532 JOURNAL OF FORESTRY 



and even with the same forest at different periods. The office was 

 often hereditary, even being held by women. Writs relative to the 

 administration of the forest business were addressed to this chief or 

 master forester. He presided personally or through his deputy at local 

 forest courts. The position had considerable perquisites and privileges, 

 and the holder was allowed to distribute a certain amount of venison 

 to the country gentlemen of the district without a direct warrant. For 

 each forest officer there was a symbol, representative of the authority 

 of his office. The symbol of the master forester was a bow, while that 

 of an ordinary forester was a horn (compare this with the horn used 

 by French foresters on their uniforms). 



Foresters were officers sworn to preserve the vert (timber) and veni- 

 son in their districts. They could attach (arrest without warrant) 

 offenders. They had certain rights of pasturage and pannage. They 

 were paid on a per diem system, for seven working days per week, for 

 365 days per year. In 1483 the wage was 4 cents per day. In earlier 

 days foresters appeared to have been quartered in whole or in part on 

 the tenants of the forest. These perquisites were called puture. One 

 forester in the Year Book of Edward III claimed food and drink at 

 the Abbot's table (of St. Mary's, York) every Friday; also the right 

 to carry away, whenever he pleased, a flagon of the best ale, two tallow 

 candles, a bushel of oats for his horse and a loaf of black bread for his 

 dog. 



General forester. There were also general or itinerant foresters for 

 a whole area, who had a higher rate of pay than a local forester. These 

 general foresters were mounted, and hence were frequently called the 

 riding foresters. 



Verderers. These were forest officers directly responsible to the 

 crown, although they were elected by the free-holders in the county 

 courts on writ addressed to the sheriffs. They were elected for life, 

 but could be removed for incapacity or for lack of due property qualifi- 

 cation. They were men of position and were frequently knights. 

 There was no salary with the position and perquisites were the excep- 

 tion. Their number varied greatly; the smallest forests having only 

 two, while Sherwood Forest had six. Their duties were to attend all 

 forest courts, decide minor trespass cases, etc. The symbol of their 

 office was an axe. 



Woodivards were officers primarily responsible for the actual timber 

 or vert. On some forests at different periods they were also respon- 

 sible for the ?ame. Owners of lands within the forest could do no 



