122 THE NEW FOREST 



thirty years. Finally, the interest in the grant 

 was purchased from the trustees of the Duchess 

 of Bolton by the Crown in 1809, for a very con- 

 siderable sum of money. The rent paid by the 

 Dukes was only 9, 25. 6d. During all those 

 years the Dukes of Bolton controlled, as it were, 

 a forest of their own, within the limits of their 

 bailiwick. They seem to have exercised all forestal 

 rights. They appointed their groom - keepers, 

 with their residences the whole thing being 

 Crown property. They contracted under their 

 grant to maintain the lodges and all fences within 

 their bailiwick ; but they did not observe this 

 obligation, for in 1697 a sum of 106 was expended 

 on the lodge, as declared before the Right Hon. 

 Anthony Lord Ashley, Chancellor, and in 1768 

 we find that the Crown spent 1022 in the repairs 

 of Burley Lodge ! As to the Crown's forestal 

 rights, the Dukes seemed to have usurped them 

 for themselves, and to have issued warrants to 

 kill deer, cut wood, &c., exactly as if that part 

 of the Forest belonged to them. And in this 

 they were supported in 1757 when the Crown 

 keepers disputed the killing of a buck under 

 the warrant of the Duke of Bolton. In the 

 affray that ensued a keeper lost his life, and 

 the opposing side were put on trial for murder. 

 But since the judge declined to hear evidence 



