110 J. E. HAETING — HEETFOEDSHISE DEER-PARKS. 



Proceeding to the south-east of the county, we come to Bedwell,* 

 near Berkhampstead Parva, where Saxton indicates the former site 

 of a park, and to the south-east of this 



PuNSBUEXE,! also marked as a park by Saxton, but not mentioned 

 by Chauncy. 



Hertingfoedbhry is referred to by Cussans ('Hertford Hundred,' 

 p. 104) as having been well stocked with deer, and capable of 

 maintaining one hundred and fifty, but I believe there are none in 

 this park at the present time. 



The last of which I have been able to find any record was at 

 RoxroRD.]: Here there was formerly a small park well stored with 

 timber, about a mile in compass, formerly parcel of the revenue of 

 the Castle of Hertford, until conveyed by Charles the First to 

 William Earl of Salisbury. 



These statistics may appear somewhat dry ; but if they contribute 

 towards a better knowledge of the county in which under the 

 auspices of this Society we are all so happily working, the labour 

 bestowed in collecting them will not have been in vain. As a 

 matter of fact, they lead us to infer that out of about forty 

 deer-parks once existing in Hertfordshire, not more than ten 

 are now maintained. It shows what changes must have taken 

 place in the aspect of the county even in so comparatively short a 

 period as that which has elapsed since Queen Elizabeth visited 

 Hunsdon, and King James hunted the deer at Theobalds. 



In the case of many disparked manors it is extremely difl3.cult at 

 the present day to obtain information ; the brief notices given by 

 topographers and county historians not being directed as a rule to 

 the subject of the present inquiry. 



It should be stated that, with a view to ensure accuracy in the 

 above-given statistics of acreage, number of deer, remarkable trees, 

 etc., I addi'essed a circular to every owner of a park in the county, 

 begging the favour of replies to a short series of questions on these 

 points, and I take this opportunity of tendering my thanks to those 

 who have courteously responded to my enquiries. Should any 

 inaccuracies be discovered or omissions noted in the particulars 

 given, it is to be understood that in such cases the owners have not 

 enabled me to attain that precision which I desired. 



I offer, then, these fragmentary remarks in the hope that other 

 members of this Society will be able to add to them, and so eventu- 

 ally to place us in possession of more thorough information con- 

 cerning a county in which we all take such special interest. 



« Saxton, S.E. ; Cussans, ' Hertford,' p. 157. t Saxton, S.E. 



X Chauncy, p. 272 ; Cussans, 'Hertford,' p. 103. 



