The forest of Farndale
1229-1255
Rights
in a Royal Forest
FAR00004
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Entries in the Close Roll for 1229, 1253 and 1255 and
in the Liberate Rolls for 1255 refer to the
forest of Farndale as an
antique forest and the rights of Hugh de Bigod are defined in it.
In 1229 Henry III decreed, ‘the
whole of the forest of Galtres and the forest between
the Ouse and the Derwent, and the forest of Farndale, are ancient forests.’
But the forest was not much used.
The Close Rolls, 13 Henry
III for 1229: [m 21d]. Memorandum
quod perambulators foreste comitatus Eboraci venerunt et recognoverunt coram rege quod tota foresta de Gaurtic’, et foresta inter Usam et Derewent’ et foresta de Farendal’ sunt antique
foreste, et quod decepti fuerunt in perambulacione foreste alias facta, in qua recognitum fuit quod quedam partes earum forestarum de novo fuerunt afforestate, quas modo ad forestam reduxerunt; et inde confectum scriptum suum sigillis eorum
signatum protulerunt. Et mandatum
fuit vicecomiti Eboraci quod clamari facaret per totam ballivam suam quod foresta ita custodiretur
sicut custodita fuit
tempore regis J. in forma qua scriptum fuit aliis vicecomitibus
de hujusmodi forestis in dorso rotuli clausi
de ann etc xij.
It is to be remembered that the walkers of the forest of the county of York came and
recognized before the king that the whole forest of Gaurtic,
and the forest between Usam and Derewent,
and the forest of Farendal, are the ancient forest,
and that they were deceived in the perambulation of the forest, in which it was
recognized that certain parts of those forests were newly afforested, which
they have just brought back to the forest; and thence they brought forth their
finished writing, sealed with their seals. And the sheriff of York was ordered
to make a cry through all his bailwick that the
forest should be guarded as it was guarded in the time of King J. in the
form in which it was written to the other sheriffs about such forests on the
back of a roll closed on the back of ann etc xij
It
should be remembered that the walkers of the forest of the county of York came
runt and recognized before the king that the whole forest of Gautric and the forest between Usam
and Derewent and the forest of Farendal
are ancient forest, and that they had been deceived in the perambulation of the
forest other times in which it was recognized that certain parts of those
forests had been reforested , which they just brought back to the forest; and
thence they brought forth the finished writing, which was sealed with their
seals.
The Close Rolls, 37 Henry III for 1253: [m. 9 cont]
Pro Hugone le Bigod. Rex commisit
Hugoni le Bigod’ totam forestam de Farnedala, quam nuper per consideracionem curie rex recuperavit
versus abbatem Sancte Marie Ebor’, custodiendam usque ad reditum regis
de Vasconi avel quamdiu regi
placuerit, eodeum modo quo prefatus abbas forestam iliam habuit; et mandatum est J. de Lessinton’
quod forestam illam eidem Hugoni liberet
custodiendam sicut predictum
est. Teste ut supra.
For Hugh
le Bigod. The King committed to Hugh le Bigod the whole forest of Farnedala, which the king had lately recovered by
consideration of the court against the abbot of St. Marie Ebor, to be kept
until the return of the King from Vasconi, or as long as it pleased the king,
in the same manner as the aforesaid abbot had that forest; and J. de Lessinton
was ordered to release that forest to the same Hugh to be kept as aforesaid.
Test as above.
For Hugh
le Bigod. The King committed to Hugh le Bigod the whole forest of Farnedala, which the king recovered by the consideration of
the court towards the Abbot of St. Mary, to be guarded until the King's return
from Vasconia, or as long as it pleased the King, in
the same manner as the aforesaid Abbot had that forest; and J de Lessinton was
ordered to release that forest to the same Hugh to be kept as aforesaid. Test
as above.
Hugh Bigod (c. 1211 – 1266) was Justiciar of England
from 1258 to 1260. He was a younger son of Hugh Bigod, 3rd Earl of Norfolk. In
1258 the Provisions of Oxford established a baronial government of which Hugh's
elder brother Roger Bigod, 4th Earl of Norfolk was a leading member, and Hugh
was appointed Chief Justiciar. He also had wardship of the Tower of London,
and, briefly, of Dover Castle. But at the end of 1260 or in early 1261 he
resigned these offices, apparently due to dissatisfaction with the new government.
Thus in 1263 he joined the royalists, and was present on that side at the
Battle of Lewes. That battle took place by a village called Fletching, north of
Lewes. Hugh escaped but the King and his son, Prince Edward, were taken
prisoner.
The Duchy of Gascony or Duchy of Vasconia
was a duchy located in present-day southwestern France and northeastern Spain,
an area encompassing the modern region of Gascony. The Duchy of Gascony, then
known as Wasconia, was originally a Frankish march
formed to hold sway over the Basques. However, the duchy went through different
periods, from its early years with its distinctively Basque element to the
merger in personal union with the Duchy of Aquitaine to the later period as a
dependency of the Plantagenet kings of England.
Crusading was a popular cause in the 13th century, and
in 1248 Louis joined the ill-fated Seventh Crusade, having first made a fresh
truce with England and received assurances from the Pope that he would protect
his lands against any attack by Henry. Henry III might have joined this crusade
himself, but the rivalry between the two kings made this impossible and, after
Louis's defeat at the Battle of Al Mansurah in 1250, Henry instead announced
that he would be undertaking his own crusade to the Levant. He began to make
arrangements for passage with friendly rulers around the Levant, imposing
efficiency savings on the royal household and arranging for ships and
transport: he appeared almost over-eager to take part. Henry's plans reflected
his strong religious beliefs, but they also stood to give him additional
international credibility when arguing for the return of his possessions in
France.
Henry's crusade never departed, as he was forced to deal
with problems in Gascony, where the harsh policies of his lieutenant, Simon de
Montfort, had provoked a violent uprising in 1252, which was supported by King
Alfonso X of neighbouring Castile. The English court was split over the
problem: Simon and Eleanor argued that the Gascons were to blame for the
crisis, while Henry, backed by the Lusignans, blamed
Simon's misjudgment. Henry and Eleanor quarrelled
over the issue and were not reconciled until the following year. Forced to
intervene personally, Henry carried out an effective, if expensive, campaign
with the help of the Lusignans and stabilised the
province. Alfonso signed a treaty of alliance in 1254, and Gascony was given to
Henry's son Edward, who married Alfonso's half-sister Eleanor, delivering a
long-lasting peace with Castile.
On the way back from Gascony, Henry met with Louis for
the first time in an arrangement brokered by their wives, and the two kings
became close friends. The Gascon campaign cost more than £200,000 and used up
all the money intended for Henry's crusade, leaving him heavily in debt and
reliant on loans from his brother Richard and the Lusignans.
1255
The Close Rolls, 39 Henry III for 1255: Pro Hugone le
Bygod. Mandatum est Johanni de Lexinton’, justiciario forester egis ultra Trentam,
quod cartam quam rex fieri fecit Hugoni le Bygod de forestaria foreste de Farendale coram eo legi faciat,
et concessionem illam teneri secundum quod in eadem
carta continetur: et forestarios,
viridarios et alios ministros
foreste pro quibus idem
Hugo respondere voluerit ad presentacionem suam in predicta foresta admittat. Test ut supra.
For Hugh le Bygod. John de Lexinton, the justiciar of the
forests beyond Trent, was ordered to make the charter which the king made to
Hugh le Bygod concerning the forest of Farendale to be read before him, and
that the grant should be held according to what is contained in the same
charter: and the foresters, greenkeepers, and other ministers in the forest for
whom the same Hugh is willing to answer for his presentation in the aforesaid
forest. Test as above
For Hugh
le Bygod. It was ordered to John de Lexinton, justiciar of the king's forest beyond Trent, that
the charter which the king caused to be made to Hugh le Bygod concerning the
forestry of the forest of Farendale he shall make a law before him, and that
grant shall be held according to what is contained in the same charter: and he
shall admit the foresters, greenkeepers and other ministers of the forest for
whom the same Hugh is willing to answer for his presentation in the aforesaid
forest.
The Calendar of the Liberate Rolls, 1251 to
1260, Page 212, 1255: Allocate to Hugh
le Bygot, in his fine of 500 marks for the forestership of Farndale, 100 l,
paid at Westminster to Ernald de Mone Pesaz. The associated index entries: Farndale,
Farendale [co York NR], foresterhip of, 212. Forests (i), chaces, hays, parks,
warrens and woods named … Farndale … forestership of Farndale, 212.
The Keeper of the Royal Forests reported. ‘the forest of Spaunton
between the Dove and the Seven is so confined that deer do not oft repair
thither……..’ (The Close Rolls)