Journal of Proceedings.
ciii
out that in 18G5, within the very earth-work where the party was sitting,
an act of vandalism had been perpetrated by the Lords of the Manor,
viz., the felling of five hundred fine trees, the saw-pit being still visible.
Mr. Smith vindicated the character of the old Forest Courts, whose
good intentions outlived their power of enforcing obedience, and
said that he would be happy to present to the Club his copy of the
printed transcripts of the old Court Bolls, the originals of which at the
time of the Forest litigation had been found in the possession of Mr
William D'Oyley (Honorary Surveyor to the Club, whose father had
been Surveyor to the Mornington Estate), and which had been printed
by order of the Epping Forest Commissioners.*
Mr. W. Cole, the Honorary Secretary (who had unfortunately to leave
early in order to represent the Club at the annual dinner of the well-
known Quekett Microscopical Club, held that afternoon at Chingford),
alluding to some observations in Mr. Harting's paper, remarked that con-
siderable misapprehension obtained with reference to the quantity of
open land in Waltham Forest in former days compared with that now
free to the public under the Epping Forest Act. It was commonly
stated that by the perambulation of Charles I., the " forest " (using the
word in its technical sense) was then found to embrace 60,000 acres, of
which 48,000 acres were enclosed private property, leaving 12,000 open
waste. Then in 1851 came the calamitous enclosure (by those who, from
their high position, should have protected the public rights, and not have
crushed them) of the 4,000 acres comprising the ancient forest of Hain-
hault, leaving 8,000 acres, in Epping Forest proper, to be accounted
for. But it was a very significant fact that all the most careful re-
searches had been fruitless in tracing any very considerable enclosures
previous to 1851 ; and the best authorities were of opinion that the
estimate in Charles' days of 12,000 acres waste lands in Waltham Forest
was over-rated by 2,000 acres. So that 6,000 acres may be taken to have
been the size of Epping Forest proper previous to 1850. And as the
Forest now consisted of 5,530 acres, it was manifest that the public had
not lost lands to the extent popularly supposed.
Mr. Harting briefly returned thanks, and the party then rambled by
pleasant forest glades to the " Wake Arms," the rendezvous for that old-
established institution, the " Club Tea."
The President congratulated the Club on the pleasant afternoon they
had spent, jocosely attributing the fine weather to the presence with
them of Mr. G. J. Symons, F.E.S., whose labours in the cause of mete-
orology entitled him to the designation of " Clerk of the weather."
Attention was also directed to Mr. Gearing's interesting collection of relics
found on the forest, lately shown at the Club's exhibition at the Loughton
Public Hall, including coins, pistols, spurs, padlocks, manacles, and
horse-shoes; and a start was then made for the return walk—through
* By the kindness of Mr. Smith, these interesting volumes, four in number, are
now in the Club's library.