EXPENSES OF REARING IN THE REIGN OF HENRY VIII. 19 
“Tn the year 1536, Henry VIII. issued a proclamation in order to preserve 
the partridges, pheasants, and herons ‘from his palace at Westminster to St. Giles- 
in-the-Fields, and from thence to Islington, Hampstead, Highgate, and Hornsey 
Park.’ Any person, of whatever rank, who should presume to kill, or in any wise 
molest these birds, was to be thrown into prison, and visited by such other 
punishments as to the King should seem meet. 
“Some interesting particulars in regard to pheasants are furnished by the 
‘Privy Purse Expenses of King Henry VIII.’ For example, under date xvj* 
Nov. 1532, we have: 
***Ttm the same daye paied to the fesaunt breder in rewarde ixS. iiijd. 
“<Ttm the xxv daye paied to the preste the fesaunt breder 
at Elthm in rewarde ij corons sia io =e ase ixS. iijd. 
* And in December of the same year: 
“*Ttm the xxijd. daye paied to the french Preste the fesaunt 
breder for to bye him a gowne and other necesarys_... xs;" 
“From these entries it would appear that even at this date some trouble 
and expense was incurred in rearing pheasants. No allusion, however, is made 
to their being shot. They must have been taken in a net or snare, or killed 
with a hawk. The last-named mode is indicated from another source :* 
““Ttem, a Fesant kylled with the Goshawke.. 
“<A notice, two Fesants and two Partridges killed with the hawks.’ 
“As a rule they are only referred to as being ‘brought in,’ the bearer 
receiving a gratuity for his trouble. 
* « Jan’ 1536-7. Itm. geuen to Hunte yeoman of the pultry, 
bringing to hir gée two qwicke (i.e. live) phesants_... vijs. vid. 
** Ap" 1537. Iti. geuen to Grene the ptrich taker bringing 
a cowple of Phesaunts to my lady’s grace se ies iijS.  ixd. 
*« ¢« Jan. 1637-8. Itm. geuen to my lady Carow’s s’uiit bringing 
a qwicke Phesaunt es a os ~ ae ijs. 
“<« Jan. 1543-4. Itm. geuen to Hawkyn, s’uiite of Hertford 
bringing a phesant and ptrichest} ... ome ae aia iijs.  iiijd.’ 
at a penny, and snipes at three a penny, contrast strongly with partridges at twopence and pheasants and 
peacocks at twelvepence each. Nor is the change in the degree of estimation in which the birds are now 
held less remarkable. Curlews, herons, and bitterns, which are now scarcely valued as edible, ranked 
equal to pheasants and peacocks, and were three or four times the value of a grouse, whilst a fishy sea-gull 
was worth two or three chicken or one woodcock. 
* «<< Extracts from the Household and Privy Purse Accounts of the L’estranges of Hunstanton, 1519— 
1578. (Trans. Roy. Soc. Antiq. 1833.) 
+ “The Privy Purse Expenses of the Princess Mary, 1536—1544.’ (Hdited by Sir F. Madden, 1831.)” 
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