POLITICAL HISTORY 



was so outrageous that the modified view that he only afforested all 

 royal demesne in Surrey may be entertained. 1 Be that as it may, Richard 

 I. in his second year agreed to disafforest everything in the county east- 

 ward of the Wey and south of Guildford Down, in return for 200 marks 

 of fine. This left the parishes and townships of Chobham, Bisley, 

 Horshill, Byfleet, Pirford, Wanborough, Pirbright, Ash, Windlesham, 

 Tongham, Worplesdon, Woking and Stoke, and Guildford Park of 

 course, exempt from the jurisdiction of the sheriff, and subject to a 

 bailiff, as the Surrey bailiwick of Windsor Forest. In the same district 

 Chertsey, Egham and Thorpe, belonging to Chertsey Abbey, were free 

 of the bailiff's jurisdiction. The concession of Richard was not appar- 

 ently carried out. In 1205 Surrey had to pay 100 marks more for the 

 confirmation of Richard's charter, 2 and in 1207-8, as noted, the county 

 paid 500 marks, in addition perhaps to what had been paid already, for 

 disafforesting. The great charter stipulated for the disafforesting of all 

 forests made by Henry II. and Richard I., which should have included 

 most of the Surrey bailiwick. But it was not till 1226 that, in return 

 for a subsidy, Henry III. agreed that the charter of the forests should be 

 carried out with regard to all land not in royal demesne. 3 This practi- 

 cally disafforested west Surrey, for all the royal demesne there had been 

 alienated except at Guildford. A perambulation was made, which seems 

 to have followed the county boundary, fixing that as the limit of the 

 royal forest of Windsor. Whether the county boundary was known 

 already and followed deliberately, or whether the line taken for other 

 reasons, of ownership or natural features, was adopted as the county 

 boundary, cannot be determined. For once perhaps the Crown suffered 

 a slight injustice. The land belonging to Pirford which was in the 

 king's forest in 1086 was not newly afforested land, yet it was excluded 

 now from the forest. The abbey of Chertsey however allowed the king 

 hunting rights, but not forest jurisdiction, in Egham and Thorpe. The 

 boundaries fixed were as follows 



From Tussholt to Wulpit 

 Wulpit to Werebourn 

 Werebourn to Glorney 

 Glorney by Glambrugge to Lillford 

 Lillford to Colford 

 Colford to Bredeford 

 Bredeford to Bagsete 

 Bagsete to Bromhull 

 Bromhull to Sorbeshull 

 Sorbeshull to Harpesford and la Knappe 

 la Knappe to Loderslake and the Thames 



Close Rolls, 9 Hen. III. m. 6. 



1 In the Red Book of the Exchequer, sub annis 1207-8, it appears that ' in Surreia finem (fecit) de 

 D.m. (500 marks) pro deafforestatione tota Surreia ' (Rolls Ed. ii. 748). Commissioners meeting before 

 the chief justice of the forest in 8 Edw. I. found that Henry II. died seised of the whole county as 

 forest. On the other hand, the ordinary civil government of Surrey seems to have gone on continu- 

 ously under Henry II. There was always a sheriff, and there appears no sign that the whole county was 

 administered as forest. 



* Mag. Rot. 5 ; John Rot. 1 8. 8 Charter of the Forests, 9 Hen. III. 



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