THE FORESTS OF WILTS 325 



of Bowood is Captain Spicer's fine park of 500 acres, with a 

 herd of 300 fallow deer. It consists of beautiful rough, broken 

 ground, and is also within the old forest area, and but little 

 changed in appearance from its condition in medieval days. 



BRADEN 



In the extreme north of the county, a little to the south of 

 Cricklade, stretched the considerable forest of Braden, which 

 was anciently of great extent and abounding in both red and 

 fallow deer. It was entirely separate from the other Wilts 

 forests, and is named second in the list when orders relative to 

 the cablish of all English tree-bearing forests were sent to the 

 foresters and verderers in 1222. Its keeper at that date was 

 Hugh de Samford. Warner de Samford had been the keeper 

 in the previous year. In 1231, when Henry III. was at Marl- 

 borough early in March, Hugh, the keeper, was ordered to 

 supply Isabel, the king's sister, with two hinds against Easter, 

 as the lady was tarrying at Marlborough. In the same year 

 Thomas de Samford, one of the royal chaplains, was made 

 warden of Cricklade hospital, and the king bestowed on him 

 and his successors full way-leave without any interference 

 from foresters or verderers throughout the whole forest for 

 horses and carts to obtain fuel whenever needed for the 

 brethren and poor of the hospital. In August of the same 

 year Henry III. sent his huntsman, John the Fool, with his 

 companions, to hunt Braden forest with dogs, and to take 

 thence for the royal use ten harts and fifteen bucks. 



There are various rolls extant of swainmote courts held in 

 this forest in the reign of James I. The records of the swain- 

 mote held on 6th July, 1609, before Edmund Lough, esquire, 

 verderer, and Richard Digge, esquire, steward, mentions 

 Thomas Howard, Earl of Suffolk, as keeper, and Henry 

 Baynton, esquire, as ranger. There were present 4 foresters, 

 ii regarders, 41 agisters, 14 woodwards, 2 herdsmen of Ashton, 

 and many jurymen. The foresters presented the taking of 

 16 bucks, 12 does, i soare, and i tegge, all by due licence. 

 Among the regarders' presentments were the cutting down of 

 a green oak, value 4^., by an unknown person. It was stated 

 that thirty load of deer-browse ought to be cut yearly for relief 



