Ch. II. SINCE THE NORMAN CONQUEST. 37 



kyll three buckes, and his companye killed one bucke ; w"'* saied foure 

 buckes were killed in Astwell parke aforesaid in July aforesaid, and next 

 after the saied estatute toke effecte, beinge in anno 1564.' ' 



The Act here referred to was intended for the preservation of deer and 

 deer parks, and subjected any person breaking into ' an empaled park 

 used for the keeping breeding and cherishing of deer,' to imprisonment for 

 theee months, and made him also liable ' to pay to the partie grieved his 

 treble damages.' But an Act of more importance to the owners of parks 

 had been passed in 1536 (27th Henry VIII.) enacted with a view to en- 

 courage the breed of horses, and which interfered, in what would now be 

 considered a very arbitrary manner, with the rights of the subject. This 

 Act appears to have fallen into disuse, but was revived in the reign of 

 Elizabeth. It will be explained by the following ' Instructions to Com- 

 missioners appointed by the Queen's Majesty for the ministering of Horses 

 in all places w*''in the Realm, &c.' (dated Nov. 10. 1577): — ' Itcni you 

 shall take orders that every man that hath a Park of his own, or in Lease 

 or in keeping for term of life of the compass of one mile, shall keep in 

 the same two mares, and every man that shall have a Park of the com- 

 pass of four miles, shall keep four mares, according to the scantling ap- 

 pointed in the statute, and you shall do what you can to procure every 

 man that hath a Park of the compass of two miles and upwards to four 

 miles, shall keep three mares of that scantling, which we take to be the 

 meaning of the Statute.' ^ ^ 



From the original in the possession of the one fat bucke and one fat doe, with two closes, 



Eari Ferrers. and dispasturing for twelve kine, and one bull, 



^ Original instructions J>aies Lord Willoughby one gelding or nayge, and one stalking mare 



de Broke. within the said parke, with the House called the 



' In illustration of the habits of our ancestors Lodge, standing within the said parke, and also 



as regards their park-keepers at this period, the sufficient firewood to be taken within the said 



following appointment of one may be taken as part of the browse or windfall wood, to be spent 



an instance. In 1584, George Shirley, Esq., only within the said Lodge.' (From the ori- 



granted unto Joseph Crispe, gent, for a term of ginal grant at Staunton Harold penes the Earl 



forty years 'the parkershippe of the park in Ferrers.) 

 Staunton, w" all the profitts of the same — viz. 



