FORESTRY 



excepting in Hoddlesden and Ramsgreave. He had taken four deer in Hindeburnschagh, Cundeclif, 

 and Ketilhyrste. John son of Simon de Alvetham and his brothers Thomas and Richard claimed 

 free chase in Altham and Clayton-le-Moors, where they had taken four deer, but not in Accrington. 



When the king's ' harasse ' at Ightenhill was robbed Gilbert de la Legh ought to have roused 

 the people of Burnley against the robbers, but he did not. He was taken from Ightenhill Park by 

 William Daltrc and his three sons to Holbeck, near Leeds, and there detained until he paid a 

 ransom of ;^20. The master foresters and their subordinates were said not to be of good name.^" 



In 1334 a number of Lancashire gentry and clergy were presented at a county court held at 

 Wigan for having entered the parks of Musbury and Ightenhill, and Richard le Skinner, parker of 

 Ightenhill, that he rode with thirty armed men to Prescot church on Sunday after St. Barnabas 

 1330, and dragged Richard de Holand, Thomas de Hale, and John Walthew from the church, and 

 would have beheaded the last named then and there had he not claimed the refuge of that 

 church.^'* 



In 1327 the free chases of Blackburnshire and Bowland had been granted to Queen Isabella 

 for life in furtherance of a resolution of Parliament for the increase of her dower from j^4,500 to 

 20,000 marks a year, in consideration of her services in the matter of the treaty with France and 

 in suppressing the rebellion of the Despensers.^'' In 1 33 1-2 orders were made for the arrest and 

 imprisonment at Clitheroe of those who had entered her parks and chase of Blackburnshire and 

 Bowland and stolen her deer."" An inquiry was also directed touching the petition of the tenant 

 of Bowland against Richard de Spaldington, late keeper of that chase, who it was alleged had felled 

 and sold 200 oaks and 300 ash trees there, had taken stags, hinds, bucks, and does at his pleasure, and 

 had oppressed the tenants and bondmen there by ransoms, fines, and various extortions."' In 1331 

 he was exonerated of the charges and restored to ofBce.'*' The year following an order was made 

 for the repair of the palings and hedges of Ightenhill Park and the three closes belonging to it, 

 called Westclose, Higham, and Fillyclose."' 



In 1334 an inquiry was directed touching spoils of oak-trees and waste of deer alleged to 

 have been committed in the free chase of Blackburnshire by Richard de Merclesden, who held the 

 ofEce of chief forester there for life by the grant of Earl Thomas, confirmed by the king in 

 1330;^** g^fjj ijj 1337 justices were commissioned to try seventy-six persons of this and the 

 adjoining county of York charged by Queen Isabella with having entered her free chases of Pendle, 

 Rossendale, and Trawden and her park of Musbury, hunting there, felling trees, and carrying away 

 her deer and trees. Other persons to the number of twenty-two were likewise charged with the 

 same ofiFences in Bowland Chase and Radholme Park."* 



In 1343 four mares, including a dappled grey, a red bay, a black and a brown bay, were 

 delivered to Edward the Black Prince from the harras or stud-farm at Ightenhill."' 



The accounts of the forest issues for 1342 disclose little change since 1296. Some of the 

 vaccaries were in the queen's hands, as were the closes of Westclose, Higham, and Fillyclose in 

 Pendle. Other vaccaries were let to farm. About a score of people belonging to the neighbour- 

 hood were allowed to agist colts, fillies, and 'stags' in Higham Close during the spring at is. 

 a head, whilst in winter about seventy cattle and twenty-four ponies were agisted there. Over 



"' Assize R. 425, m. 13 </. to m. 26 </. 



"' Coram Reg. R. 302, Rex, m. 6 d. Proceedings were still being taken against some of those who had 

 been charged ten or a dozen years after the alleged offences, but few, if any, convictions are recorded. 



'" Ca/. Pat. 1324-7, pp. 69, 135. 



"° Ibid. 1330-4, pp.199, ^^4- I" 1332 ^n order was issued for the arrest and imprisonment of forty-four 

 persons (named) who had broken into Ightenhill Park, hunted and carried away deer, and threatened all whom 

 they had injured, so that none dared to follow their plaints against them ; ibid. 573. 



'" Ibid. 1330-4, p. 141. It was found, by inquest taken in 1332, that in the time of Earl Thomas the 

 keeper of Bowland Chase was accustomed to have from every man holding a messuage and 4 oxgangs of land 

 in Slaidburn and Newton, or a messuage and 2 oxgangs of land in Bradford and Grindleton, or holding 

 ' rodland ' (i.e. assart land) in those towns to the value of those oxgangs, one puture of the victuals found in 

 the tenant's house for himself and his groom, four foresters and their grooms, with two dogs, once a year at 

 any time save in Lent, or l^J. for that puture ; that when such tenements were subdivided a similar contri- 

 bution was made by the tenants, but not one puture from each subdivided tenement, as had been wrongfully 

 taken by Richard de Spaldington. In the time of Edward I, whilst the Lady Alesia de Lacy was lady of that 

 chase, the then keeper had taken one bushel of oats, two trusses of hay, and one puture for his groom by force 

 and duress. This puture Earl Thomas caused to cease as levied contrary to right ; Coram Rege R. 283, 

 Rex, m. 48. 



'« Cal. Close, 1330-3, p. 355. '" Ibid. 447. '" Cal. Pat. 1334-8, p. 65. 



'" Ibid. 452. Some of the offenders were foresters of Blackburnshire, and were afterwards pardoned 

 on condition of performing military service abroad for twelve months at their own charges. At the queen's 

 petition the service was remitted ; ibid. 1345-8, p. 44. 



'" Exch. K.R. Equicium Regis, 358, ». 31. 



2 457 58 



