[1594/4/31]¹

Regarding enclosure of the king's parks and forests and increase of wildfowl and venison

Our sovereign lord and his estates in this present parliament, foreseeing that his whole woods, forests, parks, enclosures, female deer, roe deer, harts, hinds, fallow deer, pheasants, fowls and other wild beasts within the same are greatly destroyed and daily decreases by reason the acts and statutes which are set down against the destroyers of the said woods, forests, parks, enclosures and slayers of the said wild beasts have not been put into execution, so that all men have taken liberty to destroy and slay at their own appetites. For remedy whereof, and better maintenance of his highness's royal pastime in time coming, it is statute and ordained that whatsoever person or persons at any time hereafter shall happen to cut any timber or green wood within his highness's woods or parks, or shall happen to slay deer, harts, pheasants, fowls, partridges or other wildfowl whatsoever, either with gun, crossbow, hand-bow, dogs, hawks or snares or by other engine whatsoever within the same, or that be found shooting with any gun therein without special licence and tolerance of his majesty had and obtained thereto, or that slays any of his highness's deer straying in time of storms to barnyards or other parts most nearest seeking their food, or be found tried to have shot with hackbut in the winter night within any of the foresaid woods or parks, or within the space of one mile thereabouts, whether they be apprehended slaying the deer or not, that their whole goods and gear shall be escheat and seized to his highness's use, and their persons punished at his highness's will; and this to be an ordinary point of indictment, and the offender to be criminally accused hereon in all times hereafter. And also it is statute and ordained that if any person or persons shall happen to put any of their goods within the said woods, forests, parks or enclosures, the same shall be confiscated and escheat; and that it shall be permissible to the keepers to intromit therewith at their own hands without any further process of law, and they to be free of all danger and action that in any way may follow and ensue thereupon, the one half to be employed to our sovereign lord's use and the other half to the foresters and keepers. And likewise it is statute and ordained that no person nor persons shall hunt nor hawk within the bounds of six miles to any of his highness's woods, parks, castles and palaces; and in case any do in the contrary, that each person contravening shall pay the sum of £100 money, the one half thereof to the informer of them and the other half to his highness's use; and also whatsoever person shall be discovered or tried to have slain harts or any kind of wildfowl in snow or any other time with guns or snares, or yet be found to have shot at duck, drake or hare or other wildfowl with a hackbut within any part of this realm, that they shall be subject to the foresaid penalty of £100. And in case they or any of them be not responsible, to be punished in their persons at his highness's will and pleasure.