200 THE RED DEER OF EXMOOR. 



Sir Giles Daubeny died in 1508. 



Henry VIII. succeeded to the throne in 1509 and 

 settled the Forest of Exmoor together with all the 

 rights belonging to it upon his wife, Katherine of 

 Arragon, who leased them to Sir Thomas Boleyn, 

 father of Anne Boleyn, and descendant of the Robert 

 Boleyn who is described in the Perambulation of 

 1298 as of Spire Liscombe, in the parish of Wins- 

 ford (the farm between Knaplock and Ashway). 

 He held certain forests, farms, and offices of Queen 

 Katherine at a rent of £\6 135. \d.^ " saving and 

 excepting one hundred deer to be and remain in the 

 said Forest of Exmoor," and in 1520 he covenanted 

 to hand the same over to the Earl of Devonshire. 



This sum of £\6 135'. \d. continued to be the 

 accepted rental of the Forest of Exmoor and the 

 rights belonging to it until the last lease of the forest 

 granted in 1780 to Sir Thomas Acland, Bart., 

 though large fines were doubtless in most cases paid 

 for the grant of the lease, that on the last being 



The wording of this covenant " saving and except- 

 ing one hundred deer to be and remain in the said 

 Forest of Exmoor" is worthy of note, for the 

 necessary implication is that the hunting rights were 

 included in the settlement and also the lease. The 

 number " a hundred " being specified as the minimum 

 head to be left. 



This practice of granting the right of hunting with 

 the lease of the forest seems to have been followed 



