12 
I. 
THE WINFARTHING OAK. 
By T. E. Amyot, Diss. 
Read before the Society, at Winfarthing, July 7th, 187 f 
There is a venerable story suiting tbe venerable subject of my 
paper, of which I will make a preface. A poor preacher having 
observed an eminent statesman among his congregation, and being 
anxious for a word of praise from so great a man, had the rashness 
to ask him, after service, what he thought of his sermon. “ Well, 
sir,” was the civil reply, “ it was very short.” “ Yes,” said the 
preacher, wishing to elicit something more satisfactory, “ I never 
like to be tedious.” “ Oh, but jmu were tedious ,” answered the 
statesman. Now I will assure my audience that my paper will be 
short, but I will by no means assure them that it will not be 
tedious. 
At the time of the Norman Conquest a forest occupied the spot 
where we are now assembled. In the reign of Henry III the 
manor of Winfarthing was given to Sir William de Montchesnie 
by the king, in reward for his military successes against the French, 
and the son of this knight had a large park here, well stocked 
with deer, and had liberty to hunt the hare, fox, and wild cat, in 
his wastes and forests. In 1604 the park still abounded with 
deer, but it was afterwards enclosed by the Earl of Arundel.* 
This information is afforded by Blomfield, but of this grand old 
tree, which is said to have been called the “ Old Oak ” in the time 
of the Conqueror, and which must have formed the chief ornament, 
both of forest and park, he says not one word ; nor, indeed, (as far 
as I have been able to ascertain,) is much information concerning 
it to be found prior to 1836, when the following passage occurs in 
a letter addressed by the late Mr. Samuel Taylor, of Whittington, 
• A capital description of the old Winfarthing forest and its surround- 
ings will be found in a book for children, called the “ Chronicles of an Old 
Oak,” by the late Miss Emily Taylor. 
