ITS HISTORY.
3
orbitant fines from those who held lands within
the enlarged boundaries. He also sought to raise
money by a scheme for the total disafforestation
and sale of Waltham and other Forests.1 These
attempts caused great discontent, and were met
with determined opposition, especially in the
county of Essex, when my sturdy fellow county-
men were guilty of some " fashious actions," and
even had the impudence to hold a "conventicle"
"in the very brake where the king's stag should
have been lodged for his hunting the next morn-
ing." The result was that in the first session of
the Long Parliament an Act was passed to fix the
Forest boundaries, and a perambulation was made
which showed that Waltham Forest comprised
60,000 acres. It must not be supposed, how-
ever, that the whole of this wide area was wood-
land and heath. In the time of the Tudors there
is reason to believe that four-fifths were under
some sort of cultivation, but at the same time the
1 That this scheme was at one time nearly realised is
shown by the existence among the State Papers preserved
in the Public Record Office of a list of claims of owners,
upon a contemplated disafforestation of Waltham Forest.
Along with this is another State Paper, which shows that in
the case of Gaultres Forest the disafforestation was actually
accomplished "in pursuance of His Majesty's Royal resolu-
tion, as well for raising moneys for supply of his weighty
affairs, as for the increase of his revenue ;" and we learn
further that His Majesty received £20,000 for his share, and
also that "the said inhabitants by strong hand do make
havock and insufferable spoil of the woods, drive and keep
their cattle upon His Majesty's said part of land, and being
disturbed by the purchasers' agents, do make pound-breaches,
rescue their cattle, and beat and wound such as disturb
them."