Transcript Historical Minute Book 1923 to 1931 - Ashdown Forest

Election of ConservatorsThe Clerk reports that the Conservators who retire by rotation on the 31 st inst. are Mr. William Mitchell Colonel,Colonel Charles Needham, Mr. William Webb Spencer Follett and Lieutenant Colonel Douglas Loftus who hasexpressed his desire to retire.The Chairman then invite nominations to fill the first three vacancies.It is proposed by Mr. Martin and seconded by Mr. Kenward that Mr. William Mitchell be re-elected a Conservator.It is proposed by Mr. Freshfield and seconded by Mr. Mitchell that Colonel Charles Needham be re-elected aConservator.It is proposed by Mr. Kenward and seconded by Mr. Osborne that Mr. William Webb Spencer Follett be re-electeda Conservator.No other Commoner having been proposed to fill the first three vacancies the Chairman declares the above threeGentlemen duly elected Conservators for the ensuing three years ending the 31 st December 1926.The Chairman then invites nominations to fill the vacancy occasioned by the retirement of Lieutenant ColonelLoftus.It is proposed by Sir Stanley Colville and seconded by Mr. Freshfield that Captain Tufton Percy Hamilton BeamishC.B.R.N. be elected a Conservator in the place of Lieutenant Colonel Loftus. No other Commoner being proposedto fill this vacancy the Chairman declares Captain Beamish duly elected a Conservator for the ensuing three years.Dodds Bottom Footpath RepairA letter is read from Mr. W. Tyler of Dodds Bottom drawing attention to the very bad condition of the footpaththere from the main road which is unfit for the children going to school and a danger to adults in the dark. TheChairman promises that the matter shall be dealt with by the Board of Conservators.Rights of CommonersIn reply to Mr. Duckworth the Clerk explains the rights of the Commoners to Common of pasture levant andcouchan to take brakes and litter in the prescribed months for littering stock on the properties entitled to rights ofcommon and in some cases to take estovers of birch, willow and alder for fuel, but that there are now very few ofsuch trees growing on the Forest and that the fuel can only be taken for and used upon ancient hearths on propertyentitled to common rights which hearths must have existed long before 1689.On the motion of Mr. Kenward seconded by Sir Stanley Colville it is unanimously resolved that a hearty vote ofthanks be tendered to the Chairman for the very able and sympathetic manner in which he has carried out theduties of ChairmanChairmanA Meeting of the Conservators of Ashdown Forest duly convened and held at the Nutley Inn, at Nutley,on Friday, the 19 th day of December, 1923 at 11.45 a.m.Mr. George M. Maryon – Wilson in the chairAdmiral The Hon. Sir Stanley C.J. Colville K. C.BMr. James CardMr. W.W.S. Follett″ D.W. Freshfield″ Robert Kenward″ Edward Martin″ William Mitchell″ Thomas Osborne