TOLLARD FAUN HAM. 213 



persisted in exercising what they considered their rights, 

 according to ancient custom, and had continued to cut 

 their wood in spite of the inclosure. The Society 

 was unwilling that these poor men should lose, from 

 want of means, and from lack of proper legal assistance, 

 what they believed to be, and what there was strong 

 prima facie evidence to believe was, their right, and 

 therefore resolved to give its support to them. 



Before the case came on for trial at the Assizes, 

 an order was obtained from the Court, directing that 

 the issues in the three actions should be ascertained 

 by an arbitrator, in the form of a special case, for the 

 opinion of the Court of Exchequer. Numerous meetings 

 were held by the arbitrator, Sir A. E. Miller, Q.C., and 

 eventually a case was drawn up by him, and laid before 

 the Court. 



It appeared that the Manor of Tollard Farnham 

 was in very ancient times dependent on, or carved 

 out of, the Manor of Cranbourne, which was part of the 

 Chase of Cranbourne, extending over a yet wider district, 

 and differing only from a Forest in that it was held 

 by a private owner, and not by the Crown, and did 

 not possess distinctive Courts. The Manor and Honour 

 of Cranbourne are mentioned in Domesday Book as 

 the property of the King. In the time of William 

 Rufus the Manor and Chase appear to have been given 

 to Fitz-Hamon, Lord of Corboile, in Normandy, 

 together with numerous other Manors, constituting the 

 Honour of Gloucester. They were escheated for want 

 of heirs to Henry II. in 1175. They remained in the 



