To the Right Honourable The Lords Commiffioriers 

 of His Majefty's Trcafuiy. 



THE FIRST REPORT of the Commiflioners appointed 



by His Majefty's Commiffion, in pursuance of an Acl of Parlia- 

 ment, paffed in the 46th year of His reign, chap 1 43. intituled, 

 " An Act for enquiring into the State of Windfor Foreft, in the 

 " County of Berks, and for afcertaining the Boundaries of the faid 

 " Forefr., and of the Lands of the Crown within the fame/' 



r SpHE Commiflioners who were appointed by the authority of an A61 paned 

 JL in the laft Scffion of the laft Parliament for the purpofe of inquiring into and 

 reporting upon the ftate of WINDSOR FOREST, have thought it to be their duty 

 to ftate for the information of the Lords of His Majefty's Treasury, the caufes 

 which have prevented them from bringing their proceedings to a ciofe, and alfo 

 the progrefs they have made in iriveftigating the fubjefts to which their attention 

 has been directed. 



The Commiffion under the authority of which the Commiflioners afted, was 

 not iffued until an advanced period of the autumn, and the Aft of Parliament 

 having required that the Commiflioners mould give fourteen days notice of their 

 intended meeting in the London Gazette, and in the London and County News- 

 papers, they were unable to proceed to bufincfs before the firft day of October. 



The Commiffioncrs accordingly met for the firft time on the firft day of 

 October, and continued that meeting by adjournments from day to day, until 

 the twenty-eighth day of October inclulive. The Commillioners again met oil 

 the fifth day of January, and continued that meeting by fimilar adjournments 

 until the tenth day of January inclufive. Owing to the variety of fnbjecis to 

 which the attention of the Commiflioners was neceflarily called, and to the num- 

 ber and magnitude of the claims which were laid before them, together with the 

 unavoidable want of previous preparation on the part of individuals whofe duty 

 it was to fubftantiatc their right to their claims, it has been wholly impoffible for 

 the Commiflioners to bring the bufmefs tofuch a point as to enable them to make 

 a fatisfaftory or final Report on the different objefts of inquiry fpeciried iu the 

 Act of Parliament. 



The firft objcft which engaged the attention of the Commiffionerfij was 

 that of afcertaining and diftinguifhing, as the Aft direcls, the Boundaries of 

 Windfor Foreft according to the tenor of an Inquifition taken at Tvvyford in 

 the reign of Charles the Firft ; and this portion of their duty they have per- 

 formed. The Commiflioners were next engaged in examining and inquiring 

 into the Manorial Rights, Rights of Free Warren, and Commonable Rights which 

 exifted or were claimed within the Foreft of Windfor. The Manors claimed 

 within the Foreft were in all 35, ofwhich number twelve have been eftablifhed by 

 legal evidence ; and the examination of the reft has been from time to time poft- 

 poned, either for the pcrfonal accommodation of the parties, or for the purpofe 

 of affording an opportunity of procuring neceffary evidence. The Parities 

 which are either intirely or in part included within the eftablifhed bounda- 

 ries of Windfor Foreft, are about twenty in number. 



The Inhabitants of all thefe Parifhes claimed Rights of Common of the moft 

 various and extenfive nature. In the examination of thefe claims of Commonable 

 Rights, the Commiflioners have made very confiderable progrefs ; and as this may 



132. be 



066 



