The Sporting Dictionary, and Rural Repository, Volume 1 (of 2) / Of General Information upon Every Subject Appertaining to the Sports of the Field

by William Taplin

DRIFT

—is the act of driving A COMMON. This ceremony takes place once, twice, or thrice, a year, (according to the custom of the place,) to insure and continue the privilege of the Lord of the Manor, as well as to preserve the rights of the parishioners. The cattle upon the COMMONS and WASTES being all driven to some particular spot, are there examined, and their owners ascertained: those belonging to parishioners (or such as have right of common) are immediately liberated, and return to their old lair: others, the property of ALIENS, are impounded, and the owner is fined such reasonable sum as may be thought equitable by the BAILIFF of the MANOR. No owner being found, the object (whatever it be) is called an estray, which being cried three times in the nearest market-towns, and not claimed within twelve months and a day, it then becomes the property of the LORD of the MANOR.