That any man going along the king’s highway, through a forest, with a bow, shall bear it without string; or with dogs, he shall have them coupled, and his greyhounds “knytted in a leash.” That if any damage be done to the king’s vert or venison, or waste, of which no rational account can be given, the foresters, or verderers, under whose care the said charges have been, shall be taken, and no satisfaction but their own bodies shall be received till the king, or his justice, have had their will of them. Yet, so early as Henry II., it was found that all these strict provisions being insufficient to prevent waste of the woods, and “extreme minishing of the deere,” the office of regarder was established. The regarders were originally to be knights, but “other good people” were afterwards admitted. They were to be chosen by the king’s writ, and there were to be twelve in each forest. The foresters and verderers were gentlemen: the former appointed by the king’s letters-patent; the latter by writ in full county, like our present members of parliament; yet were the regarders set as inspectors over them. They were to go through every part of the forest, accompanied by the foresters, verderers, woodwards, bailiffs, and beadles, and examine into the state of vert and venison; comparing them with the reports of their predecessors, and seeing that no waste, or embezzlement, or improper, or superabundant agistment was made; that no assarts, or purprestures[21] were attempted. This, however, they could not do when they pleased. They were summoned by writ, once in three years, preparatory to the coming of the justice to hold his pleas, to whom they were to deliver their roll, duly signed and sealed.

[21] Encroachments and obstructions of several kinds, such as impediments in the highways, turning dykes, building swine-cotes, mills, etc.

Queen Elizabeth, who found that, during the minority of her brother Edward and the troubled reign of her sister Mary, great waste, destruction, and embezzlement had taken place, made repeated inquests into the state of the forests by her commissioners, and had general surveys and valuations made. She descends in her assizes to the very bees, which it seems built then abundantly in our woods, as they do in the American forests now—the old, hollow oaks, being very storehouses of honey. Hawks, herons, the nests of hawks, and every species of beast that had been held the legitimate denizens of forests by her predecessors, as stags, bucks, hares, badgers, foxes, and even cats and squirrels, are enumerated.

These forest laws continued till the Commonwealth. One court of justice was held after the Restoration; but after the Revolution of 1688, they fell into desuetude, and now all offences against the forests are cognizable by the common laws of the land.

For the fullest information on this subject, see Cowel, Heskett, Coke, and Blackstone; or Manwood on Forest Laws.

The English Forests were formerly as follows:

1.Aiden, Northumberland.
2.Allerdale, Cumberland.
3.Amsty, Yorkshire.
4.Arden, Warwick.
5.Ashdown, Sussex.
6.Bere, Hants.
7.Bernwood, Bucks.
8.Beverley, York.
9.Blakemore, or Forest of Watchet, Dorset.
10.Braden, Wilts.
11.Charnwood, Leicester.
12.Cheviot, Northumberland.
13.Chute, Hants.
14.Clun.
15.Cors.
16.Dartmoor, Devon.
17.Darval, Hereford.
18.Dean, Gloucester.
19.Deeping, Lincoln.
20.Delamere, Cheshire.
21.Epping, Essex.
22.Exmore, Devon.
23.Feckenham, Worcester.
24.Gillingham, Somerset.
25.Gáltres, York.
26.Hainault, Essex.
27.Hampton Court, Middlesex.
28.Hardwicke, York.
29.Hartlebury.
30.Huckestow, Shropshire.
31.Inglewood, Cumberland.
32.Kingswood, Gloucester.
33.Knaresborough, York.
34.Langden, Durham.
35.Leonard.
36.Lee.
37.Leicester, Leicester.
38.Mendip, Somerset.
39.Malvern, Worcester.
40.Martindale, Cumberland.
41.Maxwell, Cheshire.
42.Needwood, Stafford.
43.New Forest, Hants.
44.Pamber, Hants.
45.Peak, Derbyshire.
46.Penrise.
47.Perbroke, Dorset.
48.Rath.
49.Riddlesdale, Northumberland.
50.Rockingham, Northampton.
51.Rychiche, Somerset.
52.Salcey, Northampton.
53.Savornac, Wilts.
The only forest in possession of a subject.
54.Selwood, Somerset.
55.Sherwood, Nottingham.
56.Staines, Middlesex.
57.Teesdale, Durham.
58.Waltham, Essex.
59.Whittlebury, Northampton.
60.Wichwood, Oxford.
61.Wencedale.
62.Westbere.
63.Windsor, Berks.
64.Whinfield, Westmorland.
65.Wirrol, Cheshire.
66.Whitby, Yorkshire.
67.Woolmer.
68.Wyre, Worcester.
69.Wrokene, Salop.

Of these, most are now dis-afforested, and have left only their names. Those which remain are under the management of a board of commissioners; the chief of whom is, by virtue of his office, always one of the ministers of the Crown. Needwood is principally inclosed, leaving, however, a portion belonging to the crown, and one lodge. It had formerly four wards and four keepers, with each a handsome lodge, now in the hands of different private gentlemen. In Elizabeth’s reign it was about 24 miles in circumference, and in 1658 it contained 9220 acres of land. In 1684 it contained 47,150 trees, and 10,000 cord of hollies and underwood, valued at 30,710l. It and Bagot’s Park, formerly part of it, still contain some of the largest oaks in England. Windsor is the Royal Park, and the most complete and splendid example of a park in the world.—Of New Forest, and Sherwood, I propose to speak more particularly.