
The Reasons for passing this Act.; What shall be the Metes and Bounds of Forests.; Presentments, &c. since 20 Jac. 1. contrary hereunto shall be void.Whereas by Act of Parliament made in the first yeare of the Reign of the late King Edward the third it
is ordained That the old Perambulation of the Forrest in the time of King Edward the first should be
thenceforth holden in like forme as it was then ridden and bounded and in such places where it was not bounden
the King would that it should be bounded by good Men and lawfull And whereas for many Ages past certaine Meets
Meeres Limits and Bounds of the Forrests have beene commonly knowne & observed in the severall Counties
wherein the said Forrests lie. And whereas of late divers Presentments have beene made and some Judgements given
whereby the Meetes Meers Limits and Bounds of some of the said Forrests have beene variously extended or pretended
to extend beyond some of the said Meets Meers Limits and Bounds so commonly known and formerly observed to
the great greivance and vexation of many persons having Lands adjoyning to the said Meetes Meers Limits and
Bounds so comonly knowne and formerly observed And whereas of late time some Endeavours or Pretentes have
beene to set on foot Forrests in some parts of this Realme and the Dominion of Wales where in truth none have
been or ought to bee or at least have not been used of long time For remedy thereof May it please your most
Excellent Majestie that  be declared and Enacted by Authority of Parliament And be it declared and Enacted by the
Kings most Excellent Majestie and the Lords and Commons in this present Parliament assembled and by the
Authoritie of the same That from henceforth the Meets Meers Limits and Bounds of all and every the Forrests
respectively shall be to all intents and purposes taken adjudged and deemed to extend no further respectively then
the Meets Meeres Limits & Bounds which in the severall Counties respectively wherein the said Forrests doe lie were
co[m]monly known reputed used or taken to be the Meets Meers Limits and Bounds of the said Forrests respectively
in the twentieth yeare of the Reigne of our late Soveraigne Lord King James and not beyond in any wise any
Perambulation or Perambulations Presentments Extents Surveys Judgments Records Decrees or other matter or thing
whatsoever to the contrary notwithstanding And that all and every the Presentments since the said twentieth yeare
made and all and every other Presentment and Presentments and all and every Judgement and award upon or by
reason or pretext of any such Presentment or Presentments and all and every Perambulation & Perambulations
Surveys Extents and other Act and Acts at any time heretofore had or made by which the Meets Meers Limits or
Bounds of the said Forrests or any of them are or are pretended to be further extended then as aforesaid And
alsoe all and every Presentment of any person or persons at any Justice seat Swainemote or Court of Attachments
for or by reason or by colour of any Act or Acts whatsoever done or committed in any place without or beyond the
said Meets Meers Limits or Bounds respectively so comonly knowne reputed used or taken as aforesaid and all and
every Fine and Fines and Amercement and Amercements upon by reason or colour of any such Presentment or
Presentments shall from henceforth be adjudged deemed and taken to be utterly void and of no force or effect Any
Law Statute Record or pretence whatsoever to the contrary notwithstanding
II. 
hath been within 60 Years, before 1 Car. I. shall be accounted Forest.
And be it further enacted by the Authoritie aforesaid That no place or places within this Realm of England or
Dominion of Wales where no such Justice seat Swainemote or Court of Attachment have been held or kept or where
no Verderers have been chosen or regard made within the space of sixtie yeares next before the first yeare of his
Majesties Reigne that now is shall be at any time hereafter judged deemed or taken or taken to be Forrest or within
the bounds or meets of the Forrests But the same shall be from henceforth for ever hereafter disafforrested and
freed and exempted from the Forrests Laws Any Justice seat Swainemote or Court of Attachment held or kept within
or for any such place or places at any time or times since the begining of his Majesties said Reigne or any presentment
enquiry Act or thing heretofore made or hereafter to be made or done to the contrary notwithstanding
III. 
Commissions under the Great Seal shall be issued.; Inquest on Oath of Witnesses.; Inquests to be returned into Chancery.; Commissioners may proceed without Officers.
Provided also and be it further enacted by the Authoritie aforesaid That for the better putting into certaintie all
and every the Meetes Meeres Bounds and Limits of all and every the Forrests as aforesaid the Lord Chancellour
or Lord Keeper of the great Seale of England for the time being shall by vertue of this Act upon request of any
of the Peers of this Kingdome or of the Knights and Burgesses of the Parliament or any of them grant severall
Commissions under the great Seale of England to Commissioners to be nominated respectively by the said Peers
Knights and Burgesses or any of them to enquire of and find out by Inquests of good and lawfull men upon Oath
and by the Oathes of Witnesses to bee produced at the said Inquests and by all other lawfull meanes all and every
the Meeres Meetes Bounds and Limits of the Forrests respectively which were commonly known to be their Meers
Meets Bounds and Limits respectively in the said twentieth yeare of the Reigne of our late Soveraigne Lord King
James And to return the Inquests so taken into the Court of Chancerie and that all and every the Sheriffes and
Bayliffes of and in everie Countie wherein any such Inquests shall be soe to be taken And all and every the
Verderers Forresters Rangers and other Officers of the Forrests respectively where any such Officers be shall be assistant
and attendant to the executions of the said Commissions according as by vertue of the said Commissions respectively
they shall be commanded And where no such Officers are or where such Officers be if they or any of them shall
refuse or neglect such assistance and attendance as aforesaid Then the said Commissioners shall and may proceed
without them in the execution of the said Commissions
IV. 
Places not having Metes, &c. declared free.
And be it further Enacted by the Authority aforesaid That the Forrests whereof the Meets Meers Limits and
Bounds shall be so returned and certified by vertue of any the said Commissions as aforesaid from thenceforth
shall not extend nor be extended nor be deemed adjudged or taken to extend any further in any wise then the Meets Meeres Limits and Bounds that shall be so returned and certified And that all the places and Territories
that shall be without the Meets Meers Limits and Bounds so returned and certified shall be and are hereby
declared to be from thenceforth free to all intents and purposes as if the same had never been Forrest or so reputed
Any Act or Acts matter or thing whatsoever to the contrary there of notwithstanding
V. 
Provided and be it further Enacted by the Authority aforesaid That all and every the grounds Territories or
places which have beene or are Deafforrested or mentioned to be Deafforrested in or by any Letters Patents Charters
or otherwise since the said twentieth yeare of the Reign of our said late Soveraign Lord King James shall be
excluded and left out of the Meets Meers Limits and Bounds of the Forrests which are to bee enquired of returned
and certified by vertue of the said Commissions or any of them respectively And shall be and hereby are declared
and Enacted to be utterly Deafforrested free and exempt to all intents and purposes as if the same had never been
at all Forrest or so reputed Any thing in this present Act contained or any other Act matter or thing whatsoever
to the contrary in any wise notwithstanding
VI. 
Provided neverthelesse and be it Enacted That the Tenants Owners and Occupiers and every of them of Lands
and Tenements which shall be excluded and left out of the Meetes Meeres Limits or Bounds of the Forrests to
be returned and certified by vertue of any the said Commissions shall or may use and enjoye such Common and
other proffits and easements within the Forrests as anciently or accustomably they have used and enjoyed Any
thing in this present Act contained or any Act or Ordinance made in the three and thirtieth yeare of King
Edward the first or any Custome or Law of the Forrest or any other matter or thing to the contrary thereof
notwithstanding.