EARLY HISTORY. ' 165 



happening within the confines and Hberty of the said 

 Chase." 



This memorandum is curious, and explains a good 

 deal of local history. The inhabitants of Withypool 

 undoubtedly acted as agents of the foresters from 

 the earliest times down to quite a late date, and the 

 King's Pound, in which stray cattle were impounded, 

 was situated there, just to the left of the bridge 

 opposite the village. The two enclosures are now 

 the property of Mr. Robert Milton. Strange stories 

 are told of the men of Withypool and Hawkridge, 

 and of their lawless ways in days gone by, and there 

 is little doubt that, acting for the forester in all 

 matters of agistment of cattle, their hands were 

 against every man's and every man's hands against 

 them. 



All sheep found unshorn on the forest, after a 

 certain date, were liable to be driven in to Withypool 

 and sheared there, the fleeces going to the forester. 

 This, no doubt, was the origin of the rhyme : 



Steal the sheep and sell the wool, 

 Ring the bells of Withypool. 



) The free access to the forest and the right of 

 fishing, which they undoubtedly possessed, may have 

 been the origin of a certain laxity of view with regard 

 to game and fishing rights, which was said at one 

 time to be characteristic of the inhabitants of bolh 

 villages. The abolition of the rights mentioned in 

 the memorandum when Exrnoor was disafforested 



