EARLY ENGLISH FOREST REGULATIONS 533 



clearing, build no houses nor sheds, nor forges, nor burn charcoal, 

 without the King's permit, for fear of disturbing the deer. To look 

 after such work the woodwards existed. Their symbol was a small 

 hatchet or bill-book. Later there was a chief woodward, who was 

 called the axe-bearer. 



Agisters were officers chiefly concerned with the collection of money 

 (fiscal agents) for the agistment or feeding of cattle, hogs and sheep; 

 though the use of the forests by sheep was much restricted, and goats 

 were rarely allowed within a forest. The agisters reported to the 

 verderers cases of agistment and of escapes of animals into the forest 

 (trespass). 



Rangers were not heard of until the end of the Fourteenth Centurv. 

 Their duties were originally confined to seeing that the forest law was 

 duly observed in the outlands or purlieus of the forests. Their office 

 later corresponded somewhat to that of the mounted foresters, and 

 from this old use is probably derived our modern conception of the 

 word. 



Regarders. These officers were responsible for the regard or survey 

 of the forest. Not less than twelve could make a certificate of their 

 "view." When making the review the foresters and woodwards were 

 required to be present with the regarders. 



Parkers. This was another class of officers, keepers of the parks. 

 They not infrequently had under them palers, palesters, or palifers, 

 who were permanently employed to maintain the pale fences of the 

 parks. 



The forest force on certain forests was quite large. Sherwood 

 Forest, which was some 25 miles long by about 10 miles wide, had. in 

 1538, the Earl of Rutland as keeper of the game. Sir John Byron as 

 keeper of Bestwood Park and forester of Thornley, and eleven other 

 foresters, thirty-five woodwards, fourteen regarders, three verderers, 

 or a lotal of sixty-five officers. 



The position of forester was ever an honorable one. The forester 

 in England was in those days, and on the Continent of Europe is still, 

 a man of some importance and standing. About the center of Sher- 

 wood Forest, at Blidworth Church, is a monument or mural tablet to 

 the memory of a local Elizabethan worthy, Thomas Leake, who was 

 forest ranger of Blidworth district. Around the margin of the tablet 

 are a number of curious hunting trophies, long-bows, cross-bows, horn, 

 h.ounds, etc. The epitaph is interesting: 



