REGULATION OF COMMON'S. 317 



body of a property in West Wickham Manor, with 

 undoubted rights of common over this waste, and 

 whose owner was prepared, with adequate support, to 

 contest Sir John Lennard's right to inclose. The, 

 time which had elapsed since the past inclosure was so 

 long, that it was hopeless to contend for restitution, but 

 at least what remained of the Common might be saved. 

 Proceedings were commenced with this object, and a 

 meeting was summoned at Bromley, to be presided 

 over by the writer, with the view of raising funds and 

 arousing public feeling on the subject. Fortunately, 

 however, before the meeting took place it was ascer- 

 tained that Sir John Lennard was willing to part 

 with his interest in the fifty acres for 2,000, on con- 

 dition that the Common should be kept open. As the 

 litigation, even if successful, would have involved an 

 expenditure not far short of this, it was thought 

 advisable to compromise on these terms, and the meet- 

 ing was turned into one for raising this money for the 

 purchase of the lord's rights.* 



The sum of 1,500 was obtained locally by subscrip- 

 tion, and the residue was made up b} r the Corporation 

 of London. The purchase was effected. The Common 

 was vested in the Corporation as conservators, and is now 

 safe from further encroachments. The case afforded 

 yet another proof of the truth of the contention before 

 the Committee of 1805, that no matter how hopeless the 



* The feeling of the meeting was so strong against inclosure, that 

 I had some difficulty in persuading it to adopt the compromise rather 

 than to light the Lord of the Manor in the Law Courts. 



