A HISTORY OF HERTFORDSHIRE 



Nearly all the great lords in Hertfordshire, 

 both ecclesiastical and lay, preserved the sport- 

 ing rights in their manors, and we find 

 frequent references in the manorial court rolls 

 of the county to the fining of persons for 

 poaching on such rights. 



Only three parks were mentioned in the 

 Domesday Book as existing in Hertfordshire 

 at that time, one at St. Albans, one at Ware, 

 and one at Bennington, none of which is 

 now in existence nor were any of them 

 named by Norden who wrote in 1596. 

 They were most probably large hunting 

 parks made by William the Conqueror. 

 Amongst the parks in Hertfordshire, named 

 by Norden, were two at Hatfield, the Home 

 and Middle park (now corrupted into Mil- 

 wards), in one of which red deer were kept 

 and in the other fallow deer. There were 

 also parks in Norden's time at Woodhall, 

 Brocket Hall, Ponsbourne, Tyttenhanger, 

 Shenley, Bedwell and Cheshunt, all in the 

 neighbourhood of Hatfield. Shirley also 

 mentions old parks in other parts of Hert- 

 fordshire, at Theobalds, Cassiobury, Grove, 

 Kings Langley (founded by Henry III.) Berk- 

 hampstead, Penley, Walkern, Knebworth, 

 Hunsdon. Ashridge Park is marked on the 

 map of 1 700, and Gorhambury Park existed 

 before Chauncy's time. 



The large parks where hunting was en- 

 joyed by the kings were all destroyed during 

 and after the Rebellion in 1641. Most 

 of those named above were for the pre- 

 servation of fallow deer, which were much 

 prized as delicious for the table and were 

 occasionally shot with bows and arrows for 

 sport ; other kinds of smaller game such as 

 hares, rabbits, pheasants and partridges were 

 also strictly preserved in these parks. 



Queen Elizabeth, who was a notable 

 huntress, while at Hatfield, had a large stable 

 of horses, some of which were kept entirely 

 for her Majesty's personal use when buck 

 hunting. The great park at Hatfield at that 

 date extended all the way to Theobalds, 

 which was close to Cheshunt, thus affording 

 an extensive range of sporting ground which 

 her Majesty was pleased to use freely, for she 

 is reported to have spent most of her leisure 

 there in field sports. 



The first authentic accounts of hunting in 

 Hertfordshire were written in her time. In 

 NichoPs Progress of Queen Elizabeth, many 

 stories are told of her prowess in hunting. 

 In 1557 she was escorted from Hatfield to 

 Enfield Chase by a retinue of twelve ladies in 

 white satin on ambling palfreys, and 120 

 yeomen in green on horseback, so that she 

 might hunt the hart. On entering the chase 



she was met by fifty archers in scarlet, boots 

 and yellow caps, armed with gilded bows, 

 each of whom presented her with a silver- 

 headed arrow winged with peacocks' feathers. 

 When the buck was taken the queen was 

 pleased to be allowed the privilege of cutting 

 his throat. When she was over sixty-seven 

 years of age she ' was well and excellently 

 disposed to hunting, for every second day she 

 is on horseback and continues the sport long.' 



James I. was devoted to every kind of 

 sport. He owned two hunting palaces in 

 Hertfordshire, one at Theobalds, which was 

 owned by Lord Salisbury and exchanged by 

 him for Hatfield House. 1 The second hunt- 

 ing palace, and his more favourite one be- 

 cause of its greater distance from London, 

 was at Royston, where he spent a great 

 portion of his time undisturbed by State 

 affairs. The State papers of his reign are full 

 of letters, commissions, grants and orders 

 issued at Royston, some complaining of his 

 neglect of the affairs of the country while he 

 was at Royston with ' his hunting crew.' 



In a letter from Edmund Lascelles to the 

 Earl of Shrewsbury (December 4, 1604), the 

 following anecdote is related. ' There is no 

 news here but a reasonable pretty jest is 

 spoken that happened at Royston. There 

 was one of the King's special hounds called 

 Jowler missing one day. The King was 

 much displeased that he was wanting, notwith- 

 standing went hunting. The next day when 

 they were on the field, Jowler came in 

 amongst the rest of the hounds, the King 

 was told of him and was very glad ; and 

 looking on him he spied a paper about his 

 neck and in the paper was written, " Good 

 Mr. Jowler, we pray you speak to the King 

 (for he hears you every day and so doth he 

 not us) that it will please his Majesty to go 

 back to London for else the country will be 

 undone ; all our provision is spent already 

 and we are not able to entertain him longer." 

 It was taken for jest and so passed over, for 

 his Majesty intends to lie here yet a fort- 

 night.' 



His Majesty was apparently not a daring 

 rider, for an order was given on October 12, 

 1 6 1 7, at Royston, to the constables of Sandon, 

 Kelshall and other towns in Hertfordshire, as 

 follows : 'The King's express command is 

 that they give notice to occupants of arable 



1 The preamble of the Act of Parliament for 

 the exchange states that Theobalds ' is a desirable 

 place from its nearness to London and to His 

 Majesty's forests of Waltham Chase and Parks of 

 Enfield, with the commodities of a navigable river 

 falling into the Thames is a place so convenient 

 for His Majesty's Princely sports and recreation.' 



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