144 THE RED DEER OF EXMOOR. 



Exmoor, the hounds coming from the Devon side, 

 where, according to the Hberties conceded by King 

 John, the keeping of packs of " racches," or 

 running hounds, was legal, whereas the Somerset 

 men's offences are simply ordinary cases of 

 poachmg. 



When one remembers the fact that, at the present 

 day, there is a widespread impression in the minds 

 of, one might be almost justified in saying, the 

 majority of people that Exmoor is in Devon, whereas 

 it is, as we have seen from the perambulations, in 

 Somerset, it is not surprising to find that there has 

 been an impression existing for hundreds of years 

 that some part of Exmoor was in Devon ; and so 

 strong has this been that even learned writers, such 

 as Mr. Rawle, incline to the view that some undefined 

 portion was in Devon. 



This case seems to be based on certain official 

 documents which speak of Exmoor as in the counties 

 of Somerset and Devon, and on certain entries in the 

 Forest Rolls. It is an undoubted fact that the clerks 

 and others who drew up documents were as hazy in 

 their minds, in former days, as most people are 

 to-day, as to what is in Devon and what in 

 Somerset ; for instance, we find in one of the 

 Pleas of the Forest that Dulverton, which, beyond all 

 controversy, is, and always was, in Somerset, is 

 described as in Devon. We find in 1335 a presenta- 

 tion by the sworn jury of the various lords of manors 

 who claimed common rights on the Royal Forest in 



