94 WIMBLEDON COMMON. 



pass, nuisances, &c. In 1823, all the existing bye-laws 

 were rescinded. Later the Homage ceased to appoint 

 the Common Keeper, and the appointment fell into the 

 hands of the Lord of the Manor. There are very fre- 

 quent notices in the Rolls about gravel-digging and the 

 taking of loam and peat, and there appear to have 

 been many disputes on the subject between the lord 

 and the Commoners. The lord claimed, and eventually 

 maintained, his right to sell gravel, loam, and peat, 

 without limit, from the Common ; and for a few years 

 before 1865 the income which he derived from these 

 sources averaged over 1,000 a year. 



Jt has already been shown what an important 

 part the proposals of Lord Spencer in 18(14 had, at an 

 early stage of the movement, in favour of preserving 

 Commons. There cannot be a doubt that these pro- 

 posals were made in the full belief that they were for 

 the benefit of the neighbourhood and the public. The 

 scheme, however, did not meet with the approval of 

 the Commoners, and it has been already shown that 

 the project to sell a third part of the Common in order 

 to fence the remainder, and to buy out the Commoners' 

 rights, was rejected by the Committee of 18G5. This 

 led to the withdrawal of the Bill. 



There followed what was to be expected and feared. 

 The Lord of the Manor and the Commoners were left 

 in a hostile attitude to one another, with wholly dif- 

 ferent views as to their respective rights and interests 

 in the Common. It may be taken as certain that Lord 

 Spencer had no intention of withdrawing from his offer 



