THE FOREST OF ROCKINGHAM 251 



of Cliff. During the five years Lord Welles had killed 

 therein sixteen bucks and twenty-eight does for distribution 

 among gentlemen, and David Philip five bucks and eight 

 does for distribution among the inhabitants. 



These pleas were largely concerned with vert. John 

 Nightingale was presented by the regarders as cutting both 

 wood and underwood in Cliff park, of which he was the 

 keeper, without due warrant. A like charge was made against 

 Robert Isham, Esquire ; but in both these cases the proceed- 

 ings were rendered nugatory through the death of the alleged 

 offenders. Thomas Scarbrough was charged with carrying 

 off twelve trees called "stubbes," and David Philip with re- 

 moving a large number of "spires," a word in use in some 

 forests to denote upstanding young timber. Philip was also 

 reported for the removal of many spires in Moorhay and 

 Westhay and Totenhoe ; but much of the timber that he took 

 was used in the repair of Fotheringhay castle, for which there 

 was ancient precedent. Richard Sownd was charged with 

 felling twelve spires, five other trees, five principal trees called 

 "bordur" (boundary) trees, and taking twelve loads of under- 

 wood, all without warrant. 



In Rockingham forest, as elsewhere, it was customary to 

 lop the twigs of the oaks and other trees to afford sustenance 

 for the deer in the winter. Here it passed under the name 

 of "derefal wode." The amount depended on the season. 

 Thus in 1488 Lord Welles had twenty-six loads of derefal 

 cut in Cliff park, but only sixteen loads in 1489. 



In addition to ordinary fuel wood (usually eight loads of 

 windfall, valued at 8d. a load), each forester had other vert 

 perquisites. They claimed yearly on the recurrence of the 

 fence month additional timber in recompense for their extra 

 trouble. Thus John Wade, forester of Totenhoe, cut down 

 and removed two stubbs, valued at 5-r., pro le fence stubbe ; 

 another year he is entered as removing a tree, voc y a fense 

 stubbe, valued at 2s. 8d. ; and there are like entries for other 

 foresters. 



Special fence timber for foresters occurs in some other 

 counties, but nowhere save Rockingham have we met with 

 entries of "fox trees." John Holcot, forester of Moorhay, in 

 1485, removed a tree called a "foxtre" for his own use, value 



