4 o OUR FORESTS AND WOODLANDS 



or one sheep or lamb every year from each land- 

 holder in the forest, and a certain quantity of 

 oats or corn from each one renting land. He 

 could also claim a subsistence allowance of three- 

 halfpence a day, and was entitled to all the wind- 

 fall and dead wood, to the browse-wood felled in 

 winter for feeding the deer, and to the shoulders 

 and skin of all deer killed in his beat. 



The Regarders (Regardatores) were appointed 

 during the reign of Henry II. to take the place 

 of the Lespegend or thanes of lesser degree in 

 ancient times charged with the care of vert and 

 venison under the forged charter of Canute. 

 The older office having apparently fallen into de- 

 suetude, the woods got into bad condition, and 

 the number of deer became greatly diminished ; 

 so Regarders were appointed to keep the foresters 

 up to their work, and to improve matters gene- 

 rally by * seeing to ' the preservation of vert and 

 venison. At first the office was only conferred 

 on knights, though subsequently it could be 

 filled by any good and lawful man named thereto 

 by the king. There were twelve of them for 

 each forest. If any of these fell sick or died, 

 the number had at once to be made up to twelve, 



