New Forest
New Forest (18th century)Shown on an old map by Harrison 1788
- forest - New Forest Hundred - Hampshire
Period - 1780s
Shown on an old map by Badeslade 1742
- forest - Hampshire
Period - 1740s
The place is described in text Cox 1738
- forest - Hampshire
New-Forest, the Name at first given it, tho' now it is above 600 Years old. This Place is a plain Monument of William the Conqueror's arbitrary Power and Tyranny. It was, before he turned into a Forest, a Country well inhabited, having many Villages and Towns to which belonged thirty-six Mother-Churches, all which he destroyed, turning the poor Inhabitants to seek themselves Habitations where they could find them, and placing in their room wild Beasts for his own Pleasure. This was done Reg. 14. A.D. 1080.
Walter Mapes, who lived in the next Age, makes this historical Reflection upon this Deed of the Conqueror's. He took away much Land from God and Men, and converted it to the use of wild Beasts, and the Sport of Dogs, demolishing thirty-six Mother Churches, and driving away the Inhabitants of as many Towns and Villages.
In this Forest are nine Walks, and to every one there is a Keeper appointed: It has besides a Lord Warden, two Rangers and a Bow-bearer, belonging to it. The Office of Lord Warden (as Leland says) anciently belonged to the Ears (sic) of Arundel by Inheritance, but is at present in the hands of the Duke of Bolton. The Rangers are [ ] and the Bow-bearer is [ ]
Period - 18th century, early
... the river on the west side of the town [Southampton] in particular comes by the edge of the great forest, call'd New-Forest; here we saw a prodigious quantity of timber, of an uncommon size, vastly large, lying on the shoar of the river, for above two miles in length, which they told us was brought thither from the forest, and left there to be fetch'd by the builders at Portsmouth-Dock, as they had occasion for it.
...
... as I rode through New-Forest, I cou'd see the antient oaks of many hundred years standing, perishing with their wither'd tops advanc'd up in the air, and grown white with age, and that could never yet get the favour to be cut down, and made serviceable to their country.
New Forrest / Is a plain Monument of Will: ye Conqueror's arbitrary power, & Tyranny. It was, before he turn'd it into a Forest, Ao. R~ni 14o. A.D. 1080. a Countrey well inhabited containing many Vill. & Towns, & 36 Mother Chs. all wch. he destroyed turning the poor Inhabitants to seek themselves habitations where they could find ym., The Ground afforrested here by him is sd. to have been little less than 50 M. in compass: For his care & provision for Wild Boasts, He was justly stiled their Father & for his cruelty to his Fellow Creatures under him, it was sd. of him, It is better to have been his Stag than his Subject. Divine Vengeance seems very aptly to have punish'd his Crime in ye place where it was comitted: Two of his own Children were kill'd in this Forest Vizt. Richd. his 2d. Son, who was gored to death by a Deer, or as some say poisoned with a pestilential Blast & Will. Rufus who when King was fatally by Sr. Walter Tyrrel as he was eagerly pursuing his game here. Henry his Grandson, by Robt. Curtoise his eldest Son, being likewise in eager pursuit of his Sport in this Forrest, was entangled like Absolom by a Bough, where he hanged till he died This Forest has belonging to it a Ld. Warden 2 Rangers, & a Bow-bearer.
