of 800 deer of all sorts at any one time;” intimating that during the Civil War, and the period of the Commonwealth, that kingly pastime had been discontinued. The same Act directs that “the owners, tenants, &c., of any of the several lands lying within the bounds of the Forest may keep any sort of dogs inexpediated to hunt and kill any beast of chase or other game,” except during “the fence month,” and “the time of the winter heyning, viz. from the 11th of November to the 23rd of April,” when all rights of common were to be in abeyance.
Charles Edwin, Esq., “Chief Forester in Fee and Bowbearer,” in 1787, stated to the Commissioners that he claimed by virtue of his office to be entitled to the right shoulder of all bucks and does killed within the Forest, and also to ten fee bucks and ten fee does, annually to be there killed and taken at his own free will and pleasure, with licence to hawk, hunt, fish, and fowl within the Forest.” As bowbearer, it was his duty “to attend His Majesty with a bow and arrow, and six men clothed in green, whenever His Majesty shall be pleased to hunt within the said Forest.” Edmund Probyn, Esq., one of the Verderers of the Forest, stated at the same time, that the number of bucks and does which it contained could not be ascertained; but it was much understocked, so that the warrants were sometimes sent back unexecuted.” Until the deer were removed, each of the four verderers was entitled to a buck and a doe every year.
“When I first remember the Forest,” Mr. Machen remarks, in his private papers, “now 65 years since,
the deer were very numerous. I recollect my father taking me up to the Buckholt in an evening for the purpose of showing them to me, and we never failed of seeing several:” this was about 1790. “From that time for 20 years, in consequence of the decrease of the covert and the increase of poachers, they rapidly diminished, until in 1810, when I do not believe there were ten in the whole Forest. At this period the enclosures were made for the preservation of timber, and woodmen appointed to the care of them; the few deer that were left were protected, and as the young trees grew up so as to afford them shelter, they rapidly increased, and in thirty years, viz. in 1840, I should think there were not less than 800 or 1000 deer in the Forest.”
“The red deer were introduced in 1842 by Mr. Herring, who brought down on 24th February, from Woburn, two stags and four hinds. They were in fine condition, and were turned loose in Russell’s Enclosure, one mile from the Speech-house.” Mr. Machen further notes as follows:
“October, 1842.—Two of the hinds have calves with them.”
“October 20th.—One of the stags was hunted from Trippenkennet, in Herefordshire, and swam the Wye three times: the hounds brought him into Nag’s Head Enclosure.”
“July, 1844.—Two stags, three hinds, and a calf are now in Park Hill Enclosure, and are frequently seen in the meadow in front of Whitemead. One old stag is at Edge Hills. A hind is sometimes seen in the Highmeadow Woods, and it is known that one was killed there.”
“October.—A young hind was sent down, and turned out in Haywood Enclosure.”