Old Hampshire Mapped
Cox's Hampshire
Transcription (9)New Forest
William the Conqueror
hunting
William Rufus
Tyrrel, Walter, Sir
Cortoise, Henry
Thorougham
forest officers
forest laws
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.
The English at that Time took much delight in Hunting, and nothing could more displease them, than to be abridged of that Liberty, which with their Estates the Conqueror took away; for he seized upon all the Forests in England into his own Hand, which were so many, as that this Devastation to make a new one, might, some thought, have been spared: But he had a greater Design than to enlarge his Sports, for 'twas rather believed that he did it to make a more easy Access of his Normans into England, (because it lies opposite to Normandy) in case there should be any new Insurrections in this Island after his supposed Conquest, or to raise Money by Methods very unjust; for he being more merciful to Beasts than Mankind, he commanded that none should presume to hunt, or otherwise catch and destroy any of his Deer (as he called them) under the Penalty of grievous pecuniary Mulcts, and other severe Punishments, as being blinded, &c. and (as Mr. Holinshead speaks) to bring the greater Number of Men in danger of these, his Penal Laws, he contrived to increase his Deer, and enlarge the Precincts of his Forests, that Men might be provoked to kill them in defence of their Corn and Pastures, and so be liable to the aforesaid Mulcts.
Mr. Camden indeed says, that this Forest was above thirty Miles in Compass, thinking it sufficient Cruelty to destroy the Churches, and Dwellings of so great an Extent; but he comes far short of the Truth, for the Ground they afforested was not much less in Compass (as other Authors have affirmed) than fifty Miles: For this Care and Provision for Beasts the Conqueror was by some called the father of wild Beasts; and by others it was said of him, it is better to have been his Stag than his Subject.
The several fatal Accidents that befel divers of the Conqueror's Posterity in this Forest, have made most of our Historians affirm, That Divine Vengeance pursued that his cruel and unreasonable Act, and punished his Sin in the Place it was committed; and if nothing falls out by mere Chance, but Providence orders or permits all Things, who can condemn the Censure? For two of the Conqueror's own Children were killed in this Forest, viz, Richard, his second Son, who was gored to Death by a Deer, but some say poisoned with a pestilential Blast; and William Rufus, then King, shot by Sir Walter Tyrrel, as he was pursuing his Game here: and Henry his Grandchild, by Robert Curtoise, his eldest Son, who being eagerly following his Sport, was stricken by a Bough into the Jaws, and so entangled in it, that he, like Absolom, was hanged there till he died.
Leland writes, That the Place where King William Rufus was killed, was in his Time called Thorougham, and that a Chapel was then standing in it. 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 [ ] Near this Forest is
next
