FORESTRY 



probably followed by forest pleas held in 1255," the only reference to which as regards Lancashire 

 is the mention of a few amercements of men and vills imposed by John de Lexington in the Pipe 

 Roll of 41 Henry III (1257). I" the sheriff's accounts of that year is the record of a charge of one 

 mark for the cost of salting and conveying twenty hinds and ten harts taken in the forest of 

 Lancaster to the king at Chester.*' 



In 1 25 1, whilst William de Ferrers, earl of Derby, held the land between Ribble and Mersey, 

 he applied for leave to hold pleas of the forest in his forest there." In response the king directed 

 Geoffrey de Langley, the justice of the forest, to inquire whether the earl possessed such liberty, or 

 whether the men of that forest ought to sue pleas of the forest at Lancaster, and if it was ascertained that 

 the earl had this liberty, to hold pleas of the forest, so that they should not be prejudicial to the 

 king.*' There is no record, so far as is known, of the inquiry into this matter,*' but on 25 July, in 

 the same year, pleas of the forest were summoned before Langley at Lancaster, upon a day to be by 

 him appointed.*' On 3 December following, the sheriff was instructed to levy 300 marks from the 

 eyre of the justices who had been recently holding pleas of the forest in his county, and to deliver 

 200 marks of this sum to those in charge of the works at Freemantle in Hampshire, and 100 marks 

 to the king's wardrobe.** The rolls contain other evidence of the activity at this time of the justices 

 of the forest in the record of a fine of 20 marks paid by Thomas de Copemanwray for recovery of his 

 bailiwick in the forest of Lancaster.*' In July, 1252, Langley was instructed to find in a com- 

 petent place in the forest of Lancaster for those in charge of the work at Lancaster old stunted trees 

 not fit for timber {robora) to make a pile of wood {rogus), and oak trees to make the timber needful 

 for joists and for the repair of four small towers in Lancaster castle, an account to be kept by tally 

 of the number of oak trees taken between those in charge of the work and the verderers and for- 

 esters.'** About the same time Langley was directed to supply 30 oak trees for the repair of Lan- 

 caster bridge, and 20 more fallen trees, if he could find so many suitable ones in the forest.'^ A 

 similar order was given in 1260 for delivery of 50 oak trees, suitable for timber, to the Preaching Friars 

 at Lancaster for the erection of their buildings there ; "^ and of 5 oak trees in Sydwode in the king's 

 forest of Lancaster to the Friars Minor of Preston for the construction of their buildings there.'' The 

 following year orders were given to the justice of the forest beyond Trent for delivery of as much 

 timber from the forest of Lancaster as might be needful for the repair of the keep of Lancaster, which 

 was then greatly in need of repair.'* 



For the two years 1256 to 1258, pannage and herbage of the forests of Wyresdale, Lonsdale, 

 and Amounderness yielded ^14 I2x. i^d., pleas and perquisites ;^8 iSj. 2d. ; a smithy in Wyres- 

 dale for the last half of 1257 yielded I2x. i^d. ; 8 J vaccaries for the 3 years ending at Michaelmas, 

 1258 yielded ^^85 ; and the sale of 3 bulls, 252 oxen, 73 cows, and the hides of 1 1 oxen, 33 cows, 

 13 bullocks and heifers yielded ^94 51. 2is?." In November, 1258, the sheriff was commanded to 

 draft 6 score of the young oxen and cows from the vaccaries which William de Bussay had caused 

 to be established in Wyresdale, or from the vaccaries of William de Valence, for delivery to the 

 royal larder at Westminster before the feast of St. Nicholas (6 December).'" 



In June, 1266, the king granted to his second son Edmund, commonly called Crouchback, 

 the Lancashire possessions of Robert de Ferrers, earl of Derby, including the earl's forest between 

 Ribble and Mersey," and in June of the following year conferred the county and honour of 

 Lancaster upon his son, and all his demesnes in the county, including the vaccaries and forests of 

 Wyresdale and Lonsdale." By these grants the royal forests of Lancashire became vested in a 



" Select Pleas of the Forest (Selden Soc. xiii), p. 1. " Pip: R. 41 Hen. Ill, m. 18. 



" In Selden Soc. xiii, p. cxii earl Robert de Ferrers is erroneously said to have applied for this permission. 



"Close, 35 Hen. Ill, No. 65, m. yd. 



" A writ of ^rj««/^ directed to William de Ferrers early in 1253 directing him to restore to Benedict 

 Gernet the office of forester (Jorestaria) of the earl's forest between Ribble and Mersey, of which Roger Gerent 

 his father was seised at his death, or to appear before the justices at Westminster, to answer for his default, 

 suggests that the earl was not in possession of the liberty which he desired. Close R. 37 Hen. Ill, No. 67, 

 m. 20i/. This view is strengthened by the occurrence in the roll of pleas held before the justices in eyre in 1263 

 of two complaints brought by Robert de Ferrers against a number of persons for entering his forest between 

 Ribble and Mersey and taking his game, and against a lady for receiving two of the suspected trespassers. 

 Lanes, jissize R. (Rec. Soc. xlvii), 122. 



*' Close, 35 Hen. Ill, No. 65, m. 8 d. "Ibid. 36 Hen. Ill, No. 66, m. 29. 



"Ibid. m. ij. '»Ibid. m. 8. "Ibid. 



" Ibid. 44 Hen. Ill, No. 79, m. 3. » Ibid. m. i. 



"Ibid. 45 Hen. Ill, No. 81, m. 9. " i/j«a. Inq. (Rec. Soc. xlviii), 221. 



"Close, 43 Hen. Ill, m. 15. 



" Chart. R. 5 1 Hen. Ill, No. 78, m. 4. 



''Ibid. 51 Hen. Ill, No. 78, m. 4. From presentments made in 1286 it appears that when the county 

 passed from the crown to Edmund of Lancaster, William de Valence had held 3 vaccaries in Bleasdale for 5 years 

 worth Xi°* y^^'j ^"^^ William le Latimer, the elder, had received yearly for the same period from 8 vaccaries 

 2 441 56 



