The antiquities of Nottinghamshire extracted out of records, original evidences, leiger books, other manuscripts, and authentick authorities : beautified with maps, prospects, and portraictures / by Robert Thoroton ...

The Forest of Shirewood

EXtends it self into the Hundreds of Brox∣tow,* 1.1 Thurgarton a Lée, and Bassetlawe. When this Forest of Shirewood was first made I find not; the first mention of it that I do find is in Henry the seconds time, but I conceive it a Forest before, for William Peverell in the first year of Henry the second [which is mistaken for the fifth year of King Stephen] doth an∣swer de Placitis Forestae in this County. It seems he had the whole profit and command of this Forest for his Estate, which, after coming to the Crown, the Sheriff, 8 H. 2. in the ac∣count of his Farm prays to be discharged of 4^l. in vasto Forestae; and in the tenth year of the same Kings Reign he prays the like discharge of 4^l. for the waste, as also allowance of 6^l. 5^s. paid to the Constable, eight Foresters, and a Warrener, and to the Canons of Shirewood for Alms 40^l. which I conceive to be the Prior and Monks of Newstede, then newly Founded by Henry the second. In the next year the Sheriff of the County Randulphus filius Engel∣rami answers de censu Forestae; and in the twelfth year, Robert de Caltz Lord of Laxton, a Fermor, answers for it 20^l. and 15 H. 2. Regi∣naldus de Luci answers the like summ of 20^l. pro censu Forestae, in both which years Robert Fitz-Randulph was Sheriff. In the ancient written Forest Books of this County there is the Copy of a Charter made by King Iohn when he was Earl of Morteyne to Matilda de Caux, and Raph Fitz-Stephen her husband, and to her heirs, of all the Liberties and Free Customs which any of the Ancestors of the said Maud held at any time in Notinghamshire and Derbyshire, viz. all the Forest of Notingham∣shire and Derbyshire, as their Ancestors ever held the same. It came to Iohn Birking as heir to this Maud, so to Thomas Birking his son and heir, about 11 H. 3. and shortly after to Everingham, who thereby claimed Custodiam Forestarum Regis in Com. Nott. & Derby, which I conceive contains no more but this Fo∣rest of Shirewood, the rest being disafforested by Henry the third, in the sixth year of his Reign, in the summ of the Statute of Carta de Fo∣resta. With this Everingham heir to Birking and Caux it continued till Edward the first's time, and then was seised as forfeited. Since the Guardianship hath been granted by the Princes to Noblemen and Gentlemen as a Character of their especial favour, the state of this Foster∣ship of Everinghams, and of the whole Forest appears in an Inquisition taken by Geoffrey Lang∣ley, the Kings then Justice in Eyre of his Fo∣rests beyond Trent; for the Forest-Officers of Shirewood there find that there be three Keepings in the Forest, First, Between Léene and Doverbecke. Secondly, The High Forest. The Third, Rumwood. Robert Everingham, chief Keeper of the Forest, ought to have a chief Servant Sworn, going through all the Fo∣rest at the costs of Robert, to Attach all Tres∣passes, and present them at the Attachements before the Verderors. In the first Keeping be∣tween Liene and Doverbecke he ought to have one Forester riding with a Page and two Fo∣resters on foot; and there be two Verderors, and two Agisters. In this Keeping there be three Hayes, Beskwood Hay, Lindeby Hay, and Willay Hay. The second Keeping is the High Forest. In this Robert Everingham is to have two Foresters riding with two Pages, and two Foresters on foot, and there be also two Verderors, and two Agisters. In this Keeping are two Hayes, Birkeland and Billahay, and the Park of Clipston, and in these Hayes and Parke two Verderors, and two Agisters. In the third Keeping Rumwoode, Robert Everingham ought to have one Forester on Foot, and there be two Woodwards, one of Carburton, another of Budby, and two Verderors, and two Agisters. Robert Everingham ought also to have a Page bearing his Bow through all the Forest to gather Chiminage. The Perambulation of this Forest was upon the Commission of 16 H. 3. thus set

forth, viz. At Coningswath Ford, so by the High-way towards Wellay Hagh towards Not∣tingham, leaving out the Close of the Town of Wellay, from thence by that way to Black∣stone Haugh, from thence to that place where the River of Doverbecke goes over that way, and so from thence as the River of Dover∣beck goes into Trent. Westerley from the Ford of Coningswath by the water called Mayden to the Town of Warksope, and so by the same water to the Parke of Ple∣sley Hagh, so up the same River to Otter Brigge, from thence by the great High-way of Nottingham to the Mill Ford, from thence to Mayneshead, from thence betwixt the Fields of Hardwick and Kirkeby to the corner that is cal∣led Nun Carre, from thence by the Assert of Ewan Brittayne to the Earl Stigh, and from thence to Stolegate, from thence by the great High-way under the Castle of Annesley, from thence by the great High-way to the Town of Linbye, through the midst of the Town to the water of Liene, so to Lenton, and from thence by the same water, as it was wont of old time to run into the water of Trent, and so along the River of Trent to the fall of Doverbecke, saving Wellay Hay, and other the Kings De∣mesne Woods in the County of Nottingham. This I have the rather done that most men may know when they are within, and when without the Forest. And although there were some de∣afforestations after, yet were they resumed, so as the old Perambulation stands at this day with∣out any remarkable alteration. There have not been many Justice Seats in this Forest of Shire∣wood; those that I have met withal I shall here observe. The first was in Henry the second's time before Hugh Bishop of Durrham, Robert Bishop of Lincolne, and Robert Earl of Lei∣cester. The next I find was in Henry the third's time before Robert Nevill and his fellows Ju∣stices. The next after that was 15 E. 1. before William Vescy and his fellows; and of this Ju∣stice Seat the Rolls are extant with the Chamber∣lains of the Exchequer in the Tallye Office, as also the Rolls of the next Justice Seat of 8 E. 3. before Raph Nevill and his fellows. The next Justice Seat I can meet with is 21 H. 7. before Simon Stalworth, and Iohn Collier, Clarks, Ro∣bert Nevill, and Iohn Port or Porter, and be∣fore them as Deputies and Lieutenants of Sir Thomas Lovell, Guardian and Chief Forester, and Justice of the Forest of our Lord the King of Shirewood. But this Seat I cannot find Re∣corded in any place, although I made diligent enquiry for it upon a claim there for the Town of Nottingham, and upon conference with Willi∣am Noy, the late Atturney General to his Ma∣jesty that now is, he told me it was no where to be found where he had seen. I have seen some claims, as the beginning of another Justice Seat for this particular Forest, 26 H. 8. before Tho∣mas the first Earl of Rutland, but no further proceeding therein that I could learn. The last upon Record in the Exchequer in the same Tal∣ly Office is a Book, wherein is entred the Claims and Commencement of a Justice Seat here before the then Lord Crumwell, the Kings then Chief Justice in Eyre of his Forests on the North side of Trent. The state of this Forest at this pre∣sent consists of a Warden, his Lieutenant, and his Steward, a Bow-bearer, and a Ranger, four Verderors, twelve Regarders, so reduced to the number of twelve by an Ordinance made in Ed∣ward the first's time by William Vescy and his fellows, four Agisters, and twelve Keepers or Foresters in the main Forest; besides there are now four Keepers in Thorney Woods, where anciently there were but two, one of the North Bayle, another of the South, they are all re∣duced under the Chief Forestor the Earl of Che∣sterfeild and his heirs, whose Father Sir Iohn Stanhoppe had the same granted in Fee, with li∣berty to destroy and kill at their pleasures, re∣serving an hundred Deer in the whole Walk. There are also besides the Forest-Keepers three in Beskwood Park, that before Edward the third's time was an Hay or Wood uninclosed, but sithence it was imparked, the general Keeper of the Park hath had the Command of the other Keepers, as I presume the general Forester of the Hay had before, for I find Richardus de Strelley was Forester there 2 E 3. There is al∣so one other Keeper of Nottingham Parke, one other of Clipston Parke. The twelve Fo∣rest Keepers are these, One of Maunsfeilde, one of Maunsfeild Woodhouse, one of An∣nefley Hills and Newstede, one of Papple∣wicke, one of Rumwood and Oswald, one of Rughford, one of Billahay, one of Birke∣loud, one of Calverton, one of Farnesfeilde, one of Langton Arbour and Blidworth, and one of Sutton in Ashefeild. The Castle and the Park of Nottingham was granted to the late Earl Francis of Rutland, and is now the In∣heritance of the Dutchess of Buckingham his daughter and heir. Clipston Park is now the Inheritance of the Earl of Newcastle, who is the present Warden of this Forest, and his are also the perpetual placing of the Keeper of Rom∣wood and Oswald. The Keepership of Rugh∣ford is the inheritance of Sir William Savile Lord of Rughford. Annefley Hills, Papple∣wick and Newstéede are granted to Sir Iohn By∣ron Lord of Newstéede, and the rest of the Walks are in the disposition of the Warden of the Forest. There are besides as members of the Forest several Wood-wards for every Town∣ship within the Forest, and for every principal Wood one.

It would not be impertinent to set down how that in the beginning of the Reign of King Henry the second, Ranulph the Sheriff, Hugh de Buyrun,* 1.2 Raph de Hanselin, Robert de Perreriis, Raph de Annesley, Galfr. de le Fremunt, Raph de He∣ronvill, Hugh Fitz-Wlviet, Robert de Hovering∣ham, Alexander Fitz-Toche, Simon Fitz-Ri∣chard, Robert de Ripera, Richard de Croxton, William de Herys, Walter de Amundevill, Samp∣son de Stereley, Gervas Fitz-Richard de Muey, Ingelram, the brother of the Sheriff, Hugh Fitz-Roger, William Fitz-Reyner, Hugh Fitz-Albred, Hardewin, and Gaufr de Staunton, swore at Nottingham in the presence of Robert Earl of Leicester, who on the part of the King Com∣manded them that they should tell the truth con∣cerning the Customs and Liberties which the Land of the Arch-bishop (of York) which is in Not∣tinghamshire,

and the Archbishop himself had in the same Shire, in the time of King Henry the el∣der (viz. the first) and the year and day where∣in that King Henry the first was alive and dead. And after they had sworne, they said, That the whole Land of the Arch-bishop was without the Forest, which was contained between the bounds underwritten: As Doverbeck falleth into Trent, and on the upper part from the water of Dover∣beck unto Ciningeswad, as the way of Blyth goes, and all that Land which is beyond Cininges∣wad, and beyond the aforesaid way, was out of the Forest unto Bykersdike, so that no Forester of the Kings could intermeddle on the Kings part concerning that Land, but the Arch-bishop and his men did freely both Essart and do what they would with it as their own. And out of the afore-named bounds in the old Forest, the Arch-bishop did Hunt nine daies in the year, viz. three against Christmass, three against Easter, and three against Whit sunday, through the whole Wood of Blyth∣worth, and in that Wood of Blythworth the Arch-bishop, and his Canons, and his men, had all their Attachments without waste [guasto] and had their proper Foresters, and Aieryes of Hawks, and Paunage: This was Sealed by Robert Bishop of Lincolne, and Hugh Bishop of Durr∣ham. Iohn Romanus Arch-bishop of York, 15 E. 1. by Hugh de Stapleford his Atturney, had great pleading before William de Vescy, Thomas de Normanvile, and Richard de Crepping, Justices in Eyre, concerning his holding Pleas of Vert in his Court of Southwell, and many other Privi∣ledges: As William de Melton, one of his suc∣cessours, Arch-bishop of York, by William de Southwell his Atturney, had, 8 E. 3. before Raph de Nevill, Richard de Aldeburgh, and Peter de Midleton, as may be seen at large in the Rolls of both these Justice Seats in the Tally Office. But I shall not be further particular in exhibiting any further Collections on this subject, because the pleasant and glorious condition of this noble Fo∣rest is now wonderfully declined. And there is at present, and long hath been, a Justice Seat, which is not yet finished, and therefore cannot now be rendred a good account of, held under my Lords Grace the Duke of Newcastle, Justice in Eyre of all his Majesties Forests, &c. Trent North, wherein it seems his Deputies or Lieutenants have allowed such and so many claims, that there will not very shortly be Wood enough left to cover the Bilberries, which every Summer were wont to be an extraordinary great profit and pleasure to poor people, who gathered them and carried them all about the Country to sell: I shall therefore at this time say no more, May 24. 1675.

FINIS.

Notes

• * 1.1

  B.
• * 1.2

  Pat. 55 H. 3. m. 13. Inspex.