A HISTORY OF MIDDLESEX 



therein were, as a rule, punishable by the common law and not by forest 

 jurisdiction. 



In certain ways the chase of Enfield resembled Cranborne Chase 

 (Wiltshire and Dorset), so celebrated in the west of England. Cran- 

 borne had its outer and inner bounds, and in like manner there was at 

 Enfield the ancient Great Park (sometimes called le Frith), whilst 

 spreading out from it to the north-east and west was the much larger 

 outer park (parcus extrinsecus). In 1324, when Enfield was forfeited 

 to the crown, Edward II ordered Richard Pounz, keeper of Enfield 

 Park, to permit the prior of St. John of Jerusalem at Clerkenwell to take 

 five bucks between Midsummer and Michaelmas, and five does between 

 Michaelmas and Lent, yearly, with archers or dogs at his pleasure, in 

 the outer park, in accordance with the ancient grant of William de 

 Mandeville, earl of Essex. At the same time it was stated that this park 

 had always been held to be a member of the manor of Enfield. 11 



The name 'chase' (as applied to Enfield) first occurs, so far as we are 

 aware, in any public record, on the Close Rolls of 1326, when Richard 

 Pounz, keeper of Enfield Park, petitioned the king and council, stating 

 that Humphrey de Bohun, late earl of Essex, had granted to him for life 

 the custody of the park and chase of his manor of Enfield, receiving 

 yearly 15 quarters of rye and 30^. for wages for himself and his six men 

 keeping the park, but that since the manor was taken into the king's 

 hands on the forfeiture of the earl he had received the rye, but not 

 money. 12 



There are a few entries relative to Enfield Chase among the Domes- 

 tic State Papers of the reign of Henry VIII. The privy purse expenses 

 of September, 1530, include the payment of 30*. to the ranger and two 

 keepers of ' Endefelde Chace.' 13 The dockets of warrants for the king's 

 signature of the year 1535 contain one to the keepers of Waltham Forest 

 and Enfield Chase for killing a stag and six bucks for the emperor's 

 ambassador. 1 * 



An elaborate ' Decree for the Comoners of Enfielde chace ' was set 

 forth by the crown in 1542. It is stated in the preamble that the decree 

 was called forth by constant complaints not only against his grace's 

 keepers and the chase tenants, but also against the borderers, as to the 

 waste and destruction of the woods and the deer, as well as divers other 

 trespasses and wrongs by them committed. The king, therefore, com- 

 manded the earl of Southampton, Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster, 

 with certain of the council of the duchy, to view the wood and game, 

 and to report as to the complaints. The result of the report was the 

 drawing up of a series of ordinances arranged under thirty-two heads. 

 The following is an abstract of the more important orders. The tenants 

 to have pannage for swine from Michaelmas to Martinmas ; hogs on the 

 chase to be ringed or pegged under a pain of 1 2d., half to go to the king 



11 Close, 1 8 Edw. II, m. 33. In the Ministers' Accts. (bdle. 1148, No. 17) of the previous year 

 the receipts from Enfield manor, which had just come into the king's hands, are set down at z I . 



" Close, 19 Edw. II, m. 1 6. " L. and P. Hen. mi, v, 75 1. M Ibid, ix, 217. 



226 



