1212,

at Flaxley

„      8, Thursday.

  „

„      9, Friday.

  St. Briavel’s

„    10, Saturday.

  „

„    11, Sunday.

  „

„    12, Monday.

  Flaxley

„  „  Monday evening.

1213,

at St. Briavel’s

„    28, Thursday.

  „

„    29, Friday.

  Monmouth

„  „  Friday evening.

  „

„    30, Saturday.

  St. Briavel’s

„  „  „

  Flaxley

„  „  „

  Gloucester

„    30, Saturday.

1214,

at Braden’s Coke

Dec.  11, Thursday.

  Ashton

„  „  „

  Flaxley

„  „  „

From this date Bigland, in his ‘County History,’ arranges nearly an unbroken succession of the constables of St. Briavel’s Castle, and wardens of the Forest of Dean, viz.:—

a.d. 1215	17 King John	John de Monmouth.
1260	44 Henry III.	Robert Waleran.
1263	47  „	John Giffard (Baron).
„	„	Thomas de Clace.
1282	12 Edward I.	William de Beauchamp Earl of Warwick.
1289	19  „	John de Bottourt (deprived).
1291	21  „	Thomas de Everty.
1298	27  „	John de Handeloe.
1300	29  „	Ralph de Abbenhalle.
1307	1 Edward II.	John de Bottourt (restored).
1308	2  „	William de Stanre.
1322	15  „	Hugh Le Despenser (senior).
1327	18  „	John de Nyvers.
„	20  „	John de Hardeshull.
1341	14 Edward III.	Roger Clifford (Baron).
1391	14 Richard II.	Thomas de Woodstock Duke of Gloucester.
1436	14 Henry VI.	John Duke of Bedford.
1459	38  „	John Tiptoft Earl of Worcester.
1466	6 Edward IV.	Richard Neville Earl of Warwick &c.
1612	9 James I.	Henry Earl of Pembroke.
1632	10 Charles I.	Philip  „
1660	1 Charles II.	Henry Lord Herbert of Raglan Duke of Beaufort.
1706	5 Queen Anne	Charles Earl of Berkeley.
1700	9  „	James  „
1736	8 George II.	Augustus  „
1755	27  „	Norborne Berkeley Esq. Lord Bottetourt.
1760	1 George III.	Frederic Augustus Earl of Berkeley.
1814	54  „	Henry Somerset Duke of Beaufort.
1838		Chief Commissioner of Woods and Forests.

Judging from the architectural character of the remains of St. Briavel’s Castle, the whole of which seem to belong to the middle of the thirteenth century, and closely to resemble in several features the neighbouring castles of Chepstow and Goodrich, viz. in their entrances, angular-headed arches, and three-cornered

buttresses, the present building was probably erected by John de Monmouth, at the cost of the Crown, paid out of the increasing receipts which now accrued to it from the charges levied upon the iron mines and forges at work in the district.  The latter, being itinerant forges, were ordered to cease until the King, Henry III., should command otherwise, which appears to have led to the Chief Justice in Eyre directing that none should have an iron-forge in the Forest without a special licence from the Sovereign.

By royal permission the Abbot of Flaxley possessed both an itinerant and a stationary forge; one of the former kind also belonged to the men of Cantelupe.  Henry Earl of Warwick had likewise forges in his woods at Lydney, as well as others in the Forest, and

these formed no doubt but a small part of the whole number.  The dimensions of these forges may be judged of by the two at Flaxley consuming more than two oaks weekly, to the destruction of much timber, in lieu of which the King gave the Abbey 872 acres of woodland, which still forms part of the property at the present day, under the name of “the Abbot’s Woods.”

During the long reign of Henry III. pasturage was granted to the men of Rodley, who also in common with the King’s people might hunt the boar.  Commonage was likewise given to the Abbot of Flaxley.  The bailiwick of Dean Magna was granted to Walter Wither.  The men of Awre were allowed, by custom, pasturage in the Forest; those of Rodley, estover, dead and dry wood, with pannage and food for cattle as well.

The earliest of the various perambulations of the Forest, in the ensuing reign of Edward I., was in the year 1282, and comprised the peninsula formed by the Severn and Wye, proceeding north-east as far as Newent, and north to Ross, as in fact it had always done.  It may be also observed that about this period the Abbot of Gloucester purchased thirty-six acres of land in Hope Maloysell, held by Gilbert and Julian Lepiatte, receiving also Thomas Dunn’s gift of all his lands in the same