A HISTORY OF HAMPSHIRE 



remaine a Forrest, that was made since the making of the New Forrest 

 in Hampshire (the Forrest of Hampton Court onely excepted 1 ), and 

 therefore the same is called New Forrest ; yet the same was made a 

 Forrest in William, the Conqueror's time : But there is no other Forrest 

 in England, whereof the beginning or making can be shewed, neyther 

 by the Chronicles, Histories, nor Record, so auncient are all the other 

 Forrests of this land.' 2 The far older ' royal hunting-grounds' are here 

 apparently confused with the ' forests ' which were for the first time 

 afforested by the Conqueror. This was a work of transformation and 

 extension, but not altogether a new creation. If not the very oldest 

 ' forest,' the New Forest must certainly be one of the oldest ' forests ' 

 in England : of that there can be no doubt. Manwood seems to over- 

 look the further afforestations, often no doubt forming extensions of 

 ' royal hunting-grounds ' that had been converted into ' forests ' by 

 William II. and other kings down to Henry II., all of which afforesta- 

 tions were subsequent to the formation of the New Forest, and some of 

 which remained forest in whole or in part down to 1598. In fact, 

 Manwood himself states 3 that ' certain Gentlemen of great accompt . . . 

 made their repaire to the King, and earnestly besought this King John, 

 to graunt them, that they might have all those new afforestations, that 

 were so afforested by King Henry the Second his father, King Richard 

 the first his brother, or by King John himselfe, disafforested againe.' 



Previous to the introduction of the Norman forest laws each of the 

 great tracts of land forming the ' royal hunting-grounds ' or si/va regis 

 seems to have been under four thcegend or thegns, under whom other four 

 lestbegend, also called jungmen in the Danish dialect, or thegns of lower 

 degree, ranged the woods in charge of ' vert and venison,' the woodlands 

 and the game. These were assisted in their duties by tinemen, or petty 

 officers, upon whom devolved the nocturnal care of vert and venison, and 

 other servile employments. All of these royal officials were armed and 

 mounted. Enclosures were formed to prevent red deer and wild cattle 

 from roaming beyond the bounds of the royal hunting-grounds ; but the 

 shooting of wolves, wild boars and foxes was permitted to landholders 

 outside the enclosures. The local villeins were liable to be called upon 

 to perform service in enclosing and stalling big game, and for this purpose 

 every two villeins had to keep a dog. The administration was vested in 

 the chief thegns or tbcegend who, responsible only to the king, controlled 

 the establishment subordinate to them and dealt with offences against vert 

 or venison. 



The existing system appeared to fall far short of what William I. 

 desired and intended to have. Soon after the Conquest he seems to have 

 reserved as royal hunting-grounds many of the village lands remaining 

 unenclosed, while the Crown lands were also augmented by the confisca- 

 tion of the estates of landowners who had fought against him under 

 King Harold at Senlac. At least 17,000 acres were thus appropriated 



1 Hampton Court was never a ' forest,' but only an ' honour ' (3 1 Hen. VIII. c. 5). 



* Manwood, A Treatise of Forrest Latves (1598), cap. i. fol. 5. 8 Ibid. fol. 128. 



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