During The Ashdown Forest Dispute 1876-1882 commoners and land owners were interviewed by the solicitor William Raper. Their comments were recorded in a series of notebooks:

Bourne, Thomas. A man of about 40. Tenant of Atheralls, Little Dallhams and Flitteridge Farms, Fletching, belonging to Lord Sheffield. I took the farms at Michaelmas 1876 and that winter before Christmas I had one load of litter from Ashdown Forest near Chelwood. I have not had any since. I have a great quantity of brakes growing on my own farm. I have not turned out.

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