have given you much intelligence respecting the matter. I shall at all times be ready to give you all the satisfaction I can in any concerns of Lord Rivers and I am your obt hble Servant

Letter from Dr. Good to Mr. Salisbury:

"WM. CHAFIN."

(Dr. Good was born at Bowerchalk, where his father lived, and in 1739 removed to Broadchalk. Dr. Good lived there till 1756, and then lived five years at Shaston.)

"Wimborn June 21 1794.

"Sir Your letter of the 17th found my Right Hand wrapped in Flannell quite unable to hold a Pen, this is the first attempt and tho' attended with Pain and Difficulty, I am resolved to give you an Answer, fearing my Silence might be imputed to a wrong cause.

"My long acquaintance with Lord Rivers, my great regard for Him, and the singular obligations I stand indebted to Him have caused uneasy feelings in my Mind on Account of the ungenerous Treatment his Lordship has received from the Wood-yates-Inn Committee.

"Can it be made a Question whether Cranborn Chace extends into Wiltshire when a very extensive Rang of the Woods are in that County ?—As to its Northern Boundary I have often, at different Times in a pretty long Life spent in Wiltshire and Dorsetshire, heard that the River Nadder or Adder fixt the Bounds, which carries more than bare Presumption with It, as Parishes, Hundreds, and Counties are bounded by Rivers-however thus much I affirm from Knowledge, that I have seen an erected Pole with Buck's Horns on the Top, at the South End of Harnham Bridge, going into Salisbury, and was told by a Keeper standing by, that It was an anniversary Remembrance that the Bounds of Cranborne Chace extended Thither; and I have heard that the like Custom had been observed at Cann-Church at the South Entrance into Shaftesbury 'tho I never was an Eye-witness to it.

"I think the following Facts serve to prove that the Chalk Bourn, I mean that String of Parishes, North of the Chace, is within Its Limits-(viz.) It frequently happened that the Keepers, upon Suspicion or Information that Venison was in any of those Parishes, went with a Warrant and proper Officers and made Search, and in whosoever House it was found, the Owner was by a Justice convicted in the same Penalty, as if when with the Deer at his Back in Cobly-Lawn.

"This Sir is I think very conclusive.

"I have heard much of Chace Matters, from (

) to 1756 I lived at the

Chalks, and 'tho I was no Deer Hunter (then so called) I was acquainted with many very respectable People who were.

66

With my most sincere Regards to Lord Rivers-I remain—Sir "Your very ob' hum Servant

Dr. Good to Mr. Salisbury:

"HENRY GOOD."

Wimborne July the 2nd 1794.

"Sir The unpleasant Business you was last week with me upon dwells much upon my mind. You will permit me therefore to communicate my Thoughts on some Points of that Contest.

"I mentioned to you that I remembered the holding of a Commission at Shaftesbury about the Bounds of the Chace, when I was a School Boy There, about the Year 1734 or 1735-but by looking into Hutchens I see, that 29th of July, 1732, at Dorchester Assizes that Dispute was determined-now if 32 was the year, I was not then at School at Shaftesbury, not going thither till the Autumn of 1733-in Case Mr. H. is correct I must have been there on a Visit to my Relations, for I well remember seeing Mr. Harry Bower at the George Gateway, when the Commission was holding-I desire therefore You will set me right in the Date-i.e., if 32 was the year the Cause was determined at Dorchester-but if Mr. H. has given an erroneous æra-what year was that Commission held at Shaftesbury?

"I think you mentioned that Mr. I.-L-s. of Aston was very possitive and circumstantial on Points touching the Boundaries-I have known Mr. I. L. his Father and Brother (who were both renowned Deer-Hunters) above Fifty years. Would then the following Questions be improper to ask Him?do you know, or have you ever heard that your Father was a renowned Deer Hunter? (now called Stealer)-have you never heard y' Father relate his Exploits, in Cap and Jack in Cranborne Chace ?-if this happened before your memory-you must well remember your Brother John was a great Deer Hunter?-did you never accompany Him? (I think He has) do you recollect any Instances of the Keepers with a Warrant and Tythingman, searching for Venison in any of the Parishes about the Chace? and on their finding any Venison, that the Person, in whose Custody It was found, being convicted? and at the Searches that the Keepers took and carried away Dogs, Nets, and other Toils, (these are Facts He must have heard of or known)— if no Instance of their searching ever happened to your knowledge-you must have repeatedly heard that the Keepers had at times in the several Parishes made such Searches, and whenever they found any Skin or Venison, the Owner of the Barn, Stable, or House where found, being carried before a Justice of the Peace, and convicted! You know also that the Deer hunters secreted their Venison under an apprehension of a Visit from the Keepers (He cannot deny It).

"I think S. you said that many Witnesses would appear on the same Proof with Mr. I. L. the same questions put to every one of Them will prove either from their knowledge, or from a general Tradition, or Report, that the Keepers have at sundry Times Searched for Venison in the adjoining Parishes, and when found, Convictions have been the Consequence-now from the Keepers exercising this Power and the Justices convicting when Venison was found-is a clear Demonstration that those Parishes and Places were deemed to lie within Cranborn Chace.

"Surely S Convictions for Venison found in the Parishes, or for hunting or killing in the Woods lying in Wiltshire must be found on a careful search -I recommend a nice Search from about 1710 to 1730.

"I think you said that it was given out, that as often as Deer came down into the Parishes They were killed in Open Day. I believe such Cases seldom happened and whenever one did, I'm pretty confident, that 'twas not as a matter of Right, but that the Party knew he had none, and also did it in such a manner (hugger; mugger) as discovered He was conscious He had none.

"Mr. I. L. and his Father kept Greyhounds, and probably he might mention an Instance of the kind-if so, and suppose even a Keeper stood by, it only proves a Connivance in the Keeper, as It was a Case that rarely happen'd and the Keepers wish'd to keep well with the substantial People in the Parishes-He and his Father were such (a rigorous x examination of I. L. and other Witnesses on the above Points will prove the Facts They are intended to controvert). The In-Bounds and Out-Bounds are Terms I have often heard mentioned, but never heard the In described, I look on it to be a Difference without a Distinction, and I am persuaded that the Witnesses on this Point will differ in their Description, some fixing the In-Bounds at the Verge of the Woods, others at the Northern l'erge of the Downs, others at the Southern verge of the Corn-Fields-as to the Bound-Road being the northern Boundary I verily believe not a single witness ever heard of before the present Enquiry-I never did-the very supposition includes the most palpable Absurdities-that line of Boundary excludes a great part of the Eastern Walks-and I think the whole of Vern or Fern-Ditch, so that before That was sold off (and that alienation cou'd not effect the Boundary) Fern Ditch Walk Part of Cranborne Chace was no part of Cranborne Chace -further as some of the Lodges are in Wiltshire, can It be supposed that the then Lord of the Chace wou'd build Lodges for the Preservation of the Deer, without the precincts of those Walks ?-and lastly-can it be supposed that the Owners of those Lands and Coppices North of the Bound Road wou'd for so many years have submitted to such a violent Trespass and Injury? Absurdity. I presume you will be provided with an accurate Plan or Map of the Chace, the Neighbourhood, and Boundary-It now only remains that I apologize for thus leaving my Line of Profession and becoming SolicitorThis you will impute to its true Cause and believe me Sir

"Your very hum Ser1.

"HENRY GOOD.

"N.B. in case the Bound Road be the Northern Boundary Mr. I. L. (or any other person) had as justifiable a Right to kill Deer in the Northern Coppices in the Face of the Sun and Presence of a Keeper, as in the CornFields of Aston--what will He say to this point? did He ever know such Instance?"

From the Deposition of Henry Harrington of Bowerchalke-72-(undated):"In D (K?) Woods in the Parish of B? chalk about 50 years ago Henry Wheeler & many others were hunting there-the Keepers came to take them and there was a Battle & Wm. Harcourt a Cobley Keeper was killed-Henry Wheeler was tried, convicted, and gibbeted in Vern ditch Walk & the rest absconded-Ralph Bond afterwds was taken and was tried & it was with difficulty he escaped."

George Hill of Rushmore Lodge-Deposition :

Says his father & himself were Keepers of the Chace, as also his grand father and great grand father-has heard his father say the Out Bounds of the Chace were run about 60 years since and that the Party began on the

Sth side at Woolbridge Eastward towards Verwood (near Fordingbridge) from thence to the stone at Fordingbridge from thence to the 16 Arch Bridge so on to Downton by the River from thence to Harnham & so on to Bull bridge has heard they proceeded from Bull bridge to the River Nadder to Tisbury by the water, to Cann Chappel, crossed again there and proceeded towards (Fonthill?) by the Stour, from thence to Canford Bridge where Horns are affixed every year & from thence pursuing the Stour to Woolbridge."

Deposition of William Brinton Nov. 6th, 1791 :

"About thirty years back I Liv'd with Mr. Arundell of Ashcombe for the space of Twelve years and During that time I saw 3 Deer at a time hang up in Mr. Arundell's Brewhouse and the Gates was order'd to be trigg'd oppen for to Let the Deer into the Park. I knowd one Sorell in Particular that was Carst in by the Greyhounds, the Haunches of that Deer waied 22 Pounds and half, and there is to Places in the Park where the Deer can Leap into the Park but they cant Leap out again. I think we had no Right to kill the Deer. They did it by stelth.

WILLIAM BRINTON."

Erlestoke and its Manor
its Manor Lords.

By JOHN WATSON-TAYLOR.

INTRODUCTION.

the north-west corner of Salisbury Plain the parish of

Imber occupies a central position and forms the southern bonndary of four small parishes that run in narrow strips to the edge of the plain and down into the vale below. The largest of these is Erlestoke, but while its length is four-and-a-half miles, its width nowhere exceeds one mile. On the west the little parish of East Coulston runs with Erlestoke from Imber to Bulkington and Keevil on the north, and on the east Great Cheverell and its small neighbour on the other side run together northwards but are brought up short by Worton, whose tithing of Marston completes

the boundary to Erlestoke. The area of Erlestoke is a little over two thousand acres, of which, roughly speaking, one-third is on the chalk of the plain, one third on the Kimmeridge Clay of the vale, and the remaining third on the Upper Green Sand, the Gault, and the Portland Sand that intervene in that order between the chalk and the clay. The village is situated, like those of its neighbours, near the foot of the downs, on the Upper Green Sand where the springs break out that have their origin in the chalk. Across the parish runs the county road that skirts this part of the plain, and further north the district road lately made in the track of an old bridle path to join East Coulston with Marston. To the north and south there is no access from within the parish except by a rough track that runs from the top of the hill, along Brouncker's Down to the parish of Imber and by a bridle road through Pudnell Farm to Bulkington and Keevil Wick. In coaching days the county road was the direct road to London by Upavon and Andover, by which route Erlestoke is ninety-three-and-a-quarter miles from London, but at the present day it is chiefly used for local traffic between the Westbury and Devizes districts, and a part of this traffic has been diverted to the new district road. On the west the nearest hard road to the south is at Westbury, seven miles off, and to the north at Edington, two-and-a-half miles; on the east the access to the south is at Littleton Panell, two-and-a half miles off; and to the north and north-west by the same road, which can be reached through Great Cheverell or Marston. The new line of the Great Western Railway from Patney to Westbury also crosses the parish, and has, to some extent, brought this quiet corner of Wiltshire into closer touch with the outside world, but Erlestoke is less affected than its neighbours, from the fact that the village is farthest removed from the two nearest stations, at Edington and Lavington. In its geographical relation to the different administrative areas of the county Erlestoke is also in a remote situation,

The grass slow-coach road from Bath to Salisbury also crosses the parish on the hill, but is not used for through traffic except by an occasional gipsy The half-way milestone stands at the junction of the track to Imber, and the distance to that village (31⁄2 miles) is cut on its south face.

van.