THE FOREST OF DEAN 277 



of Hereford had a chase in the wood of Laxpeniard, and the 

 Earl Marshal a warren at Tudenham. 



Forest pleas were held in 1258 and again in 1270. The next 

 eyre was in 10 Edward I., when the bounds of 28 Henry III. 

 were confirmed. At that date there were nine bailiwicks in the 

 forest, each under the charge of an hereditary forester-in-fee, 

 and all subordinate to the constable of St. Briavel, who was the 

 keeper, or master forester, of the whole. He also had the 

 special charge of the tenth bailiwick of Rywardyn. The nine 

 other bailiwicks and their respective foresters were Abbenhalle, 

 under Ralph de Abbenhalle ; Blakeney, under Walter de 

 Astune ; Bleythe, under Ralph Hatheway ; Berse, under 

 William Wodeard ; Bicknoure, under Cecilia de Michegros ; 

 the Lea, under Nicholas de Lacu ; Great Dean, then in the 

 hands of the king ; Little Dean, under Ralph de Abbenhalle ; 

 and Stauntene, under Richard de la More. The verderers were 

 four in number, and elected, as elsewhere, by the freeholders 

 for life, but removable by the Crown. 



Of these pleas of the forest of Dean, which were held at 

 Gloucester in the octave of St. Hilary, 1282, before Luke de 

 Thany, Adam Gurdun, Richard de Crepping, and Peter de 

 Lench, justices, exceptionally long details are extant. The 

 first membrane is taken up with twenty-seven essoins de morte, 

 established in each case by the appearance of the heir, near 

 relative, or some other responsible person; and with the names 

 of fifty-eight persons who surrendered themselves on the first 

 day of the session for venison trespasses, ten for vert tres- 

 passes, and two for heath-burning. Fines, varying from 

 \2.d. to 40^. were imposed on upwards of seventy persons for 

 non-appearance. Among the vert presentments were charges 

 of taking timber for sale by boat to Bristol, and a few cases of 

 charcoal burning. 



The presentments of venison trespasses were very numerous; 

 they cover both sides of eight long membranes. They are 

 arranged chronologically, beginning in 1271, after the last 

 eyre, when the Earl of Warwick was keeper of the forest, and 

 continuing through the keepership of Philip Wyther and 

 Walter de Snape up to the year of the eyre. 



The great majority of the cases are concerned with fallow 

 deer, but in a few cases the killing of red deer, and in two 



