294 Letters concerning the Boundaries of Cranborne Chace. 



" Mr. I. L. and his Father kept Greyhounds, and probably he might 

 mention an Instance of the kind — if so, and suppose even a Keeper stood by, 

 it only proves a Connivance in the Keeper, as It was a Case that rarely 

 happen'd and the Keepers wish'd to keep well with the substantial People in 

 the Parishes — He and his Father were such (a rigorous x examination of I. L. 

 and other Witnesses on the above Points will prove the Facts They are 

 intended to controvert). The In -Bounds and Out-Bounds are Terms I have 

 often heard mentioned, but never heard the In described, I look on it to be 

 a Difference without a Distinction, and I am persuaded that the Witnesses 

 on this Point will differ in their Description, some fixing the iw-Bounds at 

 the Verge of the Woods, others at the Northern Verge of the Downs, others 

 at the Southern verge of the Corn-Fields — as to the Bound-Road being 

 the northern Boundary I verily believe not a single witness ever heard of 

 before the present Enquiry — I never did — the very supposition includes 

 the most palpable Absurdities — that line of Boundary excludes a great part 

 of the Eastern Walks — and I think the whole of Vern or Fern-Ditch, so 

 that before That was sold off (and that alienation cou'd not effect the Boundary) 

 Fern Ditch Walk Part of Cranborne Chace was no part of Cranborne Chace 

 — further — as some of the Lodges are in Wiltshire, can It be supposed that 

 the then Lord of the Chace wou'd build Lodges for the Preservation of the 

 Deer, without the precincts of those Walks ? — and lastly — can it be supposed 

 that the Owners of those Lands and Coppices North of the Bound Eoad wou'd 

 for so many years have submitted to such a violent Trespass and Injury ? 

 Absurdity. I presume you will be provided with an accurate Plan or Map 

 of the Chace, the Neighbourhood, and Boundary — It now only remains that 

 I apologize for thus leaving my Line of Profession and becoming Solicitor — 

 This you will impute to its true Cause and believe me Sir 



" Your very hum Ser 1 . 



" Henry Good. 



" N.B. in case the Bound Road be the Northern Boundary Mr. I. L. (or 

 any other person) had as justifiable a Right to kill Deer in the Northern 

 Coppices in the Face of the Sun and Presence of a Keeper, as in the Corn- 

 Fields of Aston — what will He say to this point ? did He ever know such 

 Instance ? " 



From the Deposition of Henry Harrington of Bowerchalke — 72 — (undated) : — 

 " In D (K ?) Woods in the Parish of B ? chalk about 50 years ago Henry 

 Wheeler & many others were hunting there — the Keepers came to take them 

 and there was a Battle & Wm. Harcourt a Cobley Keeper was killed — Henry 

 Wheeler was tried, convicted, and gibbeted in Vern ditch Walk & the rest 

 absconded — Ralph Bond afterw ds was taken and was tried & it was with 

 difficulty he escaped." 



George Hill of Rushmore Lodge — Deposition :— 



" Says his father & himself were Keepers of the Chace, as also his grand 

 father and great grand father — has heard his father say the Out Bounds of 

 the Chace were run about 60 years since and that the Party began on the 



