A HISTORY OF LANCASHIRE 



ground and bearing neither fruit nor leaves might be sold ; in Croxteth and Simonswood of 

 ten marks ; in Toxteth dead wood to the value of 40J. ; in Fulwood of five marks and more if the 

 king willed it ; in the forest and park of Quernmore of ten marks or more, but if so in 

 part destruction of the forest ; in the park of Myerscough and outside to the value of 40J.*' At 

 the rate of one shilling apiece for fair timber trees the number which might be felled over some 

 15,000 acres without causing waste amounted to about 500, a very insignificant number, pointing 

 to exhaustion of the supply of timber. 



During the Scottish war between David and Balliol in 1333, and again before the expected 

 invasion in the autumn of 1345, the Lancashire forests and wastes afibrded a place of refuge 

 for some of the people of Northumberland with their flocks and herds." 



On 12 June, 1334, the king appointed justices in eyre to hold pleas of the forest of Henry, 

 earl of Lancaster, in that county, from the time when Edmund, late earl of Lancaster, last held 

 pleas there by virtue of the grant of Edward L^ The proceedings, which extended over two 

 years, are recorded in a roll preserved in the Public Record Office.*' Claims to have free parks 

 were put in by Thomas de Lathom, for his park in Lathom ; and for two parks in Tarbock, in 

 the latter cases as guardian of the daughters and heirs of Richard de Tarbock ; John de 

 Harington for his park in Thurnham and Cockerham ; and Ralph de Dacre for his park without 

 a deer-leap in Over Kellet. The prior of Lancaster claimed the right to take two cart-loads of 

 dead fallen wood for fuel daily throughout the year in the forest of Lancaster, except in 

 Wyresdale, tithe of venison and of pannage of the earl's underwoods. The burgesses of Preston 

 claimed to have in the forest wood for burning and for building by the view of the foresters, and 

 common of pasture for their cattle without payment of agistment nor imparkment of the cattle if 

 they strayed even into Quernmore Park.*' The abbot of Furness claimed timber in the forest for 

 nine houses in his manor of Beaumont, and for his fishery at Lancaster.*' The knights, thegns, 

 and free tenants living in the forest gave 200 marks that their charter might be in no wise 

 diminished, but they disclaimed all right of hunting buck and doe. Various other claims to 

 pasturage, pannage, estovers, and similar privileges were claimed and apparently substantiated by 

 several individuals. There is a long list of presentments by the jurors of persons who had entered 

 the forest at various dates between 1288 and 1334, and had taken game ; many of them could not 

 be found, others had been mainprised, but their amercements are not recorded. 



During the first half of the reign of Edward III there was great activity in keeping the forests, 

 and in the presentment of offences against vert and venison.** In the forest eyre of 1336, before 

 William Basset and Robert de Hungerford, Robert de Holand, knt., claimed to be forester of fee 

 in the forest of Lancaster between Keer and Mersey." The following year Thurstan de Holand, 

 parson of Preston, was presented for having had forty wether sheep pasturing in Fulwood for two 

 years ; he escaped with the payment of a fine of half a mark.**" 



At the death of Henry, earl of Lancaster, in 1346, the issues of the forests were returned as 

 under: — " 



£ '■ d- 

 The herbage of Quernmore Park . . . . . . . . .1368 



The herbage of outlying woods . . . . . . . . .600 



Turbary 2100 



Mill-stones . . . . . . . . . . . .010 



Dead and wind-fallen wood . . . . . . . . . .068 



Iron mines in Wyresdale . . . . . . . . .030 



Perquisites of Woodmotes there and in Myerscough and Fulwood . . .1000 



Honey and wax . . . . . . . . . . .068 



Pannage of swine uncertain. 



" Duchy of Lane. Misc. 10-15. "^ Cal. Close, 1333-7, P- 10 1 ; 1343-6, p. 661. 



"* Ibid. 1333-7, p. 237 ; Cal. Pat. 1334-8, pp. 4, 261. 



" Duchy of Lane. Forest Proc. bdle. i,No. 17. 



^ The estovers and common of pasture are elsewhere stated to have been in Fulwood. Ibid. m. 2 d. 



" By the grant of William de Warenne, count of Boulogne. Cal. Chart. R. i, 374. 



«» Amongst the rolls of Forest Proc. Exch. T. R., the following maybe noted :— Inquest and attachments 

 2-12 Edw. Ill (No. 50) ; Inquests of the forests, 9 Edw. Ill (No. 51) ; Pleas of the forest and claims to 

 liberties therein, 10 Edw. Ill (No. 52) ; Pleas of the forest in Lonsdale, Amounderness, and fWestl 

 Derbyshire, 12-5 Edw. Ill (No. 53) ; and 16-17 Edw. Ill (No 54) ; attachments of the forest of Derby- 

 shire, 17-28 Edw. Ill (No. 55), and 6 other rolls (Nos. 56-61). Amongst original inquisitions is that for 

 Lanes, in 1 1 Edw. Ill (No. 304) ; and amongst Forest Proc. Exch. K. R., there are rolls of proceedings at 

 the Court of Justice Seat for Lanes. 8-9 Edw. Ill (bdle. I, No. 47) ; of the eyre of 10 Edw. Ill (No. 48) • 

 .and of the perambulation of Amounderness, 1 1 Edw. Ill (No. 49). 



" Duchy of Lane. Great Coucher, i, 117. «> Ibid 121; 



"Add. MSS. 32103, fol. 148. ■ 



444 



