FORESTRY 



already been printed ; space can only be found for the opening clauses relating to the 

 duties of the Woodmaster or master forester. 1 



The Woodmaster (or master forester) of Duffield Frith had a fee of 8 marks. He 

 could make a deputy or lieutenant, but at his own charge. His duty was to oversee the 

 king's game and woods, to serve warrants directed to them, to order the game in time of 

 hunting, to correct forest offences, to see that there be no rejectors (' saltries,' in oldest 

 version, or deer-leaps) or buckstalls set upon the borders, and to send to the steward if there 

 be cause. The Woodmaster had to swear the keepers at the woodmotes, and to prevent 

 concealments by the keepers, and to ' take hunters and men suspected of huntinge that bee 

 bloody-handed, back-bearing, or bee at the death-place, or in such like suspition causes finding 

 them in such forme and fashion.' 



Also the Woodmaster, with the surveyor and deputy-steward, had to oversee the agiste- 

 ment of the king's parks, and with four of the king's tenants appraise the deer, the fallen 

 wood, and the 'spilding' (dry boughs) wood. Also the Woodmaster, surveyor, and keepers 

 towards the end of March were to view the deer in every office (ward) and see that the 

 murrain deer were burnt, and indent the number with the keepers ; and to see that the woods 

 were not wasted, and ' that the sprinkes (saplings) bee saved where woodsales have byn made, 

 and that the lodge paile and border be repaired.' 



The Woodmaster was entitled by old custom to have grazing in every closed ground 

 for a stoned horse ; and a deer in summer and another in winter from every old-established 

 park ; a key of every gate to pasture ground or park ; a stubb of wood or three loads of 

 wood for fuel in every place where wood is, both in parks and wards ; and ' all trees that 

 are broken with the wind that his deputy may reach the breaking with his bow houlding it 

 by middest,' being one load of wood and not above two nor breaking the earth. If it 

 break earth, that is ' rootfallen,' or be above two load it is the king's, and all small wind- 

 fallen wood is the king's tenants ; but if it be half a load or a load and not above ' it is the 

 keeper's of the ground.' 



On 4 February 1424 Henry VI appointed Sir Henry Pierpoint master forester of 

 Duffield Chase; in December 1427 Sir John Cokayne succeeded to that office, being also 

 termed surveyor. 2 Humphrey, earl of Stafford, and Sir John Cokayne were appointed joint 

 master foresters of Duffield on 13 August 1437.* 



The woodmote of 14 May 1466 was held at Helper. In addition to a variety of "id. 

 fines for small vert offences several of the tenants in Hulland ward were fined a similar 

 sum for not repairing the border fences according to their tenure. The parkers of Ravens- 

 dale and Mansell, as well as Postern had nothing to present. The foresters of Chevin ward 

 (an alias for Duffield ward) presented that Ralph Sacheverell, lately of Snitterton, came into 

 the ward on 6 March and without any licence cut down six oaks called ' spyres ' for repair 

 of two houses. Various other enquiries were presented at this court. John Kniveton, son 

 of R. Kniveton of Mercaston, killed a fawn without warrant in Shottle Park ; and in the 

 same park William Cook of Bradley, John Vernon of Haddon, and John Bradburne of Heage 

 each killed a doe, and three others a fawn. In Morley Park John Fynedun (also an armiger) 

 killed a doe. Thomas Gresley, who was deputy lieutenant of Duffield Frith, presented 

 William, son of the vicar of Wirksworth,* and two others for entering the forest on several 

 occasions with four greyhounds. 



The explanation of these outbreaks on the part of the county gentlemen is not far to 

 seek, and they were common at this period throughout the forests of England. It was in 

 the midst of the Wars of the Roses. Advantage was taken of this period of civil commotion ; 

 those who favoured York or Lancaster, as the case might be, seem to have readily persuaded 

 themselves that they were entitled to make a raid on the forests of the one or the other whom 

 they chose to regard as a pseudo-king. 



The records are preserved of several appointments of officials of this forest during the 

 reign of Henry VII. In 1485 Ralph Langford had the comprehensive appointments bestowed 

 on him of lieutenant of Duffield Frith and steward of the same and parker of all the parks ; 



1 Harl. MSS. 568, 5138 ; they are respectively of sixteenth and seventeenth century dates, but 

 are both taken from some Cowcher book of the Honor temp. Hen. V. or early Hen. VI. A certain 

 amount of this has been printed in Appendix 2 of Sir Oswald Mosley's Hist. ofTutbury, and parts also 

 from another version in Derb. Arch. Journ. xv. 95-8. 



2 Misc. Bks. Duchy of Lane. vol. xvii. f. 60. 

 8 Ibid. vol. xviii. f. 59. 



4 Thomas Eyton was at that time vicar of Wirksworth. Cox, Churches of Derbyshire, iv. 521. 



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