a legal right to take their recreation at pleasure over the lands of any
persons. Whilst such use was widespread in the forest, the working
classes in the 19th century had little leisure to spare. Bank holidays
as we know them were not introduced until Sir John Lubbock's Act
of 1871 was passed. The usual feast days such as Easter Sunday and
Whitsunday and so on did bring the public in numbers to the forest
and they probably obtained such refreshments as they needed from
the inns and public houses.
Jubilee Forest Retreat
The decision by Sir George Jessel, Master of the Rolls, which
declared for the rights of Intercommonage and the illegality of the
enclosures since 1851 was given in 1874. In 1878, Parliament passed
the Epping Forest Act which finally disafforested the royal forest and
gave the public the right to use it for their recreation and enjoyment.
The publicity attendant upon the result of the legal action taken by the
Corporation and even since the beginning of the case gave rise to a
greatly increased activity and interest in the forest. The public were
not slow to take advantage of any opportunity of visiting the forest to
see the area for themselves. Not only the local residents but others
more commercially minded were not slow to see the possibilities.
8