128 BOUNDARY STONES OF THE FOREST OF WALTHAM.
is now complete. In the original paper I stated that the Collier
Row Stone could not be found (loc. cit. p. y). Since 1895 many
inquiries have been made and a detailed examination of the
district has also been carried out recently by Messrs, F. W. and
H. Campion, who in 1908 published a paper, with photo-
graphic reproductions showing the existing state of the stones, in
The Antiquary (Vol. IV., p. 171). These observers also failed to
find the missing stone. In November 1908 Mr. Henry A. Cole
accidentally discovered the long-lost Collier Row Stone, with a
portion of the original inscription still faintly legible, in a hedge
by the road side at Hainault Lodge. It is nearly a mile away
from its original site and must have been removed to its present
position during the disturbances of the district connected with
the disafforestation of Hainault Forest. It has also been utilised
as a later landmark, since a newer and irrelevant inscription has
been cut below the original inscription of 1641-42.
One other point connected with these stones may be referred
to in extension of the suggestion put forward in 1895. In two
instances, viz., the Forest Bounds Stone and Mark's Stone, an
old and much-weathered stone with no visible inscription stands
beside the stone bearing the 1641-42 inscription. It must be
borne in mind that the object of the perambulation in the 17th
year of Charles I. was to disafforest all those portions of the
county to the east of the boundary and to move the boundary
westwards to the same limits as those which had been fixed in
the 20th year of James I. The limits then recognised, i.e., in
1622-23, evidently gave a much more restricted area of
"afforested" district than was comprised under the earlier
perambulation of 1301, as may be seen on comparing the text of
the perambulations of the latter date, and of 1641-42 (Fisher's
Forest of Essex, pp. 393 and 400). The question, therefore, arises,
when were the bounds moved to those recognised in 1622-23 ?
I cannot find that any formal Perambulation was made
between 1301 and 1641-42. According to Fisher the Act of
1640 (16th Charles I.) "declared that from thenceforth the
meets, meers,2 limits, and bounds of all the forests should be
2 In connection with the use of this word, of Anglo-Saxon root and indiscriminately
spelt "mere," "mear," or "meare," the following definition is of interest as bearing upon
the above application of the word:-"Mearstones, reclius mearck-stones Sunt lapides
terminates, terras limitant et discernment. Bounds. Borders. Limits, Marches." From The
Guide into Tongues, Minsheu, London, 1625. I am indebted to Mr. Arthur Betts for calling
my attention to this work.