BAN STEAD COMMONS. 191 



time of Domesday Book, was also held by the Bishop 

 of Bayeux, and passed through various hands till a few 

 years ago, when it was the property of Lord Hylton. 



Much turned, in the suit, upon the relations of these 

 minor Manors to the principal one of Banstead, and upon 

 whether the owners of land within them had rights of 

 common over the waste lands of the Banstead Manor. 

 This was confirmed by the surveys already alluded to, 

 and by numerous extracts from the Bolls of the Manors. 

 Thus, in 1578, an order was made by the Court Leet 

 of Banstead Manor that none within Banstead or 

 Tadworth should keep in the Common of Banstead 

 more than two sheep per acre. This admitted a right 

 on the part of the owners of Tadworth to use the 

 Commons, subject, however, to the orders and regula- 

 tions made by the homage of Banstead. It will be 

 seen later that the judges recognised that Sir Charles 

 Russell, as owner of the demesne lands of Tadworth, 

 was entitled to rights of common over the Commons 

 of Banstead. 



In 1864, Mr. Alcock, then Lord of the Manor and 

 the owner of a property in the neighbourhood the 

 demesne lands of the Manor conceived the idea of 

 inclosing the four Commons of Banstead, and com- 

 menced proceedings with that view before the In- 

 closure Commissioners, but the proposal roused so 

 much opposition from his neighbours, the Commoners, 

 that he received no assistance from the Commis- 

 sioners, and was compelled to abandon the attempt. 

 In the following year Mr. Alcock gave evidence 



