316 REGULATION OF COMMONS. 
Commoner with rights, on whose behalf proceedings 
could be taken against the lord, either to compel 
restitution of the fifty acres already abstracted, or to 
obtain a declaration of rights, so as to save what re- 
mained. 
In the Manor of Baston, Sir John Lennard was 
not so predominant. There was a considerable body of 
Commoners, who, in 1868, applied to the Inclosure Com- 
missioners for a scheme of regulation of their Common. 
The lord gave his consent to the scheme, and in the 
following year an Act was passed to confirm it. 
By this Act a Board of Conservators was constituted, 
of which the lord and representatives of the Vestry 
were members. This part of Hayes Common, therefore, 
was placed in a position of permanent security. West 
Wickham Common was not so fortunate. It was not 
included in the Baston scheme. From time to time 
public attention was called to the past inclosures of 
this Common, and to the danger which appeared to 
threaten what remained, but repeated inquiries by the 
Society failed to discover any Commoners. 
Three or four years ago there were renewed indica- 
tions of an intention to inclose the residue. Wire 
fences were erected, cutting it off from Hayes Common. 
When appealed to on the subject, Sir John Lennard 
denied that it was a Common, and claimed the land 
as his freehold, free from any Commoners’ rights. 
About that time a local society was formed for the 
preservation of Commons and footways in the neigh- 
bourhood of Bromley. A discovery was made by this 
