534 JOURNAL OF FORESTRY 



Here rests T. Leake, whose virtues were so well knowne 



In all these parts that this engraved stone 



Needs naught relate but his untimely end, 



Which was in single fight, whylst youth did lend 



His ayde to valor, hee wt. ease oerpast 



Many slyght dangers, greater than this last; 



But wilfulle fate in these things governs all, 



Hee towld out threescore years before his fall, 



Most of wh. tyme hee wasted in this wood 



Much of his wealth, and last of all his blood. 



Febr. 4, 1608. 



In many English churchyards may be found tombstones in the form 

 of foresters' slabs, with carved thereon the symbol of the deceased's 

 rank, whether master forester, verderer, woodward or regarder. Cox's 

 book gives many illustrations of these slabs.'' 



Administration. There was on most forests a pretty well defined 

 organization, with the forest divided into districts or compartments, 

 each in charge of an officer. Thus Dartmoor Forest was divided into 

 four quarters or wards or districts. These districts were known as 

 North, South, East, and West, and accounts for each district were 

 kept separate. For the years 1354-55 there are some interesting records 

 of the business on three of the four districts of Dartmoor, as follows : 



Ea^t district had 2,641 cattle and 198 horses grazing under permit. 

 There were five permits to peat-cutters. The total receipts were 

 $165.05. 



West district had 1,408 cattle and 37 horses, and 23 folds and 12 

 peat-cutters, with receipts of $48.70. 



North district carried 298 cattle and 163 horses, 14 folds and 31 peat- 

 cutters. 



Ralph Houle w^as the agister for Dartmoor Forest in 1370-71, and his 

 accounts show some interesting statistical data — the Annual Statistical 

 Report for Dartmoor Forest. For the East district this year the records 

 show 2,762 cattle permitted on the forest and 1,762 outside, or under 

 what we would call an "on and ofif permit." For the West district 

 there were 952 cattle and 12 horses permitted, while there were 38 men 

 who paid on folds and 13 who cut peat on the forest. These with 

 $3.97 paid for rents made the total receipts of $47.41. Not a heavy 

 revenue-producing forest, but when the disbursements are noted, the 

 forest was apparently self-supporting. Among the disbursements for 



^ These old foresters' slabs offer excellent suggestions for designs for book- 

 plates for a forester. 



