TROUBLOUS TIMES. 281 



killed Is not specified. Sir John Wyndham, of 

 Orchard Wyndham, may have had some hounds, and 

 his son may have desired to have a day's hunting 

 on the forest of Exmoor. 



During the Civil War, Somerset, and Devon were 

 the scene of much strife, and hunting was most 

 probably completely in abeyance. 



Save for the perambulation and the valuation 

 made in 1651, we have little information relating to 

 Exmoor until the Restoration, though we know that 

 the hand of the Lord Protector was heavy on the 

 district round. 



We gather, however, from a petition presented to 

 Charles II. by his " Ma"''' subjects inhabiting near 

 Exmore in the Counties of Devon and Somersett," 

 that the Commonwealth authorities, with that utter 

 disregard of existing rights which is so characteristic 

 of a certain class of politician when he comes to 

 deal with other people's property, had professed to 

 make a sale of the forest to one James Bovey, of 

 Braunton, and to extinguish all rights over it. The 

 petition 



Sheweth — 



That whereas your petitioners, and their predecess''^ inhabitants 

 as aforesaid, having for this many hundred yeares past, injoyed 

 many privileges, and immunities in the said Forrest of Exmore, as 

 the pasturing of sheepe, horses, and other Cattle, at certaine 

 customary yearely rates, which for some time past they have been 

 deprived off, by one INI- James Bovey, pretending that he had 

 purchased the same as a Chace of the late usurpers : and hath 

 much vexed and troubled your poore petitioners, by impounding 



