THE FOREST OF EXMOOR. 145 



which the lords of Dunster, Wootton Courtenay, 

 Luccombe, Bratton (by Minehead), Porlock^ and 

 Oare are included in the Devon list. This general 

 uncertainty existing, it is not surprising to find 

 that careful draughtsmen in London declined the 

 responsibility of deciding which county Exmoor was 

 in, and, as the lawyers would say, ex ahimdante 

 cautela described it as in both. 



The second ground, that of entries in the Forest 

 Rolls, will be found on examination not to bear out 

 the contention in favour of Devon, but rather the 

 other way. The principal entry is given as follows 

 by Mr. Rawle : 



" They '' — that is the forest officers, the verderers, 

 and jurors — " say that Roger Ackelane and Walter 

 Trommere caught and killed one calf stag within the 

 Hundred of Wytherugge, within the regard of the 

 aforesaid Forest of Exmoor, which regard is one and 

 extends as well within the county of Somerset as 

 that of Devon. . . . And they saw that all 

 officers of the aforesaid forest in the county of 

 Somerset undoubtedly have authority to enter that 

 part of the regard which is in the county of 

 Devon." 



The word regard is sometimes used in two 

 senses. Its primary meaning is the actual inspec- 

 tion of the forest every third year by the officers, 

 called regarders, who examined all encroachments, 

 technically called waste, assarte, and purpresture, 

 and saw to the lawing of all mastiffs, and 



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