Folios: 298-299. County of Yorkshire. Pleas of claims of liberties and quittances...

Folios: 298-299. 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 prior of Malton: The prior claims that he and all his men are quit of the amercement of the forest, fines for straying animals, all gelds, fines for not hambling dogs (fotgeldis), buckstall, 'trists', tolls on carts and pack-horses. And similarly he claims to have housebote and haybote in the woods of Kynthorp [Kingthorpe], Neuton [Newton], Lokton [Lockton] and Edbreston [Ebberston] according to the assize of the forest. And he says that Henry, late king of England, progenitor of the present king, by his charter, took into his own hands the protection and defence of houses in Semprengham [Sempringham], and all houses of the same order, namely of Chiksand [Chicksands] and Malton and others, etc. And he says that both they and their men should be quit of the aforesaid things. Whereupon he says that by virtue of the said charter, he and his men and similarly all the priors of the said place, his predecessors, and their men from the time of the completion of the same charter were quit of the premises in the said forest without interruption, and this he is ready to verify by the ministers of the same forest, and he seeks that his claim is allowed in this regard. And because it is not clearly apparent to the court what sort of quittances the prior intends to have for himself and his men, by reason of the said words, it is said to him that he should declare the same words, etc. And the prior says that, as regards his claim to be quit of amercement of the forest, he and his men have been quit up to now from all amercements which can fall upon them in the said forest. And as regards that they should be quit of fines for straying animals, he says that according to the assize of the forest, if the beasts of anyone are found in forbidden glades or at a forbidden time in the same, on the first occasion or for each foot of those beasts, the persons whose beasts they are are to be amerced at 1d. And if they are found for a second time there, similarly for each foot 1d. And if, for a third time, they are found there, those beasts are to remain forfeited to the lord, of which amercements and forfeitures by these words about fines of straying animals they are quit from all allowance of food of the foresters and from all exaction towards the collection of sheaves, lambs and wool to the use of the forester of the same forest. And as regards their claim to be quit of fines for not hambling dogs, they say that all dogs of men staying within the limits of the same forest ought to be hambled according to the assize of the forest, or if they are not hambled, they are to be heavily amerced, or they are to make a fine for not having them hambled. The prior and his men by this remained quit of these kinds of amercements and fines always for the said reason and also of the hambling of the same. And as regards the word that is called 'trist', he says that, whereas other men staying in the same forest at the time the lord was there ought to keep greyhounds at certain places assigned for waiting for and taking wild beasts there, and similarly as regards the word which is called buckstall, he says that, whereas the same men are held to meet there at stables to be made around the same wild beasts and gather the same, that, if they do not do this, they are to be amerced, or make a fine for the same. By virtue of the said charter, the prior and his men always, from time out mind, are quit from these customs and also of fines and amercements in this forest. And as regards the word cart-toll, namely when any carts or carriages pass through the forest and similarly pack-horses, they are accustomed to pay to the ministers of the same for right of way there, the prior and his men are always quit of this kind of payment for having their right of way, although their carts, carriages or pack-horses pass through the same forest, from the time of the completion of the said charter. The prior also says, as regards having housebote and haybote in the said woods according to the assize of the forest, he and all the priors of the said place, from time out of mind, had housebote and haybote in the said woods, namely in the woods of Neuton [Newton], Ebreston [Ebberston], Lokton [Lockton] and Kynthorp [Kingthorpe], as if pertaining to their free tenements in the said vills. And this he is prepared to verify by the ministers of the forest, etc. And he seeks that his said claims are allowed in this matter. And because it seems to the justices that it is expedient and necessary that the court is informed about the possession of the same prior in this matter, the truth is to be inquired into by the ministers of the same forest.

Held on: Monday next after Michaelmas 8 Edw III.