264 THE ROYAL FORESTS OF ENGLAND 



Among the venison trespasses, the most serious was that of 

 Roger Gardiner, who for killing two does and two bucks was 

 fined 100. For killing a doe with a dog called "a 

 Maungrell," John Symondes of Headington was fined ^5. 

 William Willoughby, the much-fined shipwright, incurred a 

 further fine of 10 for having caught a fawn in a sawpit. 

 John Wheston was fined in the heavy sum of 20 for netting 

 hares. 



There were also various heavy fines, the lowest being 2cw., 

 for agistment trespasses. 



In twenty-five cases offenders (one of whom was John 

 Symondes of Headington) were released at the close of the 

 court on finding recognisances to appear at the next pleas. 

 The first of these was Ellis Mercer, husbandman, who found 

 two sureties, one in 20 and the other in 10 : "The condition 

 is That if the said Ellis Mercer do appeare at the next Inter 

 Foreste or Justice Seate for this Forest to bee houlden, and 

 there make aunsweares to all such matters as on his Majesties 

 behalf shal bee objected against him and shall not departe 

 the said Courte without Lycense, and in the meane tyme bee of 

 good behaviour to his Majesties game Virt and Venison of the 

 same forest, That then the said Recognisances to bee void, 

 otherwise be rendyred in full force." 



The tenth report of the Commissioners of Woods and 

 Forests, issued in 1792, is chiefly concerned with the forest 

 of Wychwood. Its boundaries at that date were the same 

 as those given at a perambulation taken in October, 1665, 

 in pursuance of an Act of Parliament of the previous year, 

 when the forest area was very greatly restricted. The Com- 

 missioners found the forest enclosed within a stone wall. The 

 undergrowth, divided into eighteen coppices, enclosed for a 

 limited time after each cutting, had an area of 1,841 acres ; the 

 lodges with their launds, 127 acres; and the open ridings, 

 woods, and unenclosed waste lands 1,741 acres giving a total 

 acreage of 3,709. Many of the surrounding parishes and 

 hamlets had rights of pasture. The offices for the forest 

 government were a ranger, a launder (to take care of the 

 launds), four keepers, two verderers, and a woodward. There 

 were then about a 1,000 head of deer, all fallow; the numbers 

 annually killed were 61 bucks and 42 does, of which 6 bucks 



