A HISTORY OF MIDDLESEX 



battered remnants of the cork tree in the angle where the Tait chapel 

 joins the south block, and of the black walnut on the lawn at the east 

 front of the palace. 116 In the Warren, the name of a large grazing 

 field to the north of the palace, are several fine old elm and walnut 

 trees. Bishop Porteus (1787-1809) described the Warren as 'sur- 

 rounded by a magnificent belt of lofty elms.' The palace grounds have 

 been considerably curtailed by the formation of a small public 

 park on the river side. The idea of giving this strip of land to the 

 public was carried out by Bishop Temple, but it originated with his 

 predecessor. 



Leaving the suburbs of London, some attention must be paid to the 

 parks in other parts of Middlesex. The most important of these is 

 Hampton Court, with the adjunct of Bushey Park. In early days Hamp- 

 ton was an open tract forming part of the famous Hounslow Heath. 

 Some of the thorns in Bushey Park, and a few of the magnificent old 

 oaks in the Home Park, were probably remnants of the district in its 

 original state. In the thirteenth century the manor of Hampton Court 

 was purchased by the Knights Hospitallers. Cardinal Wolsey obtained a 

 ninety-nine years' lease of it from the Order, at a rental of 50, in 1514. 

 On the fall of Wolsey in 1530, Hampton Court was taken possession of 

 by Henry VIII, and speedily became one of his favourite residences. 

 Here he was able to indulge to the full in his passionate attachment to 

 hunting, hawking, shooting, and other outdoor sports. On coming into pos- 

 session Henry found his property consisted of two main divisions, that 

 now called Bushey Park, and the Home Park, which were separated by 

 the Kingston Road. The king or Wolsey partly inclosed these parks by 

 brick walls. These inclosures, though affording every facility for shooting 

 and coursing, were not of sufficient size to serve for deer hunting. There- 

 upon the king proceeded to acquire by purchase or exchange all the 

 manors adjacent to Hampton Court, on both sides of the Thames, and 

 by an Act of Parliament of 1539 united them into an honour, that is a 

 seigneury of several manors held under one baron or lord paramount, 

 and ' the King shall have therein a chase and free chase and warren, for 

 all beasts of venery and fowls of warren which shall be called Hampton 

 Court Chase.' 116 This new chase of Hampton lay on the Surrey side of 

 the river, and included East and West Moulsey, Walton, Esher, Wey- 

 bridge, and part of Cobham. It was inclosed within a high wooden 

 fence, and well supplied with deer. On the accession of Edward VI 

 local complaints of damage by the deer came to a head, the pales and 

 deer were removed, and the shortlived chase came to an end. 



A Commonwealth survey of Hampton, in 1652, shows that by that 

 time the Home Park had been divided into two parts, known respectively 

 as the House Park and Hampton Court Course, which were distinct from 

 the part now known as Bushey Park, then divided into the Hare Warren, 

 the Middle Park and Bushey Park. The grounds and parks were much 



" Feret, Fulham Old and New (1900), iii, 134-7. 

 118 Statutes at large, 3 1 Hen. VIII, cap. v. 



246 



