FORESTRY 



This was followed by ' the humble petition of a multitude of his Majesty's tenants and copy- 

 holders of Rossendale, Pendle, Trawden and Accrington ' which set forth the terms under which their 

 predecessors had obtained grants and demises of the premises under the commissions of Henry VII 

 whereby the same were demised by copy of court roll unto them and their heirs for ever : that ever 

 since much labour has been expended in inclosing, manuring and tilling the lands which were 

 ' extremely barren and unprofitable and as yet capable of no other corn but only oats and that but 

 only in dry years and not without the continual charge of every third year's new manuring, but also 

 in building their houses and habitations thereon, having no timber there nor within many miles 

 thereof,' and having enjoyed the same and ' paid a rent and fine at the first as much, or more, 

 and now very near the value thereof have nearly disposed, imployed, and placed all the fruit and 

 increase of their ancestors and their own labours and industries and the estates and maintenance of 

 theirselves, their families and posterities upon the same copyholds : ' they pray that possession of their 

 copyhold estates may be continued, and the ordinary administration of right in their copyhold court 

 restored. 



On 2 2 March, 1 607—8, Richard Towneley and other ' foresters ' wrote to Ralph Assheton of Lever, 

 one of the commissioners, informing him that although an instrument had been drawn up and signed 

 by the most substantial persons of all the forests to apportion the charges of the business to London 

 and especially for legal advice ' it is now so fallen out — through the fantastical persuasion of the vulgar sort 

 that hands set on Instrument will bind them to they know not what inconveniences — as that now the 

 instrument being cancelled we are enforced to rest only upon promises ... we therefore thought 

 fit to certify you what was done humbly beseeching . . . your advice, which advice by God's grace 

 we shall not fail with our pains and purses to follow accordingly with this persuasion . . . that the 

 vulgar sort may indifferently bear our charges of money and we only lose our pains, for as it is unrea- 

 sonable that the backward peevishness of some few should disadvantage or discredit the undertaking 

 ... so we are of opinion that this . . . made known unto the Privy Counsell will work such 

 effect that as according to the proverb the friers shall not be beaten for the nunnes fault.' 



1608, May 16. It was thought convenient by the Lofd High Treasurer and the chancellor of 

 the Duchy of Lancaster ' that such ... of the tenants as shall . . . agree to . . . pay unto 

 the King's Majesty the full sum of twelve years' rent ... at three several payments shall have con- 

 firmation of their estates by decree and further by act of Parliament.' 



Negotiations on the part of the copyholders were principally carried on by the mediation of 

 Thomas Walmsley of Dunkenhaigh and Ralphe Assheton of Great Lever, who wrote to Mr. Wood- 

 roofe, the steward of the honour, to assemble the foresters to consult upon a decree and ascertain 

 the names of all such as yield to the composition. On 17 November, 1608, a commission was 

 issued for calling together the copyholders of the four forests and determining what sum each 

 copyholder ought to pay in contribution towards the said payment of 1 2 years' rent. 



The assembly was held at Whalley on 1 5 December following, and adjourned to 4 January 

 when agreement was made as to the rate of payment by tenants for life of various ages, and tenants 

 for terms of years. 



A few weeks later the tenants petitioned for a decree and Act of Parliament for confirmation 

 of their estates and tendered the sum of ;^3, 7 63 representing 12 years' rent to be paid at three 

 equal payments within a year after the time of such decree. 



The decree — a lengthy document — was duly issued on 1 5 February, 1608-9, ^'^'^ '^^ followed 

 by the Act of 7 Jas. I, 4 sess. (Private Act n. 3) entitled an ' Act for the perfect creation and confirma- 

 tion of certain copyhold lands in the honour, castle, mannor and lordship of Clitherow, &c.' ^''^ 



Little now remains to illustrate the ancient character of the Blackburnshire chases, except the 

 names of the vaccaries or booths, and of the pastures once reserved for the support of the young stock, 

 both cattle and horses. These have remained as the description of the townships into which the 

 chases were divided after 1507. The various occupations of the former inhabitants are also reflected 

 in the prevalence of such names as Parker, Cockshutt, Driver, Folds, Boothman, Hird, Stuttard, 

 Calvert, and the almost extinct Gelderd and Oxnard. We are also reminded of some of the physical 

 features of this district during the Plantagenet period in the very prevalent names of Greenwood, 

 Shaw, Nutter, Hargreaves, Ridehalgh, Holt, Hayhurst, Hartley, Harrop, Pickup, and Wood. 



The frequent reference to woodlands in the pleadings of the thirteenth and fourteenth cen- 

 turies points to an abundance of timber in all parts of the county, except near the sea coast, and in 

 the more elevated regions. About the year 1286 Dame Joan de Dacre had 700 customary acres 

 of woodland in Over Kellet, a figure which suggests that the township at that time contained 

 nearly equal areas of arable and pasture, woodland, and moorland.^'^ There are also indications 

 of considerable areas of woodland in those townships which lay near the principal rivers of the 

 county in the accounts of religious houses and in the Ministers' Accounts of the Earls and Dukes of 

 Lancaster, to which reference has been frequently made. 



"' MS. fenes W. Farrer. 



'" Cockersand Chartul. (Chet. Soc. New Ser. Ivi) 910. 

 461 



