DEER-LEAPS 



In a few scattered parks in England may still be 

 seen remains of what are termed "deer-leaps" — an 

 ancient contrivance for taking deer, the origin of 

 which dates back probably to the time of Canute 

 the Dane, who, in the first year of his reign (a.d. 

 1018) did (as Manwood tells us in his Treatise of 

 Forest Laws) "appoint such forests and chases as 

 then were, their limits and bounds certain, and to 

 the intent to have his own forests and other 

 privileged places the better preserved from 

 offenders in them." At a council held at Win- 

 chester in that year, he passed his now celebrated 

 code of forest laws, which, afterwards confirmed 

 by divers kings, regulated the ownership, preserva- 

 tion, and management of vert and venison through- 

 out the land.^ These laws were administered by a 

 "swainmote," or court composed of officers called 

 verderers, foresters, and agisters, who, amongst 

 other business, adjudicated upon all cases in which 

 deer were killed without warrant. 



One of the articles of inquiry in the court of 

 swainmote was: "Whether any man have any 



1 The authenticity of this Code has been much questioned, 

 but the arguments pro and con are too lengthy to be here 

 discussed. 



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