FORESTRY 



ten miles in length, between three and four in width, and twenty-seven in circuit. The storv of 

 ■Cranborne Chase is full of interest, both in old days and in comparatively modern times. As the 

 •chief residence of the holder of the chase was in the Wiltshire portion of the inner circuit, it 

 is thought best to give the sketch account of its history under Wiltshire Forestry. 



The extant fifteenth-century records of Dorset forests are not numerous. The wood sale 

 accounts of Richard Cressebien and Matthew Vynyng of the forest of Gillingham, for 1402-3, 

 are extant and in good condition. They are still inclosed in the leather pouch in which they were 

 •originally forwarded to London. ^^ There was a considerable number of oaks used this year for the 

 lodge and pales of the park of Gillingham, as well as for the lodges of Dunhurst and Mardle 

 ■within the forest. The sale is entered of numerous ' rothers,' which seems to have been a variant 

 ■for roers or robora^ a term for oak trunks. They varied much in value, doubtless according to size. 

 Four rothers for Walter Hert, chaplain, were valued at 33;. \d. ; they were probably for the 

 repair of the chapel. A rother for the prioress of Shaftesbury was only valued at \bd. 



Pleas ^^ of the forest of Gillingham were held at Shaftesbury in September, 1490, before Sir 

 Reynold Bray, Edward Chaderton, clerk, and Richard Empson, as justices of the forest of Elizabeth, 

 -queen of England, on both sides of the Trent. Among the various officials who appeared were 

 Philip Lucas, the deputy for Sir John Luttrell, sheriff of the county, who was not present in 

 person ; William Twynyhoe, esquire, lieutenant of the forest for Sir John Cheyne ; William 

 ■Goodwyn, ranger ; Gilbert Thomson, parker of Gillingham, and two other foresters,*' the launder 

 {the keeper of the launds or pasture grounds of the deer), the servant of the lieutenant, the bailiff 

 and his fellows of the Hundred of Redlane, the two verderers, eight regarders, and the reeves and 

 four men of each of the townships of Gillingham, Motcombe, and Bratton. The palmy days 

 of forest law and its highly detailed administration were already fading away. About the most 

 important business transacted was the due allotting of perquisites of oaks, roers, and bucks to the 

 ofKcials and the registering and confirming of old liberty claims within the forest. The jury of 

 the Hundred of Redlane presented a list of various persons who had felled oaks, but in almost 

 €very instance they knew not the numbers nor the warrant. It will be noticed that at these 

 pleas, Gillingham Forest was described as pertaining to the queen of Henry VII. From the 

 days of Edward, Gillingham manor and forest were usually assigned to the ^vereign's consort 

 as part of her dower. It was part of the portion of at least two of the wives of Henry VIII, 

 Ann Boleyn and Catherine Howard. 



At a swainmote, or local forest court, of Gillingham Forest, held before Robert, the steward, on 

 18 January, 1534, the jury, on their oaths, presented John Netherwend and two others for having 

 * kylled a male dere called a Sowre at Middelhege within the quenes grace libertie and free warren 

 adjoynyng to hyr graces Forest of Gyllyngham,' and further charged the same offenders with having 

 ' kylled a doo with a halter a sowre with greyhounds at Wethers.' William Grymston was charged 

 with carrying at his girdle five halters, and going with certain others on a night in November to a 

 place called Hawkyns ; also, on another occasion, going with others ' into Myddelhegge and there 

 they sett up three halters but they kylled nothyng.' There were various other charges of killing 

 fallow deer by night, in the park of Gillingham, against William Grymston, yeoman, and his servants. 

 At a previous manor court of the manor of Gillingham, evidence had been given of the violence of 

 Grymston in breaking the king's peace by armed threats against those who were witnesses of his 

 poaching, especially against one Alexander Frances, ' and there dyd yll intrete hym offering to thrust 

 his dagger in hym yf he did speke one word and otherwyse that is to say in suche wyse that he of 

 his pore lyf was in dispayre.' *■* 



Various noblemen or gentlemen held the office of warden or constable of the forest of Gilling- 

 ham in its later history usually in conjunction with like offices elsewhere ; such were tiie earl of 

 Warwick in the reign of Henry VI and Sir Humphrey Stafford in the time of Edward IV. From 

 1593 till 1604, Sir Walter Raleigh and his son Carew held the offices of ranger of the forest, 

 steward of the woodwards' court, keeper of the park, and steward and bailiff of the manor of 

 ■Gillingham." 



When the manor of Gillingham was granted to the earl of Elgin, part of the forest lands 

 were reserved for the crown ; but in July, 1625, a lease was granted by Charles I to Sir James 

 Fullerton, his old preceptor, for forty-one years of the herbage of Gillingham Park at the ancient 

 rent of ;^ii, together with 2,408 acres of waste at the rent of 12c/. an acre, the latter to be 



*' Mins. Accts. bdle. 141, No. 11. " D. of Lane. For. Proc. bdle. 3, No. 2. 



*' The forestership in fee, as the proceedings record, was at th's time in dispute. John Thornhill w.is 

 apparently in possession and claimed a moiety at least, and a ' robur ' was granted to his deputy who put in 

 an appearance. But Humphrey Pokeswell also claimed the hereditary office in the right of Elizabeth his 

 ■wife, and a date was fixed for the further consideration of the matter. 



" Ct. R. ptfo. 170, No. 17. 



" Hutchins, Dorset, iii, 624. 



293 



