i 4 4 THE ROYAL FORESTS OF ENGLAND 



parish churches within or about the forest to the great disturb- 

 ance of the people. The petitioners protested against the 

 exorbitant character of the fines and forfeitures, the setting up 

 of informers by great rewards, and the imprisonment of their 

 persons, claiming that such penalties could not be imposed 

 save by Act of Parliament. 



Notwithstanding, however, the damage done to the forest in 

 the Civil War, and the little check put upon depredations in the 

 earlier part of the reign of Charles II., the timber of Needwood 

 was at this period by far the finest in any English forest. A 

 careful survey made in 1684 showed that the number of good 

 trees in the four wards was 38,218, valued at ,25,744 I 9 J * 6^. ; 

 whilst those in the parks brought up the total to 47,150, with 

 a complete value of 28,637 us. 6d. The hollies and under- 

 wood were valued at an additional 2,000. 



" Many of the treese are of soe large dimensions and length, that 

 there may be picked out such great quantityes of excellent plank and 

 other tymber, fitt for shipping, as is not to be found in any of your 

 majestie's other forests in England ; most parts of this where the best 

 tymber growes, lyeing within 12 or 14 miles of the navigable parte of 

 the river Trent." 



The abundance of the deer proved an irresistible temptation 

 to the poorer of the commoners, and though the gentlemen and 

 yeomen did not exactly turn deer-stealers themselves, as in some 

 of the southern forests, there was much sympathy with the 

 poachers, who checked the depredations of the deer, and kept 

 the country houses illicitly supplied with venison. The parks 

 leased by the Crown to private individuals were rigorously pro- 

 tected ; but the open stretches of the forest in the eighteenth 

 century, though nominally well supplied with high-born officials 

 and underkeepers or foresters, were, to a great extent, a prey 

 to marauders. 



An undated account of the duchy forests, temp. George I., 

 at the Public Record Office, states that Needwood forest had 

 been granted to William Duke of Devonshire, William Marquis 

 of Hartington, and Henry Lord Cavendish, with the offices of 

 steward of the honor, constable of the Castle of Tutbury, 

 lieutenant of the forest, master of the game, and bailiff of the 

 new liberties. Castlehay Park had been granted in 1677 for 



