THE FOREST OF DEAN 279 



upon to furnish considerable contingents of archers and 

 miners to serve in the wars with Scotland and France. In 

 1316 the men of the forest also took a prominent part in the 

 suppression of Welsh disturbances. Three commissioners of 

 array were appointed in February for the purpose of raising 

 a force of 1,000 foot soldiers in the forest of Dean and else- 

 where in the county of Gloucester, who were to be marched, 

 at the king's wages, against Llewellyn Bren and his followers. 



In 1316, tithes to the value of 10 issuing from the iron 

 mines in the parish of Newland were granted to the Bishop of 

 Llandaff ; but this assignment met with great opposition at the 

 hands of the Dean and Chapter of Hereford, who sent their 

 servants to use forcible resistance. In the following reign this 

 dispute was settled in favour of the bishop, who also obtained 

 the great tithes of Newland and the advowson of the vicarage. 

 In 1324 the Earl of Pembroke was ordered to cause his minis- 

 ters to desist from hindering the abbot of Gloucester from fell- 

 ing wood for his houses and for fuel in the woods of Bride- 

 wode and Hopemaloysel within the forest bounds, as he held 

 an ancient chartered privilege. 



Edward III., in 1329, granted to Guy de Brien, the farmer 

 and keeper of the forest, the cutting of all the underwood, to 

 find wages for four foresters. In the same year Gilbert Talbot 

 was licensed to impark and hold in fee-simple a plot called 

 Haygrove, parcel of his manor of Lynton, Herefordshire, 

 containing one hundred acres of land and fifteen acres of wood, 

 which was within the metes of the forest in the time of 

 Edward II., but had by perambulation been then placed out- 

 side the forest. 



Notwithstanding their bravery and skill as soldiers, the 

 inhabitants of some parts of the forest had an evil reputation 

 as wreckers. Thus in 1344 a special commission was issued to 

 deal with the persons who had attacked a ship of Majorca, 

 laden with goods and wares, which had been driven ashore by 

 stress of weather in the parts of the forest of Dean, and had 

 plundered the master and mariners of the ship and others 

 deputed to guard the goods, and this at a time when the king 

 had entered into truces with his adversaries on every side. 



Richard III., in 1391, granted the castle of St. Briavel and 

 the forest of Dean, to the value of 80 a year, with assarts, 



