Folios: 296-298. County of Yorkshire. Pleas of claims of liberties and quittances...

Folios: 296-298. County of Yorkshire. Pleas of claims of liberties and quittances at Pikeryng [Pickering] before Richard de Wylughby [Willoughby], Robert de Hungerford and John de Hambury, justices itinerant assigned for pleas of the forest in the forest of Henry, earl of Lancaster, of Pikeryng [Pickering]:

The prioress of Wycham [Wykeham]: The prioress claims for herself and her tenants in Wicham [Wykeham] and Roston [Ruston] to have and take housebote and haybote in the woods of Northcaheuedes and Berlagh according to the assize of the forest, and to have common in the same woods for all kinds of beasts except goats for herself and her tenants of Wykeham and Ruston, in moors and wastes adjacent, namely from Erlessyk towards the north. And similarly she claims to have and take in her woods of Wykeham and Ruston housebote and haybote for herself and her tenants of Wykeham and Ruston according to the assize of the forest. And also to have in the same woods a woodward according to the assize of the forest. And she says that she and all her ancestors and predecessors, etc, from time out of mind, as if pertaining to the lands and tenements which they hold in the said vills, were accustomed to have and take housebote and haybote in the said woods of Northcaheuedes and Berlagh according to the assize of the forest. And similarly to have common for all kinds of beasts except goats, etc, for herself and her tenants in the said moors and wastes adjacent, etc. And that by reason of the lands which she holds in the Wykeham and Ruston, she ought to have and take housebote and haybote for her and her tenants in her woods, namely of Wykeham and Ruston, according to the assize of the forest, and to have in the same woods her woodward, etc. Whereupon she says that she and all prioresses, her precdecessors, from time out of mind, always used the said liberties without any interruption, and this she is prepared to verify, etc. And she seeks that her claims are allowed to her. And because it seems to the justices to be expedient and necessary to inquire how she and her predecessors used the liberties before progress is made to their allowance, the truth is to be inquired into by the ministers of the forest.

Gilbert de Aton [Ayton]: Gilbert claims to hold his wood of Troucedale, pertaining to his manor of Brumpton [Brompton], outside the regard of the forest, namely that wood which is on the north side of Troucedale, by certain bounds from the place which is called Braythwayt on the west, and so then in length along the river of Troucedale, just as the river runs east to a certain syke which falls into the same river, descending from a certain spring called Apiltrekeld, and then by the said syke ascending to the same spring. And from the spring ascending by a certain steep path to a place called Heuedegatebrowe, and then by another wood still ascending steeply on the east side as far as a certain place called le Birk, and so going up from the same place by a certain path, which heads to the east end of the ditch of Blakhous, and then by the said ditch as is heads directly from the east into a place towards the west as far as a certain path, lying on the south side of Brounhowes, and so then by the path descending, as he says, to the brow of Goderikgill, and then by the syke descending through the middle of Goderikgill as far as Braithwayt, where the same stream falls into Troucedalekek. And [he claims the right] to hunt hares, foxes, cats and badgers in Brumpton [Brompton], namely within les Acredikes, and to have his goats depasturing in his moors and woods of Howetonboscel [Hutton Buscel] within the coppice and outside at all times of the year, and he claims to uproot heath and to hunt in the moor and wood of Howeton [Hutton], and also to dig turves on the same moor and to sell them at his pleasure, and to give and carry outside the forest and within, and to claim to agist in Hutton and to receive the profit of agistment thereof at his pleasure. And he claims to have a woodward in his own wood within the said forest, namely in Brumpton [Brompton]. And he claims to have a woodward in his own wood within the said forest, namely in Hutton. And he says that, as regards holding his wood in Troucedale outside the regard by diverse boundaries and hunting hares, cats and badgers in Brompton, namely within les Acredikes, he and all his ancestors, tenants of the manor of Brumpton [Brompton], always, from time out of mind, used to hold the said wood, etc, by the said boundaries outside the regard, etc, and similarly to hunt hares, foxes, cats and badgers in Brompton within les Acredikes. And as regards having his goats depasturing, etc, and uprooting the heaths and hunting and digging turves, etc, and similarly agisting, etc, he says that Henry II gave and granted by his charter to a certain Reginald Belet, ancestor of the same Gilbert, whose estate he now has, at 110s a year, 11 carucates of land and one bovate in Aton [Ayton] and Preston, and 13 bovates of land in Ebreston [Ebberston], which are now the manors of Hutton and Ayton, and he received them so that he might hold them well, honourably and freely with soke, etc, and with all customs, just as he was holding them better, while they were in his hands. By virtue of which charter, Reginald was seised of the kinds of profits, contained in his claims. And similarly he and all his ancestors after Reginald, holding the said manors, always and continuously were seised of the same, by virtue of the said said charter, and he still is, and this he is ready to verify, etc. And as regards having woodwards, etc, in the woods at Ayton, Brompton and Hutton, he says that he and all his ancestors, from time out of mind, used to have woodwards in their said woods, and this he is ready to verify, etc. And he seeks that his said claims are allowed to him in this regard. And because it seems to the justices that it is expedient and necessary to inquire into this, etc, therefore the truth is to be inquired into by the ministers of the forest.

Held on: Monday next after Michaelmas 8 Edw III.