78 A HISTORY OF PEAK FOREST. 



(/) To certify his enrolments to the Justices of the Forests 

 at their next general sessions or " Eyre." 



There were usually four Verderers in every Royal Forest, and 

 they were the Judges in the court of Swanimote, and directors 

 of all the other officers of the forest in their course. 



A Forester is an officer sworn to preserve the vert and 

 venison in the forest, and to attend upon the wild beasts within 

 his bailiwick, and to attach offenders there, and to present the 

 same at the forest courts that they may be punished according 

 to their offences. He is appointed by Letters Patent under the 

 Great Seal. Some of them have their officers in Fee, paying 

 to the crown a Fee farm rent for the same. A man may be 

 a Forester in Fee in right of his wife. Some have their office 

 for life, and some only durante beneplacifo. 



A servant to a Forester is properly a Walker or Under- 

 Keeper. 



The duty of a Forester is to preserve, watch, attach, and 

 present. 



He must preserve vert and venison and the coverts frequented 

 by beasts of the chase. 



He must take care that the deer have food in winter — if 

 necessary, he may lop trees in another man's land for browse. 



He must diligently look after the deer in the fence-mouth, 

 and preserve the young fawns. 



He may not hunt himself or kill a deer without lawful 

 warrant, on forfeiture of his office. 



If he find any man in the Forest either with bow or arrows 

 or with greyhounds intending to offend there, he may arrest 

 and imprison him as if he had actually done the fact ; but 

 he cannot arrest the body of such offender unless he is taken 

 with the manner, viz. : — " Dog-draw," " Stable-stand," " Back- 

 bearing," or " Bloody -hand." 



Dog-drawing is where a man hath wounded a wild beast, 

 and is found with a hound or other dog drawing after him 

 to recover the beast so wounded. 



St able- standing is where one is found at his standing ready 



