The Staghound most likely developed from Southern Hounds, which were themselves developed from Talbot Hounds and Norman Hounds introduced into England by the Normans in the 11th century after their conquest of the country. As seen from the Norman Forest laws, in Medieval England the hunting of red deer, or stag, was the exclusive domain of the monarch and their favourites, and the Staghound was developed to hunt the stag in packs, becoming an important dog breed in England. From at least the reign of Henry III (1216–1272), different hounds were maintained in England for hunting different deer species, with the Staghound kept to hunt stag, and the smaller Buckhound kept to hunt fallow deer or buck.