IVhicJiaKHid Forest. 343 



purchase by tho Dulve of jMaiiborougli, wlien Lord Hyde, from whom 

 it was purchased, preferred a luemorial to the Treasury, claiming a 

 still further sum of £21 os. Idd., and this claim was made by virtue 

 of the grant to Lord Clarendon in 16G1. Perhaps the claim was just, 

 and it would occupy too much space to enter into the merits of the 

 question, but investigations into the history of English forests are 

 sadly apt to shake one's faith. At any rate, the Lords of the Treasury 

 gave directions for paying what should appear to be due to Lord 

 Hyde, only Lord Hyde and the Duke of jMarlborough appear by an 

 inadvertence of the auditor to have received as follows, M'hich was 

 not owing :— 



£ s, d. 



Lord Hyde 1,916 5 



Duke of :\rarlborough ... 862 G 3 



£2,778 U 3 



It is said advisedly that perhaps the claim was just, for under the 

 then slipshod system of dealing with English forests it may be quite 

 possible that a far larger sum was owing by the Crown. But all these 

 statistics have the demerit of sameness, and for that reason are 

 curtailed. It is far more interesting to know that in the years 1778 

 and 1790 there were sent to Deptford Dockyard from this forest 

 105 loads and 34 feet of naval timber, the produce of which, at the 

 customary rate of 38s. per load paid by the Navy Board for the King's 

 timber, together with the lops, tops, and bark, amounted to £376 10s. 2d., 

 and during the same period that scrubbed and unthrifty timber 

 was sold for £233 13s. 2d., making a total (modest enough) of 

 £610 3s. 4d. 



There is no earlier survey of the forest than that of 1783, when in 

 the coppices there were 8,300 trees, containing 945 loads, and in the 

 open forest 18,232 trees, containing 1,677 loads. The next survey, in 

 1780 and 1790, distinguishes betv.'een the different kinds of trees, and 

 is as follows : — 



Fit for the ISTavy 

 Improving, from 20 to 30 ) 

 years' growth and up j 

 Saplings under 20 years 

 Not improving ... 

 I'irewood 



9,520 — 3 8,074 2,072 37 



