262 THE ROYAL FORESTS OF ENGLAND 



seven bucks, in the forest of Shotover and Stowood seven 

 bucks and two harts, in the forest of Bernwood thirteen 

 bucks, and in the forest of Whittlewood eleven bucks. Ela, 

 Countess of Warwick, obtained leave in 1290, to have a cart- 

 load of dry wood daily, by view of the foresters, out of the 

 forests of either Wychwood or Bernwood. 



Mandate was issued to the sheriff of Oxford on 28th June, 

 1290, not to molest the Bishop of Winchester, or his minister, 

 Philip de Hoyvill, and Master William, parson of the church 

 of Witney, or other ministers of his, under pretext of a former 

 writ as to venison and assart trespasses in the bishop's chases 

 of Witney within the precinct of the forest of Wychwood ;. for 

 at that time those who held the inquest were ignorant of the 

 king's charter giving the bishop and his ministers licence to 

 take venison in his chases, and to assart wood within the 

 metes of the forest. 



John de Langley, bailiff of the forest of Wychwood, in 

 consideration of a fine of twenty marks made by him before 

 Hugh le Despenser, justice of the forest, in the presence of the 

 treasurer and barons of the Exchequer, was pardoned in 1305 

 of all trespasses committed by him in his bailiwick within the 

 forest ; the bailiwick, which had been taken by the justice into 

 the king's hands, was at the same time restored to him. 



Licence, after inquisition held by Hugh le Despenser, justice 

 of the forest, and in consideration of a fine of 100 marks, made 

 by the abbot, was granted in 1307 to the abbey of Eynsham 

 to hold the woods of Eynsham and Charlbury, within the 

 forest of Wychwood, and also the wood of Eton within Shot- 

 over forest, quit of regard, on condition that the venison was 

 well kept, and the covert of the wood of Eton was not de- 

 stroyed. The keepers appointed by the abbey were to take 

 oath not to commit venison offences, and all such trespassers 

 were to be attached by the king's ministers of the forest. 



Did space permit, a great variety of references to foresters-of- 

 fee, to official appointments, to Crown gifts, and to summons 

 for regards and forest pleas could be cited throughout the 

 fourteenth and fifteenth centuries, and at later periods, rela- 

 tive to the Oxfordshire forests, chiefly from the Patent and 

 Close Rolls ; but we are not aware of any detailed proceedings 

 relative to eyres or forest pleas that are extant. 



