A HISTORY OF DERBYSHIRE but about a month later Nicholas Kniveton was made parker of Ravensdale. Richard Salford was made parker of Belper, and Sir Charles Somerset, ' Captain of our guard,' parker of Postern in 1487. In 1491 Nicholas Kniveton became parker of Shottle, and in 1493 Humphrey Bradburne became parker of Mansell. 1 In 1503 Roger Vernon was appointed to the custody of Shottle Park. In 1504, on the death of John Stafford, Thomas Day, 'a valet of our chamber,' was made custodian of Morley Park. 2 There are interesting full returns as to the venison of Duffield Frith killed in the different wards, both legitimately and illegitimately, for the year 1498, as presented at a woodmote held at Cowhouse. The names include families of position, such as Talbot, Willoughby, Sacheverell, Foljambe, Gresley, Vernon, Langford, Kniveton, etc. 3 By the time that great sportsman Henry VIII. came to the throne, the stock of fallow deer had materially decreased throughout this forest, and the disafforesting of most of Colebrook ward, through the king granting so large a part of it to Anthony Lowe, deprived the forest deer of much of their wildest runs. Nevertheless, they must have been fairly abundant in parts as late as 1541 ; for the earl of Shrewsbury, the chief forester, wrote to the earl of Southampton on 6 July, hoping that the king at his coming to Nottingham would visit his poor house at Wingfield and hunt in Duffield Frith ; but before the end of the month the earl was dead. 4 In 1540 a special commission was appointed, under the direction of Sir George Gresley, to take evidence and report as to the waste of wood in this forest during the three previous years. 6 The presentment of the jury has been set forth in extmso in the Derbyshire Archaeo- logical Journal. 6 The sum total of all the woods felled during the three years came to ' 1,032 trees and loades of wood.' The commissioners also took evidence as to the different parks and wards and ' what wodde may be solde to the king's most grasiouse proffitt.' Shettell Parke had a compass of seven miles, and ' only Thornes olde Rennylles and Rampckes.' Postern Parke, three miles compass, mostly fair oak and ash. Maunsyl Parke, three miles compass, all hollies and hazel. Morley Parke, three miles compass, much fair oak. Belpere Parke, a mile in compass, all birch. Raunsdayll Parke, three miles compass, ' olde Rennylles and Rampckes and Oilers ' (alders). There are various records extant of woodmote and special pannage courts of this forest of sixteenth-century date, and also numerous crown appointments by patent as parkers of the different parks by Henry VIII. and Edward VI. 8 The leases of the parks of Shottle and Postern, including rights over the deer, show how steadily the old forest customs were deteriorating. At the beginning of Elizabeth's reign the question was raised whether such leases were not equivalent to disafforesting. In 1560 a most elaborate survey was taken of the nature and extent of the timber in Duffield Frith. 9 The large trees were entirely oak ; there is a single mention of an oak and an elm. The underwood included whitethorn, blackthorn, hazel, holly, maple, crab, alder, and birch. There were 59,412 large oaks, 32,820 small oaks, and 19,736 oaks in more or less state of decay and only suitable for fuel. Those who were entitled to yearly fee trees were : Thomas Ireton, bow-bearer of the Frith under Lord Shrewsbury, to a tree out of each of the wards of Duffield and Belper, and of the parks of Ravensdale and Maunsell ; Thomas Ireton, for ' keeping the queen's axe,' trees out of Belper ward, Belper park, and Ravensdale park ; John Ireton, deputy bow-bearer, a tree out of Hulland ward ; Richard Holland, the ranger, trees out of Duffield ward, Belper ward, Ravensdale park, and Maunsell park ; and others to keepers of particular wards. The destruction of timber throughout Duffield forest was excessive during the whole of Elizabeth's reign. The contrast between this survey of 1560, and another that was taken in 1587 is extraordinary. There were at the later date only 2,764 large oaks, and 3,032 small oaks ; they were set forth in detail with their estimated worth. The total value of the whole wood was somewhat under ^2,ooo. 10 1 Misc. Bks. Duchy of Lane. vol. xxi. passim. * Ibid. vol. xxxviii. ff. 6, 62. 8 Stemmata ShirRana, pp. 408-9. * L. and P. Hen. VIII. 6 Rentals and Surveys, Duchy of Lane, -j-j- 6 Derb. Arch. Journ. Vol. xxv. ( 1 903), ff. 1 84-1 88. 7 Ct. R. Duchy of Lane. - y , etc. 8 Duchy of Lane. Misc. Bks. xxii. xxiii. 9 Derb. Arch. Journ. xxv. 188-198, where it is given in extenso. The original of this has got mislaid at the P. R. O., so no other reference can be given ; the old reference was D. of Lane, class xix. no. 8. 10 Misc. Bks. Duchy of Lane. cxiv. pp. 63 5. This survey is also printed in full in the Derb. Arch. Journ. for 1903. 418
