COMMISSIONERS ON WINDSOR FOREST. ) 



be either fupported, or even made intelligible). Many perfons, notwithstanding- 

 repeated perfonal applications, at firft declined, and have fince refufed, to produce 

 any evidence whatever, in fupport or explanation of their claims; and others have 

 produced fome documents, which the Commillioners cannot view in any light but 

 as calculated more to millead than inform. 



The Commiflioners, however, are called upon in jufticeto add, that not only 

 "before the repeal of the zd and 3d fe&ions of the 46th of the King, but fince the 

 repeal of thole claufes, many other perfons poffefling very confiderable property, 

 and very extenfive rights and privileges in the Foreft, have, with the utmoft can- 

 dour and liberality, given every explanation, and produced every grant and 

 document in their power, which the Commiflioners have requefted, and have given 

 every poflible facility to the inquiry ; fuch perfons having full confidence, that 

 the objefts of the inquiry are to prevent abufcs, to protect all real rights, and, if 

 poflible (confiftently with a due attention to fuch rights) to procure fome folid 

 advantage to the Public, from an extenfive traft of Land containing upwards of 

 24,000 acres, now rendered almoft ufelefs from negleft and inattention. 



From the month of October 1807 till the beginning of January 1808, the Com- 

 miflioners were much employed in reforting to the feveral depofitories of public 

 records and papers, for any general information as to Windfor Foreft, as well as 

 to fupply fuch evidence as had been withheld from them by the Claimants before 

 alluded to. And early in the month of January the Commiflioners met in the 

 Foreft, and appointed feveral days of public meeting, when they proceeded in the 

 further inveftigation of claims and encroachments, at which meetings fome of the 

 claims were Satisfactorily fupported, others imperfeclly fo ; and, notwi thftanding 

 the repeated indulgencies that have been given to the Claimants, the perfonal 

 notice that has been given to them of every public meeting of the Commiflioners, 

 and the length of time that has elapfed fince the claims were firft made, (being 

 18 months) many of the claims remain wholly unfupportcd by any evidence 

 whatever, others are very loofely and inaccurately ftated ; and fome of them, in 

 the judgement of the Commiflioners, have no legal foundation, though the exer- 

 cife of the right claimed has been of long duration. 



The Commiflioners being left in this ftate of doubt as to the foundation of 

 many of the claims, have employed themfelves fince the meeting in January laft 

 (as they had alfo done before) in endeavouring to difcover evidence, to fupport, 

 explain or refute fuch claims as were not fufiiciently explained or fupported by 

 evidence; for this purpofe they endeavoured to difcover the proceeding at the laft 

 Court ofEyre held for Windfor Foreft in the 8th year of Charles the Firft, mentioned 

 in Sir William Jones' Reports of cafes determined in that Court, which Reports 

 contain only partial ftatements of the claims and determinations upon fome of 

 them according to the Foreft laws, by no means fatisfactory. The Commiflioners 

 found a reference to the Britifli Mufeum, and to the Afhmole Mufeum at Oxford, 

 for the proceedings at this Court. On fearching at the Britifli Mufeum fome 

 minutes of the proceedings were found, which, however, afford no real informa- 

 tion ; and on reforting to the Aflimole Mufeum, the papers there found produced 

 no further information. 



The Commiflioners having been favoured with the infpeftion of many loofe 

 and mifcellaneous papers relating to Windfor Foreft, by the Solicitor to the 

 Treafury, from thence difcovered that a very minute furvey of Windfor Foreft 

 was made in the year 1613, by virtue of a Commiflion from the Court of Chan- 

 cery. It would be natural to fuppofe that at leaft a copy of fuch furvey would be 

 found in the Office of the Surveyor General of His Majefty's Woods; on applica- 

 tion to that Oflice, no trace of it was found there. A copy of that furvey has, 

 however, Cnce been difcovered amongft the papers of the Surveyor of the Crown 

 Lands, to which the Commiflioners have had free accefs, and the}' have recom- 

 mended that a copy thereof fliould be depofited in the Office of the Surveyor 

 General of His Majefty's Woods, as it contains an aftual meafurement of all the 

 land in Windfor Foreft, diftinguiflung every inclofure and the owner thereof, 

 and contains much information that may be nfef'ul on many occafions. 



The Commiflioners alfo difcovered in the Office of the Auditor of the Land 

 Revenue avery complete furvey, taken in the ift and 2d of the reign of Philip 

 and Mary, of (he Caftle and Honor of Windfor, and of all and fingular knights 

 fees, caftle guard rents, aflart and purprefture rents, and other rents, iffucs and 



profits 



