“Item, a Fesant kylled with the Goshawke.
“A notice, two Fesants and two Partridges killed with the hawks.”
As a rule, they are only referred to as being “brought in,” the bearer receiving a gratuity for his trouble.
| “Jany. 1536–7. Itm̃. geuen to Hunteyeoman of the pultry, bringing tohir gc̃e two qwicke (i.e. live) phesants | vijs̃. | vjd. |
| “Apl. 1537. Itm̃. geuen to Grene theptrich taker bringing a cowple ofPhesaunts to my lady’s grace | iijs̃. | ixd. |
| “Jan. 1537–8. Itm̃. geuen to my ladyCarow’s s’uñt bringing a qwickePhesaunt | ijs̃. | |
| “Jan. 1543–4. Itm̃. geuen to Hawkyn,s’uñte of Hertford bringing a phesantand ptriches[122] | iijs̃. | iiijd.” |
In a survey of the possessions of the Abbey of Glastonbury made in 1539, mention is made of a “game” of sixteen pheasants in the woods at Meare, a manor near Glastonbury belonging to the Abbey.
GAME-LAWS.
According to Fynes Morrison (“Itinerary,” 1617), there was in Ireland “such plenty of pheasants as I have known readie served at one feast.”
The value set upon pheasants and partridges at various periods, as shown by the laws fixing penalties for their destruction, seems to have fluctuated considerably.
By a statute passed in the eleventh year of the reign of Henry VII. it was forbidden “to take pheasants or partridges with engines in another’s ground without license in pain of ten pound, to be divided between the owner of the ground and the prosecutor.” By 23 Eliz. c. 10, “None should kill or take pheasants or partridges by night in pain of 20s. a pheasant, and 10s. a partridge, or one month’s imprisonment, and bound with sureties not to offend again in the like kind.” By 1 Jac. I. c. 27, “No person should kill or take any pheasant, partridge, (&c.), or take or destroy the eggs of pheasants, partridges, (&c.), in pain of 20s., or imprisonment for every fowl or egg, and to find sureties in £20 not to offend in the like kind.” Under the same statute, no person was permitted “to buy or sell any pheasant or partridge, upon pain to forfeit 20s. for every pheasant, and 10s. for every partridge.” By 7 Jac. I. c. 11, “every person having hawked at or destroyed any pheasant or partridge between the 1st of July and last of August, forfeited 40s. for every time so hawking, and 20s. for every pheasant or partridge so destroyed or taken.” Lords of manors and their servants
might take pheasants or partridges in their own grounds or precincts in the day-time between Michaelmas and Christmas. But every person of a mean condition having killed or taken any pheasant or partridge, forfeited 20s. for each one so killed, and had to find surety in £20 not to offend so again.
In some of these old statutes, however, it was expressly stated that although pheasants and partridges could not be killed by any one with impunity, no penalty should attach for killing such birds as crows, kites, and buzzards, as these were well known to be destructive to the game which the statutes were framed to protect.