ITS HISTORY. 



orbitant fines fi-om those who held lands within 

 the enlarged boundaries. He also sought to raise 

 money by a scheme for the total disafforestation 

 and sale of Waltham and other Forests.^ These 

 attempts caused great discontent, and were met 

 with determined opposition, especially in the 

 county of Essex, when my sturdy fellow county- 

 men were guilty of some " fashions actions," and 

 even had the impudence to hold a " conventicle " 

 "in the very brake where the king's stag should 

 have been lodged for his hunting the next morn- 

 ing." The result was that in the first session of 

 the Long Parliament an Act was passed to fix the 

 Forest boundaries, and a perambulation was made 

 which showed that Waltham Forest comprised 

 60,000 acres. It must not be supposed, how- 

 ever, that the whole of this wide area was wood- 

 land and heath. In the time of the Tudors there 

 is reason to believe that four -fifths were under 

 some sort of cultivation, but at the same time the 



■' That this scheme was at one time nearly realised is 

 shown by the existence among the State Papers preserved 

 in the Public Record Office of a list of claims of owners, 

 upon a contemplated disafforestation of Waltham Forest. 

 Along with this is another State Paper, which shows that in 

 the case of Gaultres Forest the disafforestation was actually 

 accomplished "in pursuance of His Majesty's Royal resolu- 

 tion, as well for raising moneys for supply of his weighty 

 affairs, as for the increase of his revenue ; " and we learn 

 further that His Majesty received ;^20,ooo for his share, and 

 also that "the said inhabitants by strong hand do make 

 havock and insufferable spoil of the woods, drive and keep 

 their cattle upon His Majesty's said part of land, and being 

 disturbed by the purchasers' agents, do make pound-breaches, 

 rescue their cattle, and^ beat and wound such as disturb 

 them." 



