288 THE ROYAL FORESTS OF ENGLAND 



forest were not nearly so numerous as those from royal forests 

 in Northamptonshire, Wiltshire, Hampshire, or Essex ; in 

 fact, there were exceptionally large tracts of open common and 

 waste in this widespread forest district, where even bushes were 

 exceptional. The donations that were made were chiefly to the 

 religious, to the friars of Oxford, Reading, and London, to 

 the abbeys of Chertsey and Westminster, to the priories of 

 Ankirk and Merton, and particularly to the nunnery of Brom- 

 hall, within the forest. 



Among the more interesting grants of timber for specific 

 purposes are those relative to ships and boats. In 1221 a grant 

 of beechwood was made to William Earl of Salisbury for 

 building a ship ; the trees selected were to be those growing 

 near the banks of the Thames, as the timber was to be taken 

 down to London. The constable of Windsor was directed, in 

 1224, to supply the chaplain of the chapel of St. Mary of 

 Faversham with timber for making a boat (batellum) so that 

 poor people and others might be able to cross the Thames 

 to Faversham and back. Again, at a little later date, a good 

 oak was supplied wherewith to make a boat for the conveyance 

 of poor folk over the water of Cavresham. 



The ancient mitred abbey of Chertsey, founded in the 

 seventh century, had many liberties and rights within this 

 forest, particularly on the Surrey side. William II. granted 

 the abbey leave to take wood for their necessary uses out 

 of the Surrey forests, and to hunt therein hare and fox. 

 Henry II., in a further charter, added to this general free 

 warren liberty to hunt the wild cat and to take pheasants, 

 to impale parks at Ebisham and Coveham, to have all the game 

 in them free from molestation by the king's foresters, and that 

 none of the forest justices or other ministers were to disturb 

 them in their four manors of Chertsey, Egham, Thorpe, and 

 Chobham, or even to enter therein. The venison privileges 

 were limited by charter of Richard I. and John, but their 

 manorial powers were increased. 



The pleas of the forest were held at Guildford in 1256, but 

 the earliest eyre within Windsor forest of which there are any 

 details was that held at Guildford on 8th July, 1270, before 

 Justices Roger de Clifford, Matthew de Colombieres, Nicholas 

 de Romsey, and Reginald de Acle. It was then presented 



