256 FOB EST OF DEAN. 



under his lease. Whether it was that he had already 

 exhausted all his power of cutting timber, or that he 

 had influential friends at Court, in consequence of his 

 efforts for the monarchy during the rebellion, it is clear 

 that he was treated with great consideration. 



The Act of 1G68 has ever since been the charter 

 of the Forest, and to the present time determines the 

 relative rights of the Crown and the commoners. 

 Immediately after it was passed, 8,400 acres of the 

 waste were inclosed and planted, and the residue of the 

 11,000 were dealt with in the same manner a few years 

 later. From that time till a comparatively recent date, 

 there were constant complaints of encroachments on the 

 Forest, and of illegal cutting of trees, mainly for the 

 purpose of supplying timber to the miners. 



Meanwhile the mining industry was continually 

 increasing. Till relatively recent times, the iron mines 

 were by far the most important, and for these the sup- 

 ply of wood from the Forest, for smelting, was most 

 necessary. There is mention of coal so far back as the 

 year 1300, but it was for long a subordinate industry. 

 In 10 10, a grant was made by James I. to the Earl of 

 Pembroke of " liberty to dig for and take within any part 

 of the Forest, or the precincts thereof, such and so much 

 sea-coal as should be necessary for carrying on the 

 iron works." This is the earliest notice of coal being 

 used in the iron works. Coal was included in the grant 

 by Charles I. to Winter, who, we learn from Pepys, was 

 interested in a project for charring it so as to render it 

 fit for the iron furnace but apparently without success. 



