that the trade was a "nusans" to the forests; and that no person
could use it without the licence of the Chief Justice in Eyre without
being liable to punishment by the Forest Laws, which licences the
justices of the peace could not dispense.(3)
Alehouses, inns, victuallers and refreshment places certainly
existed and were presumably licensed as needed. The records of the
Justice Seat held in 1631 contain an exact account of the names of
all the then keepers of alehouses and victuallers in sixteen vilis of the
forest. The licences contained a condition that the persons licensed
should not entertain or harbour any deer-stealers or persons suspected
to be such, and should in all things behave themselves accordingly to
the laws and customs of the forest.
There were in
Great Ilford 3 Dagenham 1 (alehouse)
Little Ilford 1 1 (victualler)
Loughton 3 Lambourn 2 (alehouses)
1 (innkeeper)
Waltham Holy Cross 21 Walthamstow 7
innholders 2
Roydon Hamlet 1 Chigwell 7
Layton 5 Wanstead 1
Chingford 3 Woodford 5
Epping innholders 5 Stratford 9
victuallers 1 innholders 2
Barking 6
innholders 3
It will be noticed that these places of refreshment were to be
found in the towns, villages and hamlets adjacent to or lying within the
forest area and not within the forest itself. In the records of the Court
of Attachments(4) of the forest for 2 August, 1716, we read that: —
"Wm. Browne (Underkeeper of Loughton Walk) presents
Wm. Maynard of Theydon Boyce for erecting a cottage and
keeping an alehouse within ye verge of ye forest without
Lycence of this Court".
Whether or not the Court found Wm. Maynard guilty on both counts
and what penalty was imposed is not stated. Probably the greater
offence was that of keeping an alehouse without licence. Again on
9 November, 1724, we read that: —
"Wm. Nun sworne in Reeve of Epping Walk in ye roome of
Richd. Collins deceased. Upon complaint of his keeping an ale-
house hes respited to a further hearing".
4