96 Old Enolish Forests. 



the Peak Forest and its borders. The last places in this 

 country where they tarried were the Peak, the Lancashire 

 forests of Blackburnshire and Bowland, and the Wolds of 

 Yorkshire. It has been confidently asserted that entries of 

 payment for the destruction of wolves appear in the account 

 books of certain parishes of the East Riding-, presumably 

 of sixteenth or seventeenth century date ; but this on examina- 

 tion proves to be an error.' The last wolf was killed in 

 Scotland in 1743. 



There are extremely full and interesting accounts of the 

 forest of Galtres, and the forest of Pickering, and it is dis- 

 appointing to read at the end of the chapter dealing with the 

 former that 'lack of space prohibits any reference to the York- 

 shire Forests of Hatfield Chase, Knaresborough, and Wensley- 

 dale.' it is to be hoped that the information Dr. Cox has 

 gathered together relating to these will be published elsewhere. 

 To Yorkshire Naturalists, particularl}-, is the account of the 

 Forest of Galtres of value. This forest naturally suffered severely 

 during the Civil War, which raged so fiercely round York. It 

 was deforested in the time of Charles II. 



Relating to the forest of Pickering there are many curious 

 entries, but we can only refer to one or two. .-Xt ' the eyre for 

 Pickering Forest in 1338, the question as to whether the 

 roe was a true beast of the forest arose ' and it was decided 

 (contrary to previous decisions) that it was a beast of the 

 warren, for the curious reason that it put to flight other deer. 

 In 1322, Edward II. paid the large sum (in those days) of ;^5 

 for cord to make nets to catch roebuck. Henry, Lord Percy, 

 claimed in 1338 to hunt and take fox, roe deer, cat and badger, 

 on his manor of Seamer, although within the forest. 



Sir John de Meaux paid to the Earl of Lancaster for his 

 woods of Levisham, in Pickering Forest, 2s. annual rent, 

 and eyries of falcons, merlins, and sparrow hawks. Thomas 

 Wake, in his barony of Middleton, in the same forest, claimed 

 to have eyries of sparrow hawks and merlins in his woods. 



In Pickering Forest, also, as elsewhere, poaching and game 

 trespassing was carried on, frequently by men of good family, 

 such as the Acclams and Hoynlons. A number of secular 

 clergy were also found to be culprits. Waller Wirksall, chap- 

 lain of Westerdale, was convicted of twice joining a poaching 

 party in 1328, and was fined £\ 6s. 8d. Robert Hampton, rector 

 of Middleton, kept four greyhounds, and often hunted hares ; 

 as lu- did not put in :ui appearace and could not I)e found, 



Naturalist, 



