▪ I. † ˈverderer1 Obs.—1
[Extended form of verder1: cf. next.]
= verdure 3.
| c 1550 Disc. Common Weal Eng. (1893) 85 The arrisses, verderers, and tapstrie worke, wheare with they be hanged. |
▪ II. verderer2
(ˈvɜːdərə(r))
Forms: α. 6–7 verderour, 7–9 -or. β. 7– verderer. γ. 8– verdurer.
[a. AF. verderer (1278), extended form of verder verder2, f. OF. verd (var. of vert: see verd n. and vert n.1):—L. viridis green. In med.L. rendered by viridarius.]
1. ‘A judicial officer of the King's forest..sworn to maintain and keep the assises of the forest, and also to view, receive, and enroll the attachments and presentments of all manner of trespasses of the forest, of vert and venison’ (Manwood).
In later use chiefly surviving in connexion with New, Epping, and Dean Forests. Otherwise only arch. or Hist.
| α 1541–2 Act 33 Hen. VIII, c. 38 §5 Surveiyng of Woodes..in any of y⊇ said Parkes, Forrestes or chases,..and the namynge, rulinge and orderinge of the verderours thereof. 1614 Selden Titles Hon. 269 These..foure seem to haue been as those which later time haue stiled Verderors of the Forest. 1644 Coke's Inst. iv. c. 73 Courts of Forests (1797) 289 It was presented by the foresters, verderors, and agisters that the plaintiff has chased and taken deer within the forest. 1667–8 [see regarder 1]. 1747 Carte Hist. Eng. I. 709 He..appointed likewise in each [part] two gentlemen of his household, as verderors to take care of the vert and venison. 1765 Blackstone Comm. I. 343 He is likewise to decide the elections of knights of the shire,..of coroners, and of verderors. 1791 Gilpin Forest Scenery ii. 20 Besides these officers..there are four others, called verderors. Ibid. 21 The verderor is an ancient forest-officer. 1866 Chamb. Jrnl. Apr. 261/1 Under the Norman régime, the officers of the Forest were Verderors, Regarders, and Foresters (besides others). Ibid. 261/2 The verderor, to look after the vert. |
| β 1611 Cotgr., Segrayer, a Verderer, or such a like Officer of some authoritie, in forrests. c 1645 Howell Lett. (1655) II. iv. xvi. 39 A Forest hath Lawes of her own, to take cognisance of all trespasses; she hath also her peculiar Officers, as Foresters, Verderers, Regarders, Agisters, &c. 1664 Evelyn Sylva 114 The amplitude of the distance..resign'd to the care of the Verderer. c 1710 C. Fiennes Diary (1888) 39 There are severall Rangers of y⊇ forest, and 6 verderers y{supt} are their justices or judges of all matters relateing to ye forest. 1812 W. Taylor in Monthly Mag. XXXIV. 210 A forest has laws and officers of its own, as foresters, verderers, &c. 1840 Penny Cycl. XVI. 175/1 The verderers and regarders [of the New Forest] are chosen by the free⁓holders of Hampshire. Ibid., The verderers have no salary, emolument, or perquisite, besides a fee buck and a fee doe yearly. 1892 Times 16 July 11/2 Hampshire..has completed its roll of Unionist county members, the New Forest Division..returning the son of the Verderer, Lord Montagu. |
| γ 1734 Sir R. Atkins' Parl. & Pol. Tracts 62 As Coroners and Verdurers [1689 Verderers]..are chosen by Writ at the County-Court to this day. 1763 Martin Nat. Hist. Eng. II. 221 The..Forest of Sherwood..has..a Ranger, 4 Verdurers, 12 Regarders. 1826 Scott Woodst. xxxii, [The] hut..of old Martin the verdurer. 1884 Tennyson Becket i. iv, The King's verdurer caught him a-hunting in the forest, and cut off his paws. |
† 2. local. A petty constable having supervision of a city ward. Obs.—1
| 1791 [see verdery]. |