A History of the County of Gloucester: Volume 5, Bledisloe Hundred, St. Briavels Hundred, the Forest of Dean. Originally published by Victoria County History, London, 1996.
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'Wardens of the Forest and Constables of St. Briavels', in A History of the County of Gloucester: Volume 5, Bledisloe Hundred, St. Briavels Hundred, the Forest of Dean, (London, 1996) pp. 413-415. British History Online https://www.british-history.ac.uk/vch/glos/vol5/pp413-415 [accessed 19 April 2024]
WARDENS OF THE FOREST OF DEAN AND CONSTABLES OF ST. BRIAVELS
By 1207 the keepers or wardens (custodes) of the Forest under the Crown also had the style of constable of St. Briavels castle, the castle having probably remained with the custody of the Forest since 1139. During the 13th and 14th centuries the constable-wardens held at farm the castle, St. Briavels manor, Newland manor, and most of the profits of the Forest, but after the duke of Bedford's death in 1435 that estate was leased separately under the Crown, while the constablewardens received an annual fee paid out of the estate; between 1611 and 1810, however, the holders of the offices usually had (though by a separate patent) the lease of the estate. (fn. 1) Between 1660 and 1835, except for two short intervals, the holders were the lord lieutenants of the county.
It should be noted that deputies appointed by the holders to perform the offices in the Middle Ages were often styled, confusingly, 'constable' rather than, as later, 'deputy constable'.
From the 16th century the style 'keeper of the deer and woods' was used in the patents rather than 'warden', and the later holders sometimes affected the style of 'lord warden'.
In the following list appointments were during royal pleasure unless otherwise stated. When the year of appointment or departure from office is not known the years of occurrence in office are given in brackets. Some holders of the offices are, of course, unrecorded before 1200, as possibly are some afterwards.
| (1086) | William son of Norman (held 'Dean' manor by custody of the Forest) (fn. 2) |
| (1130) | Hugh, son of William son of Norman (fn. 3) |
| 1139-43 | Miles of Gloucester, earl of Hereford (held castle and Forest in fee) (fn. 4) |
| 1143-54/5 | Roger of Gloucester, earl of Hereford (as preceding) (fn. 5) |
| (1156)-7 | Niel son of Arthur (fn. 6) |
| 1157-64 | Roger of Powis (fn. 7) |
| 1164-(6) | William de Neville (fn. 8) |
| (1194-1206) | William Marshal, earl of Pembroke and lord of Striguil (fn. 9) |
| 1207-16 | Hugh de Neville (fn. 10) |
| 1216-24 | John of Monmouth, lord of Monmouth (fn. 11) |
| 1224 | Walter Asmeins (fn. 12) |
| 1224-(30) | Roger de Clifford (fn. 13) |
| 1231-2 | Gilbert Basset (fn. 14) |
| 1232-(3) | Peter des Rivaux (fn. 15) |
| 1234-(7) | Emery de St. Amand (fn. 16) |
| 1241- | Emery de Cancellis (fn. 17) |
| (1246)-7 | Richard de Clifford (fn. 18) |
| 1248-55 | Peter Chaceporc (fn. 19) |
| 1255 | James Fresel (fn. 20) |
| 1255-63 | Robert Walrond (two grants for terms of years) (fn. 21) |
| 1263 | Roger de Mortimer (fn. 22) |
| 1263-6 | John Giffard (fn. 23) |
| 1266 | castle and Forest granted to Edward, the king's son (fn. 24) |
| (late 1260s) | Thomas de Clare (fn. 25) |
| 1272-5 | William de Beauchamp, earl of Warwick (fn. 26) |
| 1275-81 | Ralph of Sandwich (fn. 27) |
| 1281-7 | Grimbald Pauncefoot (grant for years) (fn. 28) |
| 1287-91 | William Hathaway (fn. 29) |
| 1291-1308 | John Botetourt (fn. 30) |
| 1308-(9) | John de Handlo (fn. 31) |
| 1310-18 | John of Wyesham (grant for life 1311) (fn. 32) |
| 1318-(20) | Roger Damory (fn. 33) |
| 1321 | William de Beauchamp (fn. 34) |
| 1322 | Simon de Dryby (fn. 35) |
| 1322 | James de Broughton (fn. 36) |
| 1322-5 | Robert de Sapy (Hugh le Despenser the younger given superior custody 1322) (fn. 37) |
| 1325-6 | John de Mynors (fn. 38) |
| 1326 | John de Hardredshull (fn. 39) |
| 1327 | castle and Forest granted to Queen Isabella (fn. 40) |
| 1330-5 | Robert de Sapy (fn. 41) |
| 1335-90 | Guy Brian (grant for life 1341) (fn. 42) |
| 1390-7 | Thomas, duke of Gloucester (assumed to have held in right of grantof castle and Forest) (fn. 43) |
| 1397-9 | Thomas le Despenser, earl of Gloucester (as preceding) (fn. 44) |
| 1399 | Hugh Waterton (fn. 45) |
| 1399-1435 | John, duke of Bedford (in right of grant in fee of castle and Forest) (fn. 46) |
| 1435-(6) | Robert Greyndour (fn. 47) |
| 1436-(45) | John Mone (grant for life 1438) (fn. 48) |
| 1449- | John Ashurst (grant for life) (fn. 49) |
| 1461-(76) | James Hyett (grant for life) (fn. 50) |
| 1475- | Roger Hyett (grant with father Jas. in survivorship) (fn. 51) |
| 1478-?1483 | Anthony Woodville, Earl Rivers |
| 1478-(83) | Thomas Baynham |
| 1481- | Robert Poyntz |
| 1483- | Richard Williams(grants in survivorship made to Rivers and Baynham in 1478, to them and Poyntz in 1481, and during pleasure to Baynham and Williams in 1483) (fn. 52) |
| 1484- | Giles Bridges (grant for life) (fn. 53) |
| 1485-(90) | Robert Poyntz |
| 1485-(95) | Alexander Baynham (grant to them in survivorship) (fn. 54) |
| 1522- | Thomas ap Gwilliam |
| 1522-?1540 | Sir William Kingston |
| 1528-?1546 | George Baynham (later Sir George) (during pleasure to ap Gwilliam and Kingston 1522, and in survivorship to Kingston and Baynham 1528) (fn. 55) |
| 1546- | Richard Bream |
| 1546-70 | Sir William Herbert, later earl of Pembroke |
| 1549-1601 | Henry Herbert, later earl of Pembroke (grant in survivorship to Bream and Sir William 1546, and to Sir William and son Henry 1549) (fn. 56) |
| 1601-8 | Sir Edward Winter (grant for life, surrendered) (fn. 57) |
| 1608-30 | William Herbert, earl of Pembroke (fn. 58) |
| 1631-?1650 | Philip Herbert, earl of Pembroke (fn. 59) |
| 1650-4 | ? offices vacant (fn. 60) |
| 1654-(9) | Maj.-Gen. John Desborough, later Lord Desborough (fn. 61) |
| 1660-97 | Henry Somerset, Lord Herbert, later marquess of Worcester and duke of Beaufort (grant for life, forfeited) (fn. 62) |
| 1697-1710 | Charles Berkeley, Vct. Dursley, later earl of Berkeley (fn. 63) |
| 1711-36 | James Berkeley, earl of Berkeley; constable only 1712-14 (fn. 64) |
| 1712-14 | Thomas Thynne, Vct. Weymouth,warden only (fn. 65) |
| 1737-55 | Augustus Berkeley, earl of Berkeley (fn. 66) |
| 1755-8 | Matthew Ducie Moreton, Lord Ducie (fn. 67) |
| 1758-62 | John Thynne Howe, Lord Chedworth (fn. 68) |
| 1762-6 | Norborne Berkeley, later Lord Botetourt (fn. 69) |
| 1766-1810 | Frederick Augustus Berkeley, earl of Berkeley (fn. 70) |
| 1810-12 | offices vacant (fn. 71) |
| 1812-35 | Henry Charles Somerset, duke of Beaufort (fn. 72) |
In 1836 the office of constable was vested in the First Commissioner of H.M. Woods, Forests, and Land Revenues and the office of warden in the Commissioners in general. (fn. 73)