ion of a cabin ere the morning dawned, in which
case it was supposed that the keepers had no power to pull it down. To
show the eagerness with which poor families sought to establish
themselves in the Forest, it may be mentioned that they took possession
of the ancient mine-caves, walling up the back and front, leaving a vent
for the smoke in the former, and in the latter a gap as an entrance.

Their pastimes used to be dancing and foot-ball, to the great delight of
people of all ages: indeed there are several spots yet called from the
above circumstance "the dancing green." Wakes were likewise very
popular, and also the game of fives, so that at Ruerdean one side of the
church tower was whitewashed for the purpose, and resorted to even on
Sundays. Some of the provincialisms of the district occur in the
following words--"yat" (gate), "tump" (hillock), "teart" (sharp),
"spract" (lively), "twich" (touch), "near a anoust" (near the same),
"anunt" (opposite).

Peculiarities also occur in the selection of Christian names, including
these--Benedicta, Abia, Winifred, Kezia, Barzillai, Sibylla, Eve, Saba,
Sabina, Beata, Tryphena, Belinda, Myra, Terzah, Nimrod, River, Milson,
Miles, &c. {152}

On account of the dense woods with which the Forest was anciently
covered, added to the fact that except at Newland, and perhaps at Park
End, no churches were built within it, we may conclude that at an early
period its population was small, the persons engaged in the iron and coal
works then living, as many of the working people do now, in the adjoining
parishes. Our earliest information as to the number of inhabitants
residing within its present limits relates to the time of the
Commonwealth, when "400 cabins of beggarly people living upon the waste,
and destroying the wood and timber, were thrown down." In 1712 Sir R.
Atkins states that "there had been many cottages in it, but that they had
been lately pulled down, leaving only the six keepers' houses." He gives
6,090 as the total population of the outlying parishes, thus
distributed:--

Mitcheldean 600
Little Dean 620
Newnham 400
Blakeney 250
Lydney 700
Newland 800
Clearwell 600
Coleford