124 EPPING FOREST. 



102 inclosures, containing over 286 acres. In that of 

 Woodford, 146 inclosures of 205 acres. In Ruckholt 

 Manor, 22 inclosures of 41 acres. In Higham Hills 

 Manor 4 inclosures of 96 acres. The area of the 

 open Forest was reduced by these and other inclosures, 

 which were effected since 1851, from 6,000 acres to 

 3,000 acres. 



The largest of these operations was that in the 

 Manor of Lough ton, the lord of which was Mr. Mait- 

 land, who was also rector of the parish. This gentle- 

 man inclosed in one swoop the whole of the waste of the 

 Forest within his Manor, consisting of about 1,300 acres, 

 with the exception of a trifling allotment of about nine 

 acres, which he left for the recreation of the villagers. 

 He attempted, in fact, a general inclosure without an 

 Act of Parliament. He allotted portions of the land in 

 extinguishment of the rights of those tenants of his 

 Manor whom he admitted to be entitled. He bought 

 up others of these rights for money. He compensated 

 others of his copyholders by enfranchisement ; and 

 having, as he believed, settled with all of them, he 

 held himself entitled to the bulk of the land inclosed. 

 A stout fence was erected round the whole of the 

 inclosures ; the public was shut out ; and a commence- 

 ment was made of clearing the Forest by cutting down 

 the trees. 



The inhabitants of this Manor had, from time im- 

 memorial, enjoyed the right of lopping the trees, for 

 firewood, during the winter months, from St. Martin's 

 Day, November 11, to St. George's Day, April 23. It 



