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had been rapidly disappearing. The Earl of
Mornington, who was hereditary Lord Warden of
the Forest, and as such bound to protect the rights
of the Crown, was also the owner of several Manors
within the Forest, viz.: Wanstead, Aldersbrooke,
Ruckholts and Woodford, the Forest Lands of which
he was desirous of enclosing and turning into his
private property. Having nominated his own Solicitor
to be Steward of the Verderers Court, which was the
ancient Forestal Court, appointed to protect as well
the Crown as the commoners, and to abate enclosures,
two also out of the four Verderers being Lords of Ma-
nors, interested in and making enclosures, and always
voting against any proceedings being taken to throw
them out, the whole forestal machinery for abating
enclosures came to an end. Lord Mornington then
proceeded to enclose the waste lands in his Manors as
fast as persons were willing to take them, and
finding how easy the process was, and that no steps
were taken by the Crown or the commoners to
prevent what was going on, his Lordship proceeded
to grant to a Trustee for himself in the Manor
of Wanstead 170 acres of open Forest land, in the
Manor of Woodford 230 acres, and in the Manor of
Ruckholts 38 acres.
Having thus, in defiance both of law and right,
turned these open public lands into private property,
Lord Mornington sold the land thus enclosed, or granted