EPPING FOREST. 



to contend even with the united forces of the 

 manorial lords. It was Mr. Scott, the far-sighted 

 City Chamberlain, who first suggested that the 

 compulsory corn metage should be commuted 

 into a small fixed duty, and applied to the pre- 

 servation of open spaces ; and the sinews of war 

 having been thus provided, we owe it to Mr. T. 

 C. Bedford — an able and fearless member of the 

 Court of Common Council — that the duty of 

 making a supreme effort for the rescue of the 

 Forest was vigorously pressed upon the Corporation. 

 Owing to the happy chance that the Corporation 

 were owners of a cemetery at Wanstead, which gave 

 them the right of grazing a cow or two, they were 

 able to take up the cause of the public as com- 

 moners of Epping Forest. In August 187 1 

 a suit was commenced against the lords of the 

 manors, which lasted more than three years, and 

 cost both sides not less than ;^3o,ooo. The 

 labour connected with it was enormous, owing 

 to the multiplicity of interests involved and the 

 obscure and intricate questions of ancient law 

 which it raised. That it was conducted to a 

 successful issue was largely due to the untiring 

 energy of the city solicitor, assisted by Mr. 

 Robert Hunter, who, as honorary solicitor to 

 the Commons Preservation Society, had for 

 several years made the law affecting common 

 rights his especial study. It was contended on 

 behalf of the lords of manors that each manor 

 was separate, and that its commoners had no 

 rights over the remainder of the Forest, so that, 

 in fact, if he could succeed in satisfying his own 

 commoners, each lord of a manor could enclose 

 or do as he liked with it. On behalf of the Cor- 



