Social restrictions on hunting, 1390
Catalogue reference: C 65/49, m. 1

Item prient les Communes que come artificiers et laborers cest assavoir bochers, suours, taillours et autres garcons tiegnent leverers et autres chiens et a temps que bones Cristiens es jours de festes sont as esglises oiantz lour divines services vont enchaceantz en parks conyers et garennes des seigneurs et autres et les destruont outrement: Et issint ils sont lour assemblees a tielx temps pur faire lour entreparlance covynes et conspiracies pur faire insurrections et desobeiance envers votre majestie et leys souz colour de tiele manere de chacer: Qe plese ordeiner en cest present parlement que null maner artificer ne laborer ne null autre que nad terres et tenementz ad value de quarrant souldz par an ne null prestre ne clerc sil ne soit avance de dis livers ne teigne null leverer nature chien sil ne soit lie outrahe feuste ou qil soit espelotte sur peyne demprisonement par un an. Et que chescun justice de pees eit poair den querre et punir chescun contrevenant
Le Roy le voet: ajouste a ycelle leeces et furettes haies rees hare-pipes cordes et toutz autres engines pur prendre ou destruire savagyne leveres ou conylles ou autre deduit des gentils

Translation

Item pray the Commons that whereas artificers and labourers, that is to say, butchers, shoemakers, tailors and other low persons, keep greyhounds and other dogs and at times when good Christians on holy days are at church hearing divine service, go hunting in parks, rabbit-runs and warrens of lords and others, and destroy them entirely; and so they assemble at such times to hold discussions and make plots and conspiracies, to make insurrections and disobedience to your majesty and your laws, under colour of such manner of hunting.

May it please you to ordain in this present parliament that any kind of artificer or labourer or any other who lacks ands and tenements to the value of 40s a year, or any priest or clerk if he has not preferment worth £10 shall not keep any greyhound or any other dogs, if they are not fastened up or leashed, or have had their claws cut, on pain of imprisonment for a year. And that every justice of the peace shall have power to enquire and punish every contravention.

Reply:

The king consents, adding this: hounds and ferrets, hays, nets, hair-pipes, cords and all other devices to take or destroy beasts of the forest, hares or rabbits or other sport of gentlefolk.