316 REGULATION OF COMMON'S. 



Commoner with rights, on whose behalf proceedings 

 could be taken against the lord, either to compel 

 restitution of the fifty acres already abstracted, or to 

 obtain a declaration of rights, so as to save what re- 

 mained. 



In the Manor of Baston, Sir John Lennard was 

 not so predominant. There was a considerable body of 

 Commoners, who, in 1868, applied to the Inclosure Com- 

 missioners for a scheme of regulation of their Common. 

 The lord gave his consent to the scheme, and in the 

 following year an Act was passed to confirm it. 

 By this Act a Board of Conservators was constituted, 

 of which the lord and representatives of the Vestry 

 were members. This part of Hayes Common, therefore, 

 was placed in a position of permanent security. West 

 Wickham Common was not so fortunate. It was not 

 included in the Baston scheme. From time to time 

 public attention was called to the past inclosures of 

 this Common, and to the danger which appeared to 

 threaten what remained, but repeated inquiries by the 

 Society failed to discover any Commoners. 



Three or four years ago there were renewed indica- 

 tions of an intention to inclose the residue. Wire 

 fences were erected, cutting it off from Hayes Common. 

 When appealed to on the subject, Sir John Lennard 

 denied that it was a Common, and claimed the land 

 as his freehold, free from an}'- Commoners' rights. 

 About that time a local society was formed for the 

 preservation of Commons and footways in the neigh- 

 bourhood of Bromley. A discovery was made by this 



