A HISTORY OF LANCASHIRE 



royal grant to the leper brethren of St. Leonard's Hospital in Lancaster of the same privileges of 

 pasturage for cattle in the forest of Lonsdale and of taking timber and wind-fallen wood." 



By far the most notable concession, and one that conduced to the development of the regions 

 lying adjacent to the forests, was the grant by John, when count of Mortain, to the knights, thegns,and 

 freeholders dwelling in the forest of the honour of Lancaster, i.e. within the metes of the forest, in 

 consideration of ;^500, of the right to assart and reduce to cultivation their underwoods, to alienate 

 them by gift or sale, and in fact to treat them as part of their fee simple. This was accompanied by 

 a grant of perpetxial respite from the forest regard and liberty to keep harriers, foxhounds, and 

 dogs for hunting all manner of beasts except hart and hind, wild boar and sow, and roe deer 

 throughout the forest outside the demesne inclosures or parks." A glance at the accompanying map 

 will show how large an area of the county and of the best agricultural tracts in it was benefited by this 

 liberal measure. Sufficient knowledge of the forest laws is assumed on the part of the reader to dispense 

 with the necessity of describing the restricted conditions of life and agriculture within the forests 

 before this concession. On i6 February, 1225, Robert Grelley and Richard de Copeland were 

 assigned as justices to make the perambulation of the forest in this county with the aid of twelve 

 liege knights in accordance with the tenor of the king's charter, whereby he had granted that all 

 woodlands were to be disafiForested — except his own demesne woodlands — which had been affiarested by 

 Kings Henry II, Richard, and John. A few months later, notwithstanding the clause in the royal 

 charter requiring the magnates of the realm to act towards their dependants in this respect as the king 

 was acting towards his, it became necessary for Henry to sharply remind several magnates of the 

 county of this provision in response to the complaint of certain under-tenants in South Lancashire that 

 their superior lords were retaining moorlands and woodlands as forest which had been afforested 

 within the restricted period.*'' 



Three years later a new perambulation was ordered to be made, the persons who had taken 

 part in the former proceedings having made representation that their first perambulation had been 

 irregular and unfair to the crown ; but having declared that the error had been committed in 

 ignorance, the trespass was excused." By the new perambulation the forest area was reduced to the 

 following localities : — 



QuERNMORE, with an area of 6,789 acres, extending north and south from Lune to the summit 

 of Clougha, and east and west from Escow Brook and Hawksdean to the Earl's-gate, the ancient 

 highway which led from the south-east through the Trough of Bowland to the town of Lancaster. 

 Before the time of John count of Mortain this forest probably included Littledale, lying to the east 

 below the summit of Clougha and High Stephen's Head, formerly Stevenseat, and part of Roeburndale 

 as far down as Outhwaite. The area of these would be not less than 9,000 acres. 



Bleasdale, extending from Grizedale to ParlickPike and from Calder Head and Ulfsty (on Fair 

 Snape Fell) against the forest of Bowland, to Senesty, an ancient track which led from Chipping to 

 Galloway-gate, now Galgate. This region contains 7,298 acres. 



FuLWOOD (2,1 17 acres) lying in the valley of the River Savok, and extending from Cowford 

 bridge on the west to Grimsargh on the east, almost wholly on the north side of the Roman road, 

 the Ughtred's-gate apparently of the perambulation. 



ToxTETH, of about 3,600 acres, extending along the northern bank of the Mersey from Otterspool 

 down to the Haskell's Brook of the perambulation, a stream long lost amid the blocks and docks of 

 Liverpool city, and inland up to Smithdown Road. 



To these were added the underwoods of West Derby, all of which save Croxteth (960 acres) 

 were soon disafforested ; and Burtonwood (4,193 acres), which became at a later period a highly 

 valued adjunct of the Botilers' demesne of Warrington. 



Upper Wyresdale was not included in the perambulation because it was given on 17 July, 

 1228, to Hubert de Burgh earl of Kent. He only enjoyed a brief possession of it, and falling into 



"In 1220 the brethren complained bitterly of Roger Gernet's harshness and wrongdoing to them as 

 chief forester in not permitting them to enjoy their liberties in the forest and in exacting from them an ox for 

 winter and a cow for summer pasturage. In response to their petition the king promptly ordered the 

 restoration of their full liberties; Rot. Litt. Claus. (Rec. Com.), i, 414^, ii, 131^; Cal. Close, 1227-31, 

 pp. 182, 195. 



^ Lanes. Pipe R. 418. A further ;^200 was paid with all arrears for a confirmation of this grant 

 in 1 199. 



^* Cal. Pat. 1216-25, p. 57°- J°lin de Lamare was offending in this respect against Adam de Bury in 

 regard to the wood and moor of Shuttleworth, near Bury ; John constable of Chester against Adam de 

 RadcIifFe in regard to the wood and moor of Oswaldtwistle ; and Robert Grelley against Henry de Bolton and 

 Thomas de BumhuU in regard respectively to the woods and moors of Heaton under Horwich and Anderton ; 

 ibid. 576. 



" Ibid. 1225-32, p. 184. In 1226 Roger Gernet thechief forester and Vivian his brother were appealed 

 by certain persons for the death of Hugh de Wyresdale, in malice so they averred, because Roger had declared 

 that the perambulation in those parts had not been rightly made ; Rot. Litt. Claus. (Rec. Com.), ii, 163^. 



438 



