 forester and keeper ; Edmund Malpas, Esq., his lieutenant for 

 the baily of Rockingham ; Thomas Digby, his lieutenant for 

 the baily of Brigstock : and John Pylton and William Lynne, 

 rangers, riding foresters, and agisters for the king. 



The full total of the foresters, woodwards, parkers, " pales- 

 ters," launders, constables, and four-men, and other ministers 



