162 ASHDOWN FOREST. 



Dorset and his son, Lord Buckhurst, were appointed 

 Keepers of the Forest in succession for their lives. 

 The Earl took the side of the King in his struggle with 

 the Parliament, and his office of Keeper of the Chase, 

 together with other privileges which he enjoyed in the 

 Forest, were forfeited to the Commonwealth. 



In 1650, a careful survey of the Forest, under the 

 name of the Great Park of Lancaster, was made by 

 order of the Commonwealth, on behalf of the trustees 

 for the sale of the Crown rights. The surveyors on this 

 occasion reported that, according to the usual rate of 

 the pasturage, there was a surplus of forest, and that 

 part should be allotted to the Commoners, and part 

 appropriated by the State. This suggestion appears 

 to have been adopted by the Commonwealth, for in 

 1658 a further survey was made, under which the 

 Forest was allotted between the State and the 

 Commoners, each parish extending into the Forest 

 having a Common Allotment set apart for it, based 

 upon the number of cattle turned out in respect of lands 

 situated within it and conferring a right, the rate of 

 allotment being one acre and a half for every head 

 of cattle. The scheme of allotment, however, was 

 not completed at the time of the restoration of the 

 monarchy, when all the proceedings by the Common- 

 wealth respecting the Forest were annulled. 



After the Restoration, in 1660, a grant was again made 

 by Charles II., under the Great Seal, of the Keepership 

 of the Chase to the Earl of Dorset and his son, Lord 

 Buckhurst, for their successive lives. The Earl was 



