Whittlewood Forest. 



The Forest of Whittlewood is situated on the borders of the counties 

 of Northampton, Oxford, and Buckingham, and comprehends within 

 its ancient bounds a considerable territory extending into those three 

 counties. This forest, as well as that of Salcey, is part of the honour 

 of Grafton, and there were various perambulations made of it in the 

 reigns of Henry III. and Edward I. Another was made during 

 the reign of Charles I,, extending the bounds of it far beyond the 

 former limits, but the Act of 16 th, Charles I., restricted it again to 

 the old limits of James I. Indeed, these arbitrary extensions of 

 forests beyond the old limits, and their subsequent confinement to 

 such area, may be taken as indicative of the temper both of king 

 and parliament, and which led to the civil war by an aggregate of 

 such encroachments on the liberty of the subject and a substitution of 

 the royal will. The coppices were cut in rotation at twenty-one years 

 growth ; and after being enclosed for nine years from the time of each 

 cutting of the underwood, then thrown open to the deer and cattle 

 for the remaining twelve years, excepting Shrobb Walk, which was 

 not subjected to any rights of common. The cattle allowed to de- 

 pasture in the forest were horned cattle and horses only ; no sheep 

 or swine were admitted. The officers were a lord warden, or 

 master forester a lieutenant or deputy-warden, two verderers, a wood- 

 ward, a purlieu ranger, five keepers, and six page keepers, besides the 

 surveyor general of the woods and forests. 



In 1608 the number and value of the trees in the Forest of 

 Whittlewood is stated to be as follows : — Oak timber trees 50,0-46, 

 value £25,755 ; decaying trees 360, value £123 6s. 8d. The number 

 of loads of timber is not stated in this survey, but the account of the 

 value of the trees enables ns in some degree to supply that deficit. 

 The common price of oak timber at that period was about 10s. per load* 

 The 50,046 trees, then, valued at £25,755, must have contained, 

 one with another, about a load of timber each, and making reason- 

 able allowances for the tops and branches of the trees, there must 

 have been in the forest from 40,000 to 50,000 loads of timber, girt 

 price, or from 60,000 to 75,000 loads, square measure. 



The quantity of naval timber felled from 1772 to 1786, inclusive 



