166 ASEDOWN FOREST. 



On this report, the Council of the Duchy, by the 

 advice of Sir John Turton and Sir John Powell, made a 

 decree in accordance with it. Under these arrange- 

 ments about 7, COO acres of the Forest were inclosed, or 

 if already inclosed, were quieted in possession ; and the 

 residue, 6,400 acres, was declared to be set apart for the 

 rights of the Commoners. Soon after the decree of 

 1693, the interest of Sir Thomas Williams in what 

 remained of the Forest was divided between three 

 persons Staples, Holland, and Lechmere and passed 

 from them through various hands, until Lord Dorset 

 bought them out in 1730, and became possessed of 

 whatever rights remained in the Crown grantees over 

 the Forest. During the interval, the Forest appears to 

 have been largely denuded of its trees, for when Lord 

 Dorset purchased, the timber was valued at no more 

 than 210. 



The Dorset family having thus become possessed of 

 the Crown rights and of the Manor of Duddleswell, 

 commenced a series of acts, which have been continued 

 down to very recent times, for the purpose of curtailing- 

 and getting rid of the rights of the Commoners. 

 With this object persons were warned not to cut turf 

 or to trespass on the Forest. In 1795, the then Duke 

 of Dorset submitted a case to Mr. Serjeant Hill, in 

 which it was stated 



"The farmers adjoining the Forest, many of whom are 

 Copyholders of the Manor, and as such have right of Common- 

 age, as well as many others who are not Copyholders and have 

 no such right, have for many years past made a practice of 



