Archival/written
Extract from a Sherwood Forest roll.
The Forest Books of Sherwood.
The Forest Books were originally compiled as memoranda and were intended to be works of reference on the administration of the forest and to be records of forest rights and privileges. They include copies of:
- Statutes and ordinances
- Perambulations of forest boundaries
- Inquisitions
- Examples of writs
- Chapters of regard and
- Extracts from forest eyres
There are 15 surviving Forest Books for Sherwood Forest:
- National Archives, The Exchequer, Treasury of Receipt, Miscellaneous Book No. 76 (see Helen E. Boulton (ed.) The Sherwood Forest Book, Thoroton Society Record Series XXIII, 1965 for a full transcript)
- The Middleton Forest Book [University of Nottingham, MSS Department: Mi L 3/1-2]
- The Savile Forest Book (Rufford Abbey copy c.1216-c.1447) [Nottinghamshire Archives: DD/SR/20 ]
- The Manvers Forest Book [British Library: Egerton MS 3596]
- ‘RECORDS of Sherwood Forest, co. Notts’ [British Library: Add MS 36790]
- [Bodleian Library, MS Ashmole 1145]
- ‘PARTICULAR FORESTS: NORTH OF TRENT: Book of translations of charters and other documents relating to Sherwood forest.’ [National Archives: E 101/535/1]
- ‘PARTICULAR FORESTS: NORTH OF TRENT: An imperfect paper note-book relating to Sherwood forest.’ [National Archives: E 101/534/20]
- ‘PARTICULAR FORESTS: NORTH OF TRENT: Book of translations of charters and other documents relating to Sherwood forest.’ [National Archives: E 101/534/1]
- 'Sherwood Forest Book' and associated papers c.1661-1934 [Nottinghamshire Archives: DD/SK/229/1-9/12]
- The Carding Forest Book [University of Nottingham, MSS Department: MS 72/1]
- ‘A Book Concerning the Forest of Sherwood extracted from the old Forest Bookes onces in Possession of Sir George Savile Bart and the other of Mr. Willaim Watson of Farnsfield 1744’ [University of Nottingham, MSS Department: MS 72 /2]
- The Bromley House Forest Book (Bromley House Library Cc.213)
- Forest Book [University Library, Reading]
- ‘Sherwood Forest: the forest book of William Lang, 1778-1787 [National Archives: LRRO 5/51]
- Fragments of Forest Books at the British Library:
- Stowe Ms 850 (contains ‘A Letter concerning the Forest Laws, 1582’ which relates to Sherwood Forest)
- Add. MS. 24816 (history and account of manor of Mansfield and surrounding places in Sherwood Forest)
- Egerton MS. 3596, vol. LXXXI (18th century transcript of laws, statutes and ordinances of Sherwood Forest from time of Stephen to 1505)
Nottinghamshire Archives
In addition to Forest Books detailed above, holdings related to Sherwood Forest include:
- Records of the courts of attachment and swainmote [DD.P 27/3-20]
- Perambulations and miscellaneous ( 1227-1819) [DD.P 27/21-24]
- Enquiry into depredations of woods (c. 1588-59) [DD.P 27/26]
- Documents relating to William Willoughby's title to the manor of Warsop, in particular the relationship between the Forest of Sherwood to the Sheepwalk and Birklands [DD/2106/5/9]
See the catalogue for more information: nawcat.nottinghamshire.gov.uk/DServe/search.htm
National Archives
National Archives hold many records relating the Sherwood Forest.
Records from the Chancery include:
- Inquisition held at Nottingham before Roger, abbot of Rufford, William Perpount, knight, Richard Savage, esquire, Alexander Meryng, John Porte and John Neuton, commissioners, concerning William Chamberlen [Chamberlain] of Hucknall Torkard, yeoman, who entered the king's land at Linby Hay in Sherwood Forest and took 7 oak trees worth 9s without licence., 21 Henry VII, [C 142/19/118]
- Thomas de Stratton to enclose his wood of Sturton in Sherwood forest. Notts., 29 HENRY III., [C 143/1/3]
- The prior and convent of Worksop to take heath from Sherwood forest. Notts., 52 HENRY III., C 143/2/36
- W. archbishop of York to fell trees in his woods of Littlehaw and Blidworth in Sherwood forest. Notts., 6 EDWARD I., C 143/4/26
- John de Crumbewell to grant land in the hay of Lindby in Sherwood forest to the prior and convent of Newstead. Notts., 5 EDWARD III., C 143/214/9
- Perambulation of Sherwood Forest, Notts, made before John de Lithegreyns, John Byrun, Michael de Maitecla, Harsculph de Cleseby, Adam de Crokedayk and Richard Oysel, and in the presence of Hugh de Lowther, attorney of Robert de Clifford, Justice of the Forests beyond the Trent, Friday after the Feast of St Barnabas, [1300 June 17], C 67/6A
- Concerning inclosures in Mansfield lordship in Sherwood forest Notts by Thomas Langford and others, 22 Hen VIII, C 47/7/4/4
- Inquisition as to the metes and bounds of the Abbot of Rufford's wood of Swornewode in Sherwood forest 2mm, 9 Edw I, C 47/11/3/11
- Inquisition as to the purprestures by the men of Linby in Sherwood forest, 5 Hen V, C 47/11/9/11
- Sir Francis Molyneux bart. to replace William Cartwright as verderer of Sherwood Forest., 1782 Feb. 11, C 202/170/16
Exchequer records relating to Sherwood Forest include:
- Rolls of the attachment court of Sherwood forest rot 1 presentments for trespasses of vert, made by the forest officers etc, before John de Seint Jovan, Geoffrey de Pickeford and William de Bliburgh, the feast of St Denis rot 4 supporting documents, 18 Edw I, [E 32/129]
- Roll of the congregations of the officers of Sherwood Forest to enquire into the state of the forest since the last congregation, held before John de Vescy, at Nottingham, Blidworth and Edwinstowe, 22 Edw I, [E 32/130]
- Perambulations and other documents relating to Sherwood Forest, Hen III-Edw I, temp Edw I, [E 36/76]
- Attachments, pannage and sales of fern and fallen wood in Sherwood forest., 10 to 17 Edward II., [E 101/134/16]
- Particulars of the account of John de Crumbewell for Sherwood forest., 3 Edward III., [E 101/134/17]
- Particulars of the account of Ralph, earl of Westmoreland, for Sherwood forest., 1 to 5 Henry IV., [E 101/135/21]
- Fines and amercements in Sherwood forest., 6 & 7 Henry VI., [E 101/135/23]
- Roll of the manor court of Edwinstowe in Sherwood forest (5 mm), 2-19 Edw II, [E 146/2/8]
- Sherwood Forest Surveys., 15 & 22 Elizabeth, [E 178/1774]
- Linby Inquisition as to a wood called `Linby Hay,' in Sherwood Forest., 18 Elizabeth, [E 178/1786]
- Fulwood Inquisition as to assart lands in or near Sherwood Forest., 13 James I., [E 178/5035]
- Sherwood Forest Survey., 16 Charles II., [E 178/6405]
- Survey of Bestwood Park (17th century), [E317/Notts/10A]
- Survey of ground called 'Birkland' or 'the King's hay of Birkland' (21ff), 1656 Sept, [E 317/Notts/11]
- Survey of the hay or wood called 'the King's hay of Lyndhurst' (7ff), 1656 Sept, [E 317/Notts/15]
- Survey of the timber assigned to the town of Walesby (3ff), 1656 Sept, [E 317/Notts/25]
Special Collections documents containing references to Sherwood Forest
- The abbot of Welbeck states that his grange of Gladthorp is partly within Sherwood Forest and partly without, but the chief messuage without, and that he holds this grange in pure and perpetual alms, of the gifts of their feoffors, as shown by their charters and confirmed by King John., (1324-1325), [SC 8/8/390]
- Petitioners: Robert de Edenstowe, carpenter. Addressees: King and council. Places mentioned: Clipstone, [Nottinghamshire]; Sherwood Forest; York. Other people mentioned: Master and brothers of the hospital of St Leonard, York. Nature of request: Edenstowe requests an order to the master and brothers of the hospital that they should receive him and sustain him for his life, as he was granted the same by the king's father for his service, and because he was injured at Clipstone, and was ousted from this following the late king's death., (c. 1327), [SC 8/84/4156]
- The Prior of Felley requests the grant of the tithes from three assarts in Sherwood Forest, one called Willey, and the others at Roomwood and Linby to increase the numbers of canons from six to eight., (1305), [SC 8/111/5543]
- Prior and convent of Newstead request licence to depasture sheep and erect buildings inside Sherwood Forest., (1307), [SC 8/131/6530]
- Ralphe Cromwelle requests that he be granted a licence to assart 20 acres of his wood in Lambley in Sherwood Forest, and a licence for 5 acres that he assarted in the wood by licence of the late earl of Cornwall., (1316), [SC 8/241/12011]
Land Registry documents relating to Sherwood Forest include:
- Sherwood Forest: wood sales, 1663-1665, [LR 4/1/1]
- Sherwood Forest: sales of trees blown down or damaged by violent storm 1 Feb 1715, 1716-1746, [LR 4/2/1]
- Sherwood Forest: supply of navy timber, 1762-1765, [LR 4/9/40]
- Regard of Sherwood Forest, 14 Chas II, [LRRO 5/46]
Crown Estate documents relating to Sherwood Forest include:
- Sherwood Forest: timber, produce, etc, 1803-1819, [CRES 2/1092]
- Sherwood Forest: general correspondence and papers, 1672-1827, [CRES 2/1093]
- Notts: Sherwood Forest manor, including accounts of uninclosed and inclosed lands in Thorney Wood Chase, 1792, [CRES 39/42]
Online catalogue: discovery.nationalarchives.gov.uk/
British Library
Documents relating to Sherwood Forest held by the British Library include:
- Grant of Sherwood Forest. (1643) [Add. 40631 B f. 224]
- Sherwood Forest Appointment of the Duke of Kingston as Steward 1763. [Eg. 3597 f. 1]
- Sherwood Forest. Laws and ordinances, appointments of officials and copies of deeds rel. to, temp. Stephen (copy 18th cent.)-1771. [Eg. 3596 – 3598]
- Sherwood Forest. Petition to the King from J. Truman, Verderer, for an enquiry into the felling of trees late 17th cent. [Eg. 3348 f. 56]
- Sherwood Forest. Pleas in the Forest Court 1663-1675. [Eg.Ch. 5586 – 5590]
- Sherwood Forest. Seal of the Office of the Forest 1663-1675. [Eg.Ch. 5586 , Eg.Ch. 5589 , Eg.Ch. 5590]
- Papers relating to Sherwood Forest, consisting of copies and extracts from charters, patents, inquisitions, pleas of Sherwood Forest, etc., with law cases and correspondence. 16th-19th centuries. [Add. 24816 passim]
- Roll of the "Regard" of Sherwood Forest, 1393. [Add.Ch. 10659]
- Account of deer in Sherwood Forest 1687. [Add. 34769 f. 89]
- Appointment of the Duke of Newcastle as Steward of Sherwood Forest 1765. [Add. 33056 f. 102]
- Licence to assart in Sherwood Forest 1711 [Add. 34769 f.100]
- Notes relating to Sherwood Forest 17th cent. [Add. 34141 f. 14]
- Papers of the Duke of Newcastle, as Warden, relating to Sherwood Forest, 1701-1768. [Add. 33060]
- Presentments at an inquest of the Forest of Sherwood, circ. 1535. [Add. 33193]
- Records of Sherwood Forest, co. Nott., in English, including royal grants and ordinances, writs and pleas of the forest, boundaries, rents, etc., temp. Stephen-Edw. III. 15th cent. [Add. 36790]
- Writs and ordinances relating to Sherwood Forest, including an original letter on the Forest Laws from William Fleetwood, Recorder of London, dated 1582. ff. 314, 339., temp. Edw. I. Copies, 16th cent. [Stowe. 850]
- Documents rel. to commissioners appointed to survey Sherwood Forest 1656-1658 Partly printed [Add. 71599]
- Letters patent to Edward Baliol from Edward III rel. to grant of land to Beauvale Priory in Haye of Willeye in Greasley 1363 Lat Great Seal (imperf.)
Online catalogue for British Library manuscripts: explore.bl.uk
Manuscripts department, University of Nottingham
Include:
- Forest Books relating to Sherwood Forest, Nottinghamshire, c.1700-1744 , 1700-1744, [MS 72],
- Copy appointment of John Stanhope as custodian of the forests of Thornwood in Sherwood Forest, Nottinghamshire; 10 Dec. 1599, [Po 201] ,
- Claim of John Crofts relating to land in Woodborough within Sherwood Forest, Nottinghamshire; 25 Feb. 1663, [Po 202]
- Volume containing details of the Pleas of the Forests of Hatfield Chase and Galtres co. York and Sherwood, co. Nott , 1546 and 1563, [Pw V 75]
- A Warrant from Lord Treasurer [Earl of Southampton] for cutting down timber in Sherwood Forest for H. M. Navy, 6 April 1663; and a warrant from William Cavendish Marquis of Newcastle for the same purpose, 4 May 1663 [Pw 1/369-70]
Use the online catalogue for more information on these entries and to search for places within the Forest: