Blackstone, John. Living at High Gate near Kidbrook. Has lived there all his life. Aged 79. Has worked Honeywell and Greenhall quarries near Wych Cross on the Forest, and his Father before him. They rented the quarries from Lord De La Warr under written agreement at fixed rent. Produces the last agreement with George John, Lord De La Warr, dated 10th Dec. 1860 (not stamped), letting the two quarries described as within the Manor of Duddleswell at £10 per annum and agreeing not to allow anyone else to dig stone in the parish of East Grinstead other than the road surveyors. Knows that numbers of persons took stone within the parish but would not pay for it, particularly one gentlemen who lived at Plaw Hatch about 4 or 5 years. He had a large quantity for building and (I understood) never paid for it.

I worked at Ashdown House for Mr. Augustus Elliott Fuller when a lad as a mason off and on for years. I know he used large quantities of litter. Used to see it in his yards and have met his teams carrying [it] off the Forest.

Mr. Fuller used to hunt a private pack of harriers on the Forest. I have seen him hunting many a time.

Edward Heaver used to have Tablehurst Farm for many years, as far back as I can remember. He was succeeded by Turner the present tenant who has had it 30 years or more. Heaver was a great farmer. He used to keep a wonderful lot of stock and make a great quantity of manure and he had an enormous lot of litter off the Forest. I used to see the teams passing my house 2 or 3 times a day with litter and often saw it in his yards. I daresay he had as much as 20 or 30 loads of litter. He was a miller and used to get people who owed him money to cut litter to offset his account. Turner his successor has always had it since. He had it last year. I am not sure he has had any this year.

I have always turned out stock and sheep on the Forest and cut litter and brakes and had peat and scrubby wood for fuel and bushes and scrub for fencing.

We used to do anything we liked but I don't know if they will let us walk in the Forest now. The Forest has been cut too hard of late years. The proceedings recently taken has somewhat checked it and the litter and grass has wonderfully improved in consequence.