MANSFIELD, (Nottinghamshire) 106 cm. 136 mm. from London, was anciently a royal demesne, whose Ch. and the estate bel. to it, K.
Will. Rufus gave to St. Mary's Ch. at Lincoln. K. Stephen granted this T. to Ranulph Earl of Chester. It afterwards came
to the family of Hastings. K. Hen. III. granted it a Mt. on M. (since changed to Th.) and the privilege of having housbote
and haybote out of his forest of Sherwood. Sir Rich. de la Vache held it in the R. of Edward III. but Rich. II. committed
the custody of this manor to Sir John de Burle, and granted it a Fair June 29, and it has another on May 29. In the R. of
Henry VI. this manor was in the possession of the widow of Sir Tho. Dagworth; but soon after it was vested in the crown,
when that King granted it to the Earls of Richmond and Pembroke. King Henry VIII. settled it on Thomas Howard D. of
Norfolk; but afterwards gave him other lands in exchange for it; and now it is the inheritance of the D. of Newcastle, to
whom it gives title of Visc. Our Ks. formerly retired to this T. for their pleasure to hunt in Sherwood-Forest. In 1304
this T. was burnt down, with part of its Ch. By an ancient custom of this manor the heirs were declared of age as soon as
born. It is now a large well-built T. and drives a great trade in malt. Its Mt. is well stock'd with corn, cattle, &c. The
late Sir John Digby resided here, and had Sir Rob. Plumpton's estate, which he held in Mansfield-Woodhouse, called
Wolfhunt-Land, by the service of winding a horn, and driving or frighting the wolves in the forest of Sherwood. Here is a
ch. sc. for 36 boys.