A HISTORY OF HAMPSHIRE 



of Beasts and Cattle forth of the same Ground, for the preserving of their young 

 Spring ; and the same Hedges so made, the said Subjects may keep them con- 

 tinually by the Space of Seven Years next after the same inclosing, and repair and 

 sustain the same as often as shall need within the same Seven Years, without suing of 

 any other Licence of Him, or of his Heirs, or other Persons, or any of their Officers 

 of the same Forests, Chases, and Purlews. 1 



The love of the chase seems to have been so strong about this period 

 as to have led to such frequent offences against the forest laws that three 

 years later, in 1485, cap. vii. of the statutes enacted during the first 

 year of Henry VII. 's reign was An Act against unlawful Hunting in 

 Forests and Parks, in the final clause of which it was decreed : 



That if any Person or Persons hereafter be convicted of any such Huntings, with 

 painted Faces, Visors, or otherwise disguised, to the Intent they should not be known, 

 or of unlawful Hunting in Time of Night, that then the same Person or Persons so 

 convict to have like Punition, as he or they should have, if he or they were convict of 

 Felony And the punishment for Felony was Death. 



But Henry VIII. (more suo) even went a good deal further than this 

 (cap. xii. of statutes anno 31, 1539 A.D.) : 



It shall be Felony to take in the King's Ground any Egg or Bird of any Faulcon, 

 Goshawk, or Laner, out of the Nest ; or to find or take up any Faulcon, Jerfaulcon, 

 Jerkin, Sacer or Sacerit, Goshawk, Laner or Lanerite, of the King's, and having on it 

 the King's Arms and Verviles, and do not within twelve Days bring or send the same 

 to the Master of the King's Hawks, or to one of his Faulconers, or to the Chief of the 

 Shire ; (2) or between the rising of the Sun, and setting of the same, with his Face 

 hid or covered with Hood, or Visert, or painted, or disguised, to the Intent he would 

 not be known, to enter into any Forest, Chase, or Park of the King's, Queen's, 

 Prince's, or any of the King's Children, or into any other Ground of either of theirs 

 inclosed with Wall or Pale, ordained for the Keeping of Deer, to the Intent to steal 

 any of them, or to drive any of them forth of the same Forest, etc. or in or at any Time 

 of the Day, with his Face hid or disguised, to kill any Conies or Rabbits, within any 

 Ground, being the lawful Warren of the King's, etc. in or within any of his or their 

 Parks ; or in the Night to enter into any Park, Chase, or Forest of the King's, etc. to 

 the Intent to steal any Deer, or into his or their Warren to kill and steal any Conies. 



This statute was further extended to any 'lawful Warren or Park' 

 during the following year (cap. xi. 32 Hen. VIII. 1540 A.D.), but both 

 of these enactments were repealed in 1549, soon after Edward VI. 

 ascended the throne. Two minor statutes of Henry VIII., also passed in 

 1540, were An Act concerning the Breed of Horses of Higher Stature (cap. 

 xiii. anno 32), better known as the 'Drift of Forests ' which ordered that 

 the forests, heaths, chases, commons and waste grounds should be driven 

 once a year, on St. Michael's day or within fifteen days after it, for ascer- 

 taining that the forests were not burdened by too many horses and cattle 

 owned by those possessing common rights, and for killing weakly mares 

 and foals and An Act that "Justices of the Forests may make Deputies (cap. 

 xxxv. anno 32) for the more speedy execution of 'all things concerning 

 the King's Forests, Parks, and Chases, and all other Things concerning the 

 Office and Offices of the Justice of the Forests.' 



1 A ' purlew ' or 'furfitu ' was land once afforested but subsequently disafforested after a pourallee or 

 perambulation to determine and demarcate the true boundaries of the royal forests. Whether inten- 

 tionally or unintentionally, this appears to have been the first time in which a subject is referred to as 

 having iforeit. 



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