338 THE ROYAL FORESTS OF ENGLAND 



and Wells during the latter part of the reign of Edward III., 

 are set forth in detail by Mr. Rawle. 



Mr. Rawle has, however, overlooked several entries on the 

 Patent and Close Rolls pertaining to Exmoor, several of which 

 have been already cited in earlier chapters. 



In 1324, John Everard, the escheator of the four western 

 counties, was ordered to deliver to Eleanor, widow of Ralph de 

 Gorges, and mother of Ralph his heir, aged 15, two parts of 

 a third of the manor of Brampton, co. Devon, as the king 

 learnt by inquisition that Ralph held at his death a third of 

 that manor of the king in chief, by service of finding the king 

 an arrow when the king came or sent to Exmoor to take venison 

 there, the arrow to be delivered to the king's huntsman. 



In November, 1377, Richard II. granted Baldwin Badyngton, 

 king's esquire, and Matilda his wife, to enclose at pleasure, 

 notwithstanding the assize of the forest, all their demesne 

 lands in Somerset within the metes of the forests of Exmoor 

 and Petherton, which had been wasted and destroyed year by 

 year by the deer, so as to prevent the deer from entering, and 

 thus to hold these premises for their lives. 



Peter de Courtenay obtained in 1382, during the minority 

 of the heir, the custody of the forest of Exmoor, which was in 

 the king's hands since the death of Edmund, Earl of March. 



Edward IV., in 1462, granted for life to William Bourgchier, 

 of Fitzwaren, knight, the master forestership of Exmoor, re- 

 ceiving the usual fees in the same manner as Thomas Courtenay, 

 late Earl of Devon. Six years later the king granted the same 

 office for life to Humphrey Stafford, knight, on the death of 

 William Bourgchier. In 1470, John Dynham obtained from 

 the Crown the grant for life of the custody of the king's 

 forests of Exmoor and Neroche, with the herbage and pan- 

 nage and the courts of swainmote, rendering yearly to the 

 king forty marks. 



Henry VII., when he came to the throne in 1485, seems to 

 have put the control of the venison of Exmoor into the hands 

 of his chamberlain, Lord Daubeny. 



On the marriage of Henry VIII. with Catherine of Aragon, 

 Exmoor was settled on the queen as part of her jointure. In 

 1520 Sir Thomas Boleyn covenanted with the Earl of Devon- 

 shire to give up certain forests, offices, etc., which he held of 



