THE FORESTS OF STAFFORDSHIRE 143 



commons. It was also pointed out that the county of Stafford 

 had already paid near 8,000 towards the soldiery on their dis- 

 banding. The last reason offered against the sale was, "That 

 the forest of Needwood is mearly formed by nature for pleasure, 

 no forest in England being comparable thereunto." 



This petition caused the project of the sale to be abandoned ; 

 but in 1656 a compromise was arrived at, whereby commis- 

 sioners were appointed to consider all claims, and in 1658 it 

 was agreed that half the open forest and one-tenth of the 

 timber should be allotted to the freeholders, and the remainder 

 be continued as the property of the State. The project went 

 so far as to have the respective divisions for the different town- 

 ships staked out and allotted. But the Restoration intervened 

 ere the work was accomplished, and Charles II. decided to 

 preserve the forest in its original state. 



It was difficult to suppress the licence engendered during 

 the time of civil strife. Eventually the duchy authorities over- 

 reached themselves by attempting to impose a new code of by- 

 laws of great severity and doubtful legality. 



About the year 1680, "the gentlemen, freeholders and others 

 who have right of Common in the Forest or Chace of Need- 

 wood " drew up a petition (printed as a broadsheet) to the 

 House of Commons, protesting against the arbitrary orders of 

 Earl Stamford, as chancellor of the duchy, recently published, 

 and asking relief, as their ancient rights and liberties were 

 being invaded. The chief of these orders were a fine of IDS. 

 and forfeiture of cattle bearing a counterfeit mark ; a fine of 

 10 apiece to the informer and forfeiture of cattle privately 

 removed out of the forest after notice of a public drift ; a fine 

 of 5-r., or 6s. 8d. in the case of a keeper, for conveying grist to 

 any other mill than the Wood Mill ; a month's imprisonment 

 for taking any crabtree, whitethorn, holly, or hazel out of the 

 forest or parks ; 6s. 8d. fine for each beast on any commoner 

 ,or other person foddering cattle in the forest between the 

 Feast of St. Andrew and the end of March ; the forfeiture of 

 all swine in the forest save in crab-time, and a like forfeiture 

 and fine of 3^. 4^. on every swine insufficiently rung ; sheep 

 pasturing in forest to be forfeited, and i2s. a day fine for each 

 sheep. These orders and others of a like nature had appeared 

 under the great seal of the duchy, and had been read in all the 



