officers, comprising four
King's justices especially appointed, the chief justice in Eyre, nine
foresters in fee, four verderers, and twenty-four jurors--such was the
importance then attached to those acts.

There are some further items of information extant of this date, viz. the
ten bailiwicks of "Abbenhalle, Blakeney, Berse, Bicknoure, Great Dean,
Little Dean, Stauntene, Le Lee, and Bleyght's Ballye, and Ruardean," held
respectively by Ralph de Abbenhalle, Walter de Astune, William Wodeard,
Cecilia de Michegros, the Constable of St. Briavel's Castle, Richard de
la More, John de la Lee, Alexander Bleyght, and Alexander de Byknore;
Henry de Chaworth had fifty-nine mines, and some forges; the timber wood
of Kilcote was held by Bogo de Knoville; William Bliss held 180 acres of
assart, and seventeen acres of meadow land; certain miners, named William
de Abbensale, Walter and Elys Page, had been found digging mine at
Ardlonde belonging to the Abbot of Flaxley, who at once removed them, and
filled up the place. The question was now also raised as to the Crown
possessing the right of conferring the tithes of the "assarted" (rooted
up) Forest lands, not being within the bounds of any of the adjacent
churches; when it was decided in the affirmative, the King exercising the
claim in favour of the church of Newland, in consideration, probably, of
the lordship of the manor being held by him, and the whole being formerly
comprised in the Forest. A considerable proportion of such of the
existing encroachments as are reputed the oldest pay tithes to Newland, a
circumstance confirmatory of their alleged antiquity. {16}

The records we possess of the ensuing reign of Edward II. afford the
interesting intelligence that on various public occasions the military
services of the Foresters were required, and even at places as distant as
Berwick-upon-Tweed, which, owing to its position as a border town, and
the contests then waging between the English and Scotch, was repeatedly
lost and won by both sides. From the year 1174 to 1482 it changed owners
upwards of sixteen times. The sieges to which our choice Foresters were
summoned appear to have been those of 1310, 1311, 1315, 1317, 1319, and
1355. On the first occasion the Constable of St. Briavel's, and Keeper
of the Forest of Dean, was commanded to select one hundred archers and
twelve miners. In the following year writs were addressed to the Sheriff
of Gloucester, directing that, out