DOMESDAY SURVEY their head is the great lordship of Sonning, where they brought in 300 swine, for its ' hinterland,' as we have seen,' extended to the south border. Whistley (Hurst) produced 50, Easthampstead 10, Clewer 70, Pinkneys with Maidenhead 10, Hurley 5, and Dodworth 5. Stratfield Mortimer on the southern border produced 40. As on the royal demesne the figures on private fiefs imply woodlands in the Kennet Valley. The actual forest of Windsor appears to have been extended since the Conqueror's advent. The monks of Abingdon complained bitterly that four hides of their manor of Winkfield had been enclosed within the forest,* and Domesday admits the fact. 3 At Windsor itself additional woodland had been enclosed in the forest (missa est in defensa), and at Cookham apparently also.* Even at this early date the king's ' forest ' was by no means limited to the immediate neighbourhood of Windsor. At Bucklebury, where, we have seen, he possessed extensive woodland, 6 Walter Fitz Other, his forester for Berkshire,* had a small estate, of which we read that ' it lies in the forest, and has never paid geld.' But his headquarters must have been at Windsor, near which the monks of Abingdon accuse him of robbing them of two woods belonging to Winkfield. Valuable information is afforded by a charter of Henry II grant- ing to the church of Salisbury the tithes of all his forests within the diocese. For he specifies the sources of revenue from which the tithes were to be paid, viz., the composition (Jirma) for pannage, grazing (berbagio), cows, cheese, swine, and brood mares.' He further granted it the tithes of the proceeds of his chace within them ' excepta venatione quae capta erit cum stabilia in foresta de Windesores.' " This is a specially notable phrase, because ' the customs of Berkshire ' recorded at the commencement of the county survey close with the fine inflicted on him who did not come ' ad stabilitionem venationis ' when sum- moned. 9 The stabllitio is also found in Domesday under Herefordshire and Shropshire as a royal due, and exemption from 'chacier establi' 10 was among the liberties granted by Henry II to Merton Priory. 11 One must not leave the woodlands without observing that they were indis- pensable for building and for fuel in those days, and that even underwood was valuable for fencing, the ' silva ad clausuram ' of the survey. 1 p. 301 above. 2 ' de villa Winkefeld, versus Wildesoram sita, regis arbitrio, ad forestam illic amplificandam, iiii hidas tune exterminate sunt ' (Chron. Ab. ii. 7). 3 ' De hac terra sunt iiii hide in foresta regis.' 4 ' alia medietas est in foresta de Windesores.' 5 See p. 308 above. 6 ' forestarum per comitatum Berkescire ubique consitarum primas et tutor ' (Cbron. Ab. ii. 7). 7 The Pipe Rolls of his reign show that the revenue (census) from the forest in respect of all this was .133 year. 8 Sarum Charters, p. 249. 9 ' qui monitus ad stabilitionem venationis non ibat 50 sol. regi emendabat.' The so-called laws of Henry I include among offences against forest law ' si quis ad stabilitatem non venit.' William of Malmesbury, cited by Ellis, speaks of the Confessor's wrath against a rustic, who ' stabulata ilia quibus in casses cervi urgentur, confudisset.' 10 The Norman French form. " Records of Merton Priory, App. p. xiv. 309
