Verderer
Encyclopedia
Verderers are officials in Britain
who deal with Common land
in certain former royal hunting areas which are the property of The Crown
.
s set aside by William the Conqueror for hunting. The title Verderer comes from the Norman
word ‘vert’ meaning green and referring to woodland. These forests were divided into provinces each having a Chief Justice who travelled around on circuit dealing with the more serious offences. Verderers investigated and recorded minor offences and dealt with the day to day forest administration.
built around the manor house of the Royal Manor of Lyndhurst in 1388 now known as Queen’s House.
Major changes from the ancient system took place with the passing of The New Forest Act 1877, also known as the Commoners’ Charter. This increased the number of Verderers. The Official Verderer was appointed by the Crown and the others were elected locally by registered commoners living within the New Forest. The Verderers themselves each had to own more than 75 acre
s in the New Forest
with common rights attached. They were expected to control the grazing and health of the animals turned out on the Forest, to make bylaws and regulate rights of common. The reorganised Court of Swainmote was given the status of Petty Sessions and the Verderers powers of a Justice of the Peace
.
The 1949 New Forest Act reconstituted the Court of Swainmote. A register of voters was kept by the Verderers and a secret ballot
imposed to elect 5 Verderers who join 4 who were nominated by the Forestry Commission
, Ministry of Agriculture (now DEFRA), Hampshire County Council
and the Countryside Agency
, together with the appointed Official Verderer. The Court's powers were strengthened, and fencing of roads began and cattle grids introduced. The Verderers could also grant the Forestry Commission new Inclosures for timber production. Agisters carry out the day to day work with the animals on behalf of the court.
Today the New Forest
is a National Park
, run by an independent organisation operating in a local government framework and funded by central government The Verderers have a new statutory duty to take account of the purposes of National Park designation when making any decision which affects the Park (under section 62 of the Environment Act 1995). The Secretary of State issued guidance to the National Park Authority which emphasises strongly the need for the Authority to develop good working relationships with existing statutory bodies and, in particular, with the Forestry Commission, the Verderers and the Lymington Harbour Commissioners.
The New Forest Verderers still sit in open court most months and members of the public may address them on matters pertaining to the New Forest.
have been in existence since at least 1218 and are charged with protecting the vert and venison (that is, generally, the vegetation
and habitat) of the Forest. They are the last remnant of the traditional forest administration - unlike the New Forest, their structure has been unaltered over the centuries - there are still four verderers just as there has been for the past 800 years. The Verderers are elected by the freeholders of Gloucestershire
at the Gloucester
Court (an ancient procedure in its own right) and serve for life. Over the years, the deer
in the Forest of Dean have fluctuated in numbers and species (they were totally absent for about 90 years from 1855) but today a herd of about 400 fallow deer
inhabits the Forest. The Verderers now meet quarterly in their courtroom in the Speech House
, close to the centre of the Forest.
(formerly Waltham Forest) have been appointed since the early 13th century, although early records are incomplete. The office was preserved by the Epping Forest Act 1878, which named the foundation verderers of the new regime -- Sir Thomas Fowell Buxton
3rd baronet, Sir Antonio Brady, Thomas Charles Baring, and Andrew Johnston. They are nowadays elected at septennial elections among the registered commoners, two for the northern parishes, two for the southern. The verderers act as representatives of the users of the Forest, meet the Superintendent and other officials regularly, and are members of the Epping Forest Committee of the City of London
. The history of the verderers of this Forest has been meticulously researched by Richard Morris, and published in his 'Verderers and Courts of Waltham Forest in the County of Essex, 1250-2000', published at Loughton
in 2004.
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
who deal with Common land
Common land
Common land is land owned collectively or by one person, but over which other people have certain traditional rights, such as to allow their livestock to graze upon it, to collect firewood, or to cut turf for fuel...
in certain former royal hunting areas which are the property of The Crown
The Crown
The Crown is a corporation sole that in the Commonwealth realms and any provincial or state sub-divisions thereof represents the legal embodiment of governance, whether executive, legislative, or judicial...
.
Origins
Verderers were originally part of the ancient judicial and administrative hierarchy of the vast areas of English forests and Royal ForestRoyal forest
A royal forest is an area of land with different meanings in England, Wales and Scotland; the term forest does not mean forest as it is understood today, as an area of densely wooded land...
s set aside by William the Conqueror for hunting. The title Verderer comes from the Norman
Normans
The Normans were the people who gave their name to Normandy, a region in northern France. They were descended from Norse Viking conquerors of the territory and the native population of Frankish and Gallo-Roman stock...
word ‘vert’ meaning green and referring to woodland. These forests were divided into provinces each having a Chief Justice who travelled around on circuit dealing with the more serious offences. Verderers investigated and recorded minor offences and dealt with the day to day forest administration.
New Forest Verderers
The New Forest Verderers still hold their courts at the Verderers’ Hall in Lyndhurst, HampshireLyndhurst, Hampshire
Lyndhurst is a village and civil parish in the New Forest, Hampshire, England. It is a popular tourist location with many independent shops, art galleries, cafés, restaurants, pubs and hotels. The nearest city is Southampton located around nine miles to the north-east...
built around the manor house of the Royal Manor of Lyndhurst in 1388 now known as Queen’s House.
Major changes from the ancient system took place with the passing of The New Forest Act 1877, also known as the Commoners’ Charter. This increased the number of Verderers. The Official Verderer was appointed by the Crown and the others were elected locally by registered commoners living within the New Forest. The Verderers themselves each had to own more than 75 acre
Acre
The acre is a unit of area in a number of different systems, including the imperial and U.S. customary systems. The most commonly used acres today are the international acre and, in the United States, the survey acre. The most common use of the acre is to measure tracts of land.The acre is related...
s in the New Forest
New Forest
The New Forest is an area of southern England which includes the largest remaining tracts of unenclosed pasture land, heathland and forest in the heavily-populated south east of England. It covers south-west Hampshire and extends into south-east Wiltshire....
with common rights attached. They were expected to control the grazing and health of the animals turned out on the Forest, to make bylaws and regulate rights of common. The reorganised Court of Swainmote was given the status of Petty Sessions and the Verderers powers of a Justice of the Peace
Justice of the Peace
A justice of the peace is a puisne judicial officer elected or appointed by means of a commission to keep the peace. Depending on the jurisdiction, they might dispense summary justice or merely deal with local administrative applications in common law jurisdictions...
.
The 1949 New Forest Act reconstituted the Court of Swainmote. A register of voters was kept by the Verderers and a secret ballot
Secret ballot
The secret ballot is a voting method in which a voter's choices in an election or a referendum are anonymous. The key aim is to ensure the voter records a sincere choice by forestalling attempts to influence the voter by intimidation or bribery. The system is one means of achieving the goal of...
imposed to elect 5 Verderers who join 4 who were nominated by the Forestry Commission
Forestry Commission
The Forestry Commission is a non-ministerial government department responsible for forestry in Great Britain. Its mission is to protect and expand Britain's forests and woodlands and increase their value to society and the environment....
, Ministry of Agriculture (now DEFRA), Hampshire County Council
Hampshire County Council
Hampshire County Council is the county council that governs the majority of the county of Hampshire in England. It provides the upper tier of local government, below which are district councils, and town and parish councils...
and the Countryside Agency
Countryside Agency
The Countryside Agency in England was a statutory body set up in 1999 with the task of improving the quality of the rural environment and the lives of those living in it. The Agency was formed by merging the Countryside Commission and the Rural Development Commission...
, together with the appointed Official Verderer. The Court's powers were strengthened, and fencing of roads began and cattle grids introduced. The Verderers could also grant the Forestry Commission new Inclosures for timber production. Agisters carry out the day to day work with the animals on behalf of the court.
Today the New Forest
New Forest
The New Forest is an area of southern England which includes the largest remaining tracts of unenclosed pasture land, heathland and forest in the heavily-populated south east of England. It covers south-west Hampshire and extends into south-east Wiltshire....
is a National Park
National park
A national park is a reserve of natural, semi-natural, or developed land that a sovereign state declares or owns. Although individual nations designate their own national parks differently A national park is a reserve of natural, semi-natural, or developed land that a sovereign state declares or...
, run by an independent organisation operating in a local government framework and funded by central government The Verderers have a new statutory duty to take account of the purposes of National Park designation when making any decision which affects the Park (under section 62 of the Environment Act 1995). The Secretary of State issued guidance to the National Park Authority which emphasises strongly the need for the Authority to develop good working relationships with existing statutory bodies and, in particular, with the Forestry Commission, the Verderers and the Lymington Harbour Commissioners.
The New Forest Verderers still sit in open court most months and members of the public may address them on matters pertaining to the New Forest.
Forest of Dean Verderers
The Verderers in the Forest of DeanForest of Dean
The Forest of Dean is a geographical, historical and cultural region in the western part of the county of Gloucestershire, England. The forest is a roughly triangular plateau bounded by the River Wye to the west and north, the River Severn to the south, and the City of Gloucester to the east.The...
have been in existence since at least 1218 and are charged with protecting the vert and venison (that is, generally, the vegetation
Vegetation
Vegetation is a general term for the plant life of a region; it refers to the ground cover provided by plants. It is a general term, without specific reference to particular taxa, life forms, structure, spatial extent, or any other specific botanical or geographic characteristics. It is broader...
and habitat) of the Forest. They are the last remnant of the traditional forest administration - unlike the New Forest, their structure has been unaltered over the centuries - there are still four verderers just as there has been for the past 800 years. The Verderers are elected by the freeholders of Gloucestershire
Gloucestershire
Gloucestershire is a county in South West England. The county comprises part of the Cotswold Hills, part of the flat fertile valley of the River Severn, and the entire Forest of Dean....
at the Gloucester
Gloucester
Gloucester is a city, district and county town of Gloucestershire in the South West region of England. Gloucester lies close to the Welsh border, and on the River Severn, approximately north-east of Bristol, and south-southwest of Birmingham....
Court (an ancient procedure in its own right) and serve for life. Over the years, the deer
Deer
Deer are the ruminant mammals forming the family Cervidae. Species in the Cervidae family include white-tailed deer, elk, moose, red deer, reindeer, fallow deer, roe deer and chital. Male deer of all species and female reindeer grow and shed new antlers each year...
in the Forest of Dean have fluctuated in numbers and species (they were totally absent for about 90 years from 1855) but today a herd of about 400 fallow deer
Fallow Deer
The Fallow Deer is a ruminant mammal belonging to the family Cervidae. This common species is native to western Eurasia, but has been introduced widely elsewhere. It often includes the rarer Persian Fallow Deer as a subspecies , while others treat it as an entirely different species The Fallow...
inhabits the Forest. The Verderers now meet quarterly in their courtroom in the Speech House
Speech House
The Speech House is the administrative building of the Forest of Dean in Gloucestershire, England, lying at the centre of the forest on the road from Coleford to Cinderford....
, close to the centre of the Forest.
Epping Forest Verderers
Verderers in the former Royal Forest of EppingEpping Forest
Epping Forest is an area of ancient woodland in south-east England, straddling the border between north-east Greater London and Essex. It is a former royal forest, and is managed by the City of London Corporation....
(formerly Waltham Forest) have been appointed since the early 13th century, although early records are incomplete. The office was preserved by the Epping Forest Act 1878, which named the foundation verderers of the new regime -- Sir Thomas Fowell Buxton
Thomas Fowell Buxton
Sir Thomas Fowell Buxton, 1st Baronet was an English Member of Parliament, brewer, abolitionist and social reformer....
3rd baronet, Sir Antonio Brady, Thomas Charles Baring, and Andrew Johnston. They are nowadays elected at septennial elections among the registered commoners, two for the northern parishes, two for the southern. The verderers act as representatives of the users of the Forest, meet the Superintendent and other officials regularly, and are members of the Epping Forest Committee of the City of London
City of London
The City of London is a small area within Greater London, England. It is the historic core of London around which the modern conurbation grew and has held city status since time immemorial. The City’s boundaries have remained almost unchanged since the Middle Ages, and it is now only a tiny part of...
. The history of the verderers of this Forest has been meticulously researched by Richard Morris, and published in his 'Verderers and Courts of Waltham Forest in the County of Essex, 1250-2000', published at Loughton
Loughton
Loughton is a town and civil parish in the Epping Forest district of Essex. It is located between 11 and 13 miles north east of Charing Cross in London, south of the M25 and west of the M11 motorway and has boundaries with Chingford, Waltham Abbey, Theydon Bois, Chigwell and Buckhurst Hill...
in 2004.
External links
- http://www.deanverderers.org.uk
- http://www.verderers.org.uk
- http://www.newforest.hampshire.org.uk
- http://www.newforestnpa.gov.uk/index.html