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Newsletter 43 - Spring 2005 Parliamentary Papers in New Forest local history Peter Roberts The Statutes of the Realm have been described as 'a history of England'. There is a vast forest of paper behind any Act of Parliament; much of it published and only inaccessible through its sheer volume. Amongst the reports and inquiries there is often terrific detail of local affairs. The well known reports into the New Forest of 1789, 1868 and 1875 are but the tip of the iceberg.(1) This article takes the period 1900-1916, chosen more at less at random but mirroring A Breviate of Parliamentary Papers by P and G Ford.(2) The complexity of parliamentary proceedings can be off-putting, but the guides produced by the Fords offer a way into a mass of information that is often overlooked. Professor Ford worked at Southampton University which now holds one of the best collections of parliamentary papers in the country. A previous article made use of an inquiry from 1913(3) which threw much light on the differences that persisted between Crown officials and the Commoners. The index to 'A Breviate' reveals just one local item: New Forest (Sale of Lands for Public Purposes Bill) of 1902.(4) The Ford entry includes '…Lyndhurst had grown rapidly and needed forest land for drainage. The problem had been growing for some years and had finally attracted the attention of the sanitary authority because of the recent outbreak of typhoid fever…' Even without recourse to the Select Committee Report a new line of enquiry with a date and place opens up. Sometimes the subject may be of more general interest. Not all committees consist of members of parliament. A 1912 report entitled The Improvement of Mountain and Moorland Breeds of Ponies(5) was a Board of Agriculture and Fisheries inquiry and used experts in the field. The chairman was Lord Cecil of Sway and a committee member was the Rev Thomas Dale from Burley, so there is certain to be much of local interest contained within it. Other titles may appear less obvious but will provide background information that aids understanding of local events. A departmental committee report(6) a year earlier may not seem to have any immediate local interest but could well provide data for a comparative study. The members were 'To enquire and report as to the character and extent of the British Export Trade in Live Stock (including horse and poultry) with the Colonies and other countries, and to consider whether any steps can with advantage be taken by the Board of Agriculture and Fisheries, or otherwise, with a view to its development.' The Supply of Horse for Military Purpose (England and Wales)(7), 1914-6 had a direct link to studs that existed through much of the 20th century. Robert James Bradford who had premises in Avenue Road, Brockenhurst next to the railway station was in a position to help the supply and was a successful breeder for over 40 years. The Black Knoll and Bridgelea prefixes for Stud(8) bred ponies continued the association with Bridge Farm which he owned at the turn of the century. It was remarked during the recent Foot and Mouth epidemic that little use was made of government Reports made following the outbreak in the 1960s, but this was not the first occurrence or the first parliamentary investigation. Studies initiated in 1912(9) indicated that the first recorded outbreak in this country was in 1839. Research work was considered too dangerous in Britain so an investigation was undertaken in India. The movement off the land during the last quarter of the 19th century is well known. This gave rise to economic and social concerns; one remedy was seen as the encouragement of small holders. A handful of reports between 1906-13(10) addressed these and allied problems with notes on earlier schemes, allotments, and suggestions on the design of appropriate buildings. L Jebb(11) wrote a book on the subject, published in 1907, which included a number of local examples. Seven pages are given over to describing the working of the estate of a Mr Fryer of Verwood who possessed 1600 acres on the borders of Hampshire and Dorset. An example is given of a broom-maker, who obtained the requisite heather from the New Forest, and on 3 acres of land at £1 an acre had built not only his own house but also one to let at £10 per annum. Great detail was also provided in the case of small- holdings on the estate of George Briscoe Eyre at Bramshaw. Of 68 holdings more than half were less than 13 acres. A description followed on how this was a perfectly adequate amount for a family to live on when used in conjunction with forest rights. Jebb provided a good description of the system in use and then quoted from evidence that Eyre had supplied to a Royal Commission. Eyre was aware that an earlier trend, to larger farms, would not be appropriate to his estate and actively encouraged the small holder. There can be few better examples which describe the way of life of a generation in the New Forest. Timber production and felling in wartime had a direct effect on the New Forest of course, so the Supplies of Home-Grown Pit-Wood in England and Wales(12) report of 1914 together with one on imported pit-wood gives much relevant information. Around 85% of pit-wood was imported, mostly from the Baltic. Of perhaps more long term importance were the moves made to bring professionalism into British Forestry. A Departmental report made in 1902(13) was tasked 'To inquire into and report as to the present position and future prospects of Forestry …' This starting point was similar to that of a Select Committee of 1885 whose concerns were with the 21 million acres of wastes 'a large proportion of which could be used for forestry.' The 1902 report homed in on the need for education with recommendations that lecturers in forestry should be appointed at Oxford and Cambridge and that forestry should be a part of the curriculum at agricultural colleges. The results of this and the Acland Report of 1918(14) were the setting up of the modern Forestry Commission and, by the 1920s, the appointment of professional officers in positions of authority including that of Deputy Surveyor of the New Forest. There are of course many other papers that have a bearing on aspects of local history from coastal erosion to divorce, but perhaps the most obvious omission above is the inquiry into the loss of the Titanic. Notes
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