Forest Officers and their Duties. 



The origin of" the laws and regulations of forests seems to be in- 

 volved in equal obscurity with that of the forests themselves ; but if 

 we except the Justices in Eyre, there was no officer who had any 

 general superintendence of the forests before the reign of Henry VIII. 

 But in each forest there was a distinct set of officers, viz. : — 



1st. Yerderers, or judges of the Swainmote Court, and directors of 

 all the other officers in the forest. There were usually four in every 

 forest. 



2nd, liegarders, who were to go through the whole forest, and make 

 their regard every third year; to inquire of all offences in the forest, 

 and survey all " assarts, wastes, and purprestures." There should be 

 twelve regarders in every forest. 



3rd. Foresters, whose duty it was to preserve the vert and venison 

 in the forest, to attack offenders, and present offences at the forest 

 court. The number was determined by the occasion for them in each 

 forest, according to the discretion of the regarders. 



4th. Agistors, whose office was to receive and account for the 

 agistment or profit arising from the herbage or pannage of the king's 

 woods and lands in the forests. The full complement was four to each 

 forest. 



5th. Woodwards, whose charge was to look after the woods, and 

 to present offences therein at the forest courts. Their number does 

 not seem to have been determined. 



Gth. A steward whose duty it was to attend the courts of Swain- 

 mote, and assist the verderer, or judge. Besides these officers 

 there Avere usually a Lord Warden, lieutenant, or master forester 

 appointed by the king in each forest, and probably other officers, 

 according to local custom. There were three courts appertaining 

 to the forest, namely, the Court of Attachment or Woodmote, 

 the Court of Swainmote, and the Justice Seat, or Court of the 

 Chief Justice in Eyre. The first two of these courts were com- 

 posed of the officers in each forest. The Court of Attachment or 

 Woodmote was expected to be held every forty days, every officer in 

 the forest attending. This court was to inquire into all offences of 

 every kind done in the forest, and to present them at the Swainmote 



