THE EPPING HUNT.
33
from Stratford to Waltham Holy Cross; claiming, at the same time,
that Matilda, wife of Henry I., built the bridge at Stratford "with
the object of facilitating the access of the citizens of London to the
great Forest of Essex, for the enjoyment of their usual recreation of
hunting there." This imaginative little gambol forms a tail-piece to
the grave citations from public records.
The City's own records are next laid under contribution, and the
earliest references to its rights of chase appear to occur during the
latter half of the fifteenth century.4 An extract from its Journal
(vi., fo. 2ioa) sets forth a dispute between the City and the Abbot of
Stratford, who had forbidden "the Common Hunt" (communi
Venatori) to hunt upon his lands there. A little later on, the Abbot
appeared personally and excused himself; and one John Danyelle,
the actual offender, "threw himself upon and submitted himself to
the g[race]. . . ." In 1465, two citizens lately "indicted for
venison," taken by them in the Forest of Waltham, were to be de-
fended at law at the City's expense.5
The entries, so far as the Forest is concerned, here come to an
end. The next in date is one of 1501, when the Common Hunt is
directed "to burn wood in seething of his hounds' meat at More-
gate"6 ; and the next is from a Journal of 13 Henry VIII., which
gives the oath taken by a recently-elected "Common Hunt," but,
though it mentions Surrey, Middlesex, and Chiltern, it is silent as to
Essex. Sundry details with regard to the officer known as the
Common Hunt are found in an extract dated 1558,7 when two men
were appointed in his room ; both had "meate and drynke" in the
Lord Mayor's house, 4s. wages, and one livery gown out of the
Chamber, for so long as they held office. It was also ordered
that, putting away some of their worst hounds, they should thence-
forth keep but four couples of harriers and four couples of otter-
hounds -the latter they were "to provide with spede." Subsequent
entries in various books relate to the feeding and housing of the
hounds, and, during Elizabeth's reign, "a kennell of spaniels" was
added, with a couple of hawks. In 1598 we find the Mayor and
other members of the Corporation hunting "at Havering and other
places in the Forest of Waltham."8 And here, again, a marginal
4 38 Henry VI. (a.d. 1460).
5 There are earlier entries on the Forest Rolls of the presentment of citizens for killing deer
in Waltham Forest—e.g., Forest Roll—Chapter House : Box 2, No 3, m. 20 [17 Edward II.].
6 ''Repertory," i . fo. 70.
7 "Repertory," xiv., fo. 3.
8 "Repertory," xxiv., fo 278B.
D