The duty of the Reeve, therefore, is very simple, He
has to ascertain three things when any cattle are presented
to him to be marked :—
(1) Does the owner of the cattle occupy land within
any of the Forest Parishes ?
(2) What is the quantity and the rent?
(3) Was that land formerly part of the waste lands
of the Forest, and if such land be land which
was formerly waste, the owner of the cattle
has no right of common, and the cattle should
not be marked ?
If the Reeve finds that the owner of the cattle does
occupy land within the Forest Parishes which was not
formerly waste land, then if it amounts in quantity to at
least half an acre the cattle may be marked according to
the scale of rental before mentioned, namely, £4 for
every two cows or one horse. In the case of a poor
Cottager having a family, if he occupies sufficient land to
make him a Commoner, that is to say, at least half an
acre, two cows or one horse may be marked for him
although his rent does not amount to £4 per annum.
It would scarcely be possible to keep two cows or one
horse on less than one acre of land, and, therefore, with
the view of making the right of common as wide as is
consistent with reason, the Conservators have resolved
that there must be an occupation of at least half an acre
to entitle an owner or occupier to a right of common.
In considering this scale of rental the Reeves must
bear in mind that it is the land to which the right of
common is attached and not the house. For instance,
many persons occupy large houses either as private