EPPING FOREST. 117 



the verderers that no injury would be done to the rights 

 of the Crown. In ISO 5, the Commissioners of Woods and 

 Forests sold the Manor of West Ham with its wastes 

 and forestal rights. The result of these inclosures 

 was that the area of what was strictly forest or open 

 land in Epping Forest was reduced, by the year 1848, 

 from ( J,000 to 7,000 acres. 



This process was facilitated by the fact, that from 

 the beginning of the present century, the Court of 

 Attachment in the Forest, which was specially charged 

 with the duty of preventing inclosures, gradually fell 

 into desuetude. The growth of London also, and the 

 proximity of a large population, made it difficult to 

 maintain the forest laws. 



The old use and value of the Forest for sporting 

 purposes came to be disregarded, while its new value in 

 relation to the health, recreation, and enjoyment of 

 the great and constantly growing population of London, 

 was not as yet recognised and appreciated. The 

 general current of public opinion was still in favour of 

 the inclosure of common lands. It was mindful of 

 the vices and hardships of the forest laws, as enforced 

 in olden times, and sympathised rather with the 

 owners of land in the Forest, as against the claims 

 of the Crown, and looked with utilitarian views to the 

 greater return of produce or rent, which could be 

 obtained from inclosed land, than from common or 

 forest land. 



In 1848 a Committee of the House of Commons, 

 presided over by Lord Duncan, took this view both of 



