recorded cases) due to the reclamation of land hitherto waste in flood or
forest.

On the death of King Edward in 1066 the royal demesnes naturally passed
to his successor and kinsman, William the Conqueror, and in due course to
the successive Norman kings of his line.

The connection of Horncastle with the sovereign is shown in various ways.
Documents relating to the earlier kings are naturally rare, since for
many years law courts were hardly yet established, the royal power being
rather that of "might" than of "right." {13c} Even the sale, or
devising, of property could only be legally effected by the king's
licence. Among the Carlisle papers connected with Horncastle is one
which shows that a matter which in modern times would be settled by the
parish overseers, or more recently by the Urban Council, was to be
formerly carried out only by the royal sanction. There is a Patent Roll
of the 13th year of King Richard II. (pt. 1, m. 3) entitled "Concerning
the paving of Horncastre," and running as follows:--"The King to the
Bailiff and proved men of the vill of Horncastre, greeting. Know, that
in aid of paving your said vill, of our special grace we have granted to
you, that from the day of the making of these presents to the end of 3
years, you may take, for things coming to the said vill for sale, the
customs underwritten." Then follows a long list of articles for sale, of
which we can only specify a few here, viz.: "For every horse load of
corn, 0.25d., for every dole of wine, 2d.; for every pipe of ditto, 1s.;
for every hide, fresh, salt, or tanned, 0.25d.; for 100 skins of roebucks
(it seems that there were wild deer in those days), hares, rabbits,
foxes, or squirrels, 0.5d.; for every horse load of cloth, 0.5d.; for
every cloth of worstede, called 'coverlyt,' value 40s., 1d.; for every
100 of linen web of Aylesham, 1d.; for every chief of strong cendal
(silk) 1d.; for 100 mullets, salt or dry, 1d.; for every cart of fish,
1d.; for every horse load of sea fish, 0.25d.; for every salmon, 0.25d.;
for every last of herrings (12 barrels), 6d.; for every horse load of
honey, 1d.; for every wey of tallow (256 lbs.), 1d.; for every milstone,
0.5d.; for 1,000 turfs, 0.25d. For every other kind of merchandise not
here specified, of value 5s. and over, 0.25d.; and the term of 3 years
being ended, the said customs shall cease. Witness the King, at
Westminster, 9 Nov., 1389."

Truly the kingly government was a paterna