let to John de Witham and his heir for
50s. 6d. per annum, provided two hundred acres of the adjoining soil were
brought into cultivation and enclosed at a certain rent, by which all
injury to the Crown would be avoided, Norton not being a vineyard, but a
"lacius" worth sixpence per annum. So also William Jote might hold one
hundred acres, twenty lying in Michelerleye, and eighty in Brakenford,
and also the Prior of Lanthony two hundred and seventy acres, upon paying
twopence per annum. The Abbot of Gloucester had leave to cut wood in
Birdewoode and Hope Mayloysell, without demand or view of the Forester.
The men of Rodley Mead Forest were allowed to have firewood and mast for
their swine. John de Abbenhall held a certain bailiwick of the King by
the service of guarding it with bows and arrows. Robert de Barrington
held forty acres of waste near Malescoyte-wood. Ralph Hatheway was
seized of forty acres in Holstone. Bogo de Knoville was seized of
Kilcot-wood, and Henry de Chaworth had a forge in the Forest.

By the sixth year of Edward III. (A.D. 1333) the dispute between the Dean
and Chapter of Hereford and the Bishop of Llandaff, relative to the
tithes of the iron-mines in the parish of Newland, was settled in the
Bishop's favour, who also obtained the great tithes and the presentation
to the living, all of which still continue attached to that see, and in
connexion with which it may be observed, that by far the larger part of
the fabric of the church at Newland exhibits the style of architecture
which prevailed at that period. It is a large building, and the tower is
particularly fine.

Parliament now confirmed the perambulations made in 26th and 28th Edward
I., which reduced the bounds of the Forest to the limits which, with some
slight exceptions, remained in force till within the last twenty-five
years. The ensuing items of information, taken from Mr. Fosbroke's
valuable work on the county, apply to this period. Guy de Brien, to whom
the Forest was farmed, obtained wages from the Crown for the payment of
four foresters, who were allowed the privilege of cutting all underwood
within the same from seven years to seven years. J. Flory held the
bailiwick of the Lee, and John Preston that of Blakeney. Robert Sappy,
warden of the Forest, petitioned Parliament for some allowance to be made
him, as, owing to the late alienations of Crown property in favour of the
monks of Tintern and the Bishop of Llandaff, he