T he Charter of the Forest was first issued in 1217, by the government running England on behalf of the underage king, Henry III (1216–72). At the time, England was emerging from a civil war and the Forest Charter was issued as a partner to Magna Carta to bring former rebels back into the fold. In fact, it was the creation of the Forest Charter in 1217 that led to the name ‘Magna Carta’ (i.e. Great Charter) for the main charter of liberties, to distinguish it from its new, smaller partner. Like Magna Carta, the Forest Charter was revised in 1225 for its final version.
A charter was a record of a grant of land or privilege, written on parchment and authenticated by a wax seal. In 1225, England’s churchmen took on the role of enforcing the charters, and so they were also read out in parish churches. The contents of the charters would thus have been familiar to women and men of all levels of society.
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