FORESTS OF SOMERSETSHIRE 339 



Queen Catherine at a yearly rent of 46 13$. 4^., saving and 

 reserving 100 deer to remain in the forest of Exmoor. The 

 forest was afterwards held by Henry's third wife, Jane Sey- 

 mour. 



In 1598 Hugh Pollard was ranger of the forest, and kept a 

 pack of hounds at Simonsbath. James I. granted Exmoor 

 forest to his queen, Anne of Denmark. Charles I., on 

 coming to the throne, granted a lease for 22^ years to the 

 Earl of Pembroke of "the Forest and Chace of Exmore in 

 the counties of Devon and Somerset, and of the manor of 

 Exmore for fourteen years . . . with a further clause of liberty to 

 him to build a lodge in the forest at his chardges, and to 

 enclose and lay one hundred acres of land thereunto." 



In 1630 the king was petitioned to disafforest Exmoor in 

 favour of an influential applicant. The petition was granted, 

 but further action was not taken. In the royal library at 

 Windsor is a warrant, dated 5th August, 1637, under the sign 

 manual of Charles I., directing the ranger of Exmoor to deliver 

 to Mr. Wyndham "one fatt stagg " ; a facsimile of this docu- 

 ment forms the frontispiece to Mr. Rawle's volume. 



Within a few months of his accession, Charles II. granted a 

 lease of Exmoor for 39 years to James Butler, Marquis of 

 Ormonde. 



In 1784 a lease of the forest and chase of Exmoor, with the 

 courts and royalties, was granted to Sir Thomas Dyke Ac- 

 land, Bart. This was the last lease granted by the Crown. 



In 1815 an Act of Parliament was passed for the disafforest- 

 ing and enclosing of Exmoor. The extent of the forest was 

 then found to be only 18,810 acres, which were thus allotted : A 

 little more than one-half to the king ; one-eighth to Sir T. D. 

 Acland in lieu of the tithes of the whole forest, which he held ; 

 and the remainder to "owners of certain estates, to which free 

 suits were attached, and to several other persons in respect of 

 old enclosed tenements lying in various parishes bordering on 

 the forest." The king's portion was at once offered for sale, 

 and his 10,000 acres were purchased by Mr. John Knight for 

 50,000. 



Thus ended the royal rights over the ancient forest of 

 Exmoor, which had their origin in days prior to the Norman 

 Conquest. 



