THE EPPING HUNT. 33 



from Stratford to Waltham Holy Cross ; claiming, at the same time, 

 that Matilda, wife of Henry I., built the bridge at Stratford " with 

 the object of facilitating the access of the citizens of London to the 

 great Forest of Essex, for the enjoyment of their usual recreation ot 

 hunting there." This imaginative little gambol forms a tail-piece to 

 the grave citations from public records. 



The City's own records are next laid under contribution, and the 

 earliest references to its rights of chase appear to occur during the 

 latter half of the fifteenth century.^ An extract from its Journal 

 (vi., fo. 2ioa) sets forth a dispute between the City and the Abbot of 

 Stratford, who had forbidden " the Common Hunt " {cnnimioii 

 Venatori) to hunt upon his lands there. A little later on, the Abbot 

 appeared personally and excused himself ; and one John Danyelle, 

 the actual offender, "threw himself upon and submitted himself to 

 the g[race]. . . ." In 1465, two citizens lately " indicted for 

 venison," taken by them in the Forest of Waltham, were to be de- 

 fended at law at the City's expense.' 



The entries, so far as the Forest is concerned, here come to an 

 end. The next in date is one of 150 1, when the Common Hunt is 

 directed " to burn wood in seething of his hounds' meat at More- 

 gate""; and the next is from a Journal of 13 Henry VHL, which 

 gives the oath taken by a recently-elected "Common Hunt," but, 

 though it mentions Surrey, Middlesex, and Chiltern, it is silent as to 

 Essex. Suadry details with regard to the officer known as the 

 Common Hunt are found in an extract dated 1558,' when two men 

 were appointed in his room ; both had " meate and drynke " in the 

 Lord Mayor's house, 4s. wages, and one livery gown out of the 

 Chamber, for so long as they held office. It was also ordered 

 :hat, putting away some of their worst hounds, they should thence- 

 orth keep but four couples of harriers and four couples of otter- 

 lounds -the latter they were "to provide with spede." Subsequent 

 entries in various books relate to the feeding and housing of the 

 lounds, and, during Elizabeth's reign, " a kennell of spaniels " was 

 idded, with a couple of hawks. In 1598 we find the Mayor and 

 :)ther members of the Corporation hunting " at Havering and other 

 )laces in the Forest of Waltham.'"^ And here, again, a marginal 



4 38 Henry VI. (a.d. 1460). 



5 There are earlier entries on the Forest Rolls of the presentment of citizens for killing deer 

 1 Waltham Forest— f.o-., Forest Roll— Chapter House : Box 2, No. 3, m. 20 [17 Edward II. ]. 



6 '■ Repertorj'," i , fo. 70. 



7 " Repertory," xiv., fo. 3. 



S "Repertor)-," xxiv., fo 278B. 



D 



