^0 THE POR^TS OF ENG?;,AND. 



ment of fk^ Forest of De^rii is vested in g- lord warden, 

 wiio, is constable of the Castle, of St Bri^vells, six depu'ty- 

 ■ward^QS, four verderers phosen by tbe freeholders, a 

 conservator, seven wood-Twards^ a chief-forester in fee, and 

 bowr-bearer ; eight foresters in fee, a gaveller, and a 

 steward of the swaniinote. The forest is divided into six 

 walks ; and these ofncer? are empowered to hold a cpurt of 

 attachment eyery forty days, a court of swainimote three 

 times in the year, and anotl^er court, called the justice-seat, 

 once in three years. These courts are held at the Queen's 

 Lodge, or Speech House, situated nearly in the centra, of 

 the forest. The whole forest is extra-parochial, and its 

 inhabitants are exempted from rates and taxes, have free 

 liberty of pasturage, the privilege of sinking mines, and 

 access to the wood? and timber for, their works. 150 

 years ago the six lodges erected for the keepers were the 

 only houses in, the forest; now the nuraber amounts, to 

 nearly 1500. 



In Dean Forest the deyastatipfl has been reckless and 

 wanton, and, latterly, this has been continued through, the 

 deman,d of the miners' industry of the, locality ; but herp 

 we hsive to do only with the olden foi]ms of this. 



It greatly abounds in cpal and , iron-ore ; and iron 

 appears to have been wrought there both by the ancient 

 Briton^ and Romans. In , the, time of Edward I. there 

 were seventy-two furnapes in this forest for melting irpn; 

 and it is related tjii,a,t, thp miners of those days were very 

 iodu8tr^pu8,in seekiog aftep the beds of cinders whereithe 

 Romans of Britain hfid been at work before them, wh^ch 

 remains, when burnt over again, were supposed to make 

 the bpst iron. The follpwing historical facts relative to 

 the forest are wor]th recording <; 



" Henry, I. gave the tithes of all venison in, the Forest 

 of Dean to the Abbey of Gloucester. 



" Henry II, gave to the Abbot of Flaxley for his forge 

 two oaks every week. Wood was plentiful then, and 

 topnk^ were bold. 



"A fo:rgewa9, granted to Roger d^ Laoey in the teign 



