Legal Definitions - assisa forestae

The term assisa forestae, also known as Assize of the Forest, refers to a set of royal ordinances or decrees issued by medieval English kings to govern the administration, protection, and use of their royal forests. These laws were crucial for preserving the king's hunting grounds, timber resources, and other valuable assets within designated forest areas. They established strict rules regarding hunting, felling trees, grazing livestock, and other activities, often imposing severe penalties for violations.

Here are some examples illustrating how the assisa forestae would have applied:

• Example 1: Poaching in a Royal Forest
  Imagine a commoner in the 13th century, desperate for food, sets a snare to catch a rabbit within the boundaries of the King's Sherwood Forest. If caught by a forest warden, this individual would be prosecuted under the assisa forestae. These royal ordinances strictly prohibited unauthorized hunting of any game within the royal forests, reserving such activities for the monarch and those with royal permission. The penalties could range from fines to imprisonment, or even more severe punishments, depending on the specific decree and the severity of the offense.

• Example 2: Unauthorized Timber Felling
  Consider a village carpenter living near a royal forest who decides to cut down several oak trees to build a new barn, believing the forest to be an open resource. However, the land falls within an area designated by the assisa forestae. This act would constitute a serious offense, as the royal ordinances meticulously controlled the felling of timber, which was a valuable resource for shipbuilding, construction, and fuel for the Crown. The carpenter would face legal action and potential forfeiture of his tools and timber, as the laws were designed to protect the king's proprietary rights over the forest's resources.

• Example 3: Grazing Livestock Without Permission
  Suppose a local farmer allows his herd of pigs to forage for acorns within a section of a royal forest that was not designated for common grazing rights. A forest official discovers the pigs and traces them back to the farmer. The farmer would be found in violation of the assisa forestae. These ordinances often specified which areas, if any, could be used for common grazing and under what conditions, to prevent overgrazing and ensure the forest's health and the availability of food for the king's deer. The farmer would likely face fines or impoundment of his livestock until a penalty was paid, demonstrating the strict control the Crown exercised over all activities within its forest domains.