FORESTRY AND THE NEW FOREST 



regarders were chosen from among knights at first, but subsequent 

 nominations were made outside this class. They were appointed either 

 by the king's letters patent, or by the justice in eyre, either at the general 

 eyre or 'justice seat,' or at such times as the regard was ordered ; and when 

 any of the twelve regarders were absent from a court of swainmote, the 

 justice in eyre could complete the number by a temporary appointment. 



The foresters (forestarii) or keepers of the forest, were officers 

 whose duty was ' to walk the forests both early and late, watching both 

 the Vert and the Venison, attaching and presenting all Trespasses against 

 them within their own Bailiwick or Walk' (Co well, op. cit.). They were 

 usually appointed under letters patent quamdiu se bene gesserinf, but some 

 were * foresters-in-fee,' holding the office for themselves and their heirs 

 on payment of a fee-farm rent to the king ; and the appointment might 

 then be held by a woman, her husband acting for her as forester-in-fee. 

 The number of foresters varied with regard to the different forests, 

 according to the discretion of the regarders. The office was liable to 

 great abuses and oppression. Foresters were often appointed in excessive 

 numbers, and lived by extortion and illicit exactions, hence special legisla- 

 tion was necessary from time to time (vide p. 425) to protect the lieges 

 from persecution and annoyance of this sort. A similar but later appoint- 

 ment (applying to purlieu land only) was the ranger (rangeator), although 

 in some later Acts he is also called regardator, whose ' Office chiefly con- 

 sists in three points : To walk daily through his Charge, to see, hear, and 

 inquire, as well of Trespasses as Trespassers in his Bailiwick ; To drive 

 the Beasts of the Forest, both of Venery and Chase out of the disafforested 

 into the forested Lands ; And to present all Trespasses of the Forest at 

 the next Court holden for the Forest. This Ranger is made by the 

 King's Letters Patent, and hath a Fee of Twenty or Thirty Pounds paid 

 yearly out of the Exchequer, and certain Fee-deer' (Cowell). The 

 ranger was therefore properly a purlieu officer, and not really an officer 

 of the forest. 



The woodwards (woodwardi] were vert officers (appointed at a 

 comparatively recent date only) subordinate to the foresters, and like 

 them varying in number according to the extent and local circumstances 

 of each forest. They had to walk the woods with bills or hatchets, and 

 might not carry bows and arrows. The nature of their functions may 

 be gathered from their oath : 



You shall truly execute the office of a Woodward of B. woods within the 

 Forest of W., so long as you shall be Woodward there ; you shall not conceal 

 any Offence either in Vert or Venison, that shall be committed or done within your 

 Charge, but you shall truly present the same, without any Favour, Affection, or 

 Reward. And if you see or know any Malefactors, or find any Deer killed or hurt, 

 you shall forthwith do the Verderer to understand thereof, and you shall present the 

 same at the next Court of the Forest, be it Swainmote, or Court of Attachment. So 

 help you God. 



Forest say upon their oath that the men of the New Forest of Lymithorn (Lymington) are quit, and 

 ought to be, of expeditating their dogs, of the same town, up to a certain number, to wit 32 

 dogs ; And if there are more mastiffs in the said town they ought to be ezpeditated, or expectation shall 

 be gfven for them according to the cuitom of the assize of the Foreit' 



437 



