Hist. Forms: see WOOD sb.1; also 6 wodwarte, 7 wooddard. [Late OE. wuduweard, f. WOOD sb.1 + WARD sb.1 Survives as a surname in the forms Woodward and Woodard.] The keeper of a wood; an officer of a wood or forest, having charge of the growing timber.
c. 1050. Rect. Sing. Pers., § 19 (Liebermann 452). Wuduwearde ʓebyreð ælc windfylled treow.
1290. Rolls of Parlt., I. 26/1. Wodewardos & proprios Forestar’ ac Ministros Boscorum suorum predictorum. Ibid. (1324–5), 422/2. Le Wodeward Sire Johan de Brakenbery.
c. 1440. Promp. Parv., 531/2. Wodewarde, or walkare in a wode for kepynge, lucarius.
1495. Rolls of Parlt., VI. 466/1. The Office of Woodwarde within the Countie of Caernarvan.
1563. Bp. Sandys, in Strype, Ann. Ref. (1709), I. xxxv. 356. [He] is now my tenant and my bailiff and woodward of my manour.
1570. Levins, Manip., 33/43. A Wodwarte, saltuarius.
1619. T. Clay, Chorol. Disc., 25. The Wood-ward is … an Officer of Charge, vnto whose care and trust, the custodie of the Lords Woods, and Receipt of the profits arising out of the same, are chiefly committed.
1638. Whiting, Albino & Bellama, 109. The wooddards greene with Tyrian dye was dight.
a. 1647. Habington, Surv. Worc. (Worc. Hist. Soc. Proc.), I. 454. Heerevppon dyd the Byshop of Worcester appoynt hys servant to bee hys woodward in Wenlond, and within the chase of Maluern.
1710. Brit. Apollo, III. No. 119. 4/1. James Worseley, Esq.; is made Woodward of the New Forest.
a. 1722. Lisle, Husb. (1757), 361. My woodward assures me, that windy weather makes the sap rise much sooner in trees than it would otherwise do.
1791. W. Gilpin, Forest Scenery, II. 20. The first officer [of the New Forest], under the lord-warden, is the woodward … Under the woodward are twelve regarders.
1871. Daily News, 21 Sept., 5/1. The under-keeper of the Loughton and Theydon Walks, gave evidence … that the … Lord of the Manor of Loughton had enclosed a thousand acres of the public land,… and that his woodward … had cut down several thousand trees.
¶ Used for WOODWOSE.
1488. Acc. Ld. H. Treas. Scot., I. 82. A wodward of gold with a diamant.
1552. Elyot’s Dict., Cæpus, a beast in face like a Satyre, or woodward.
1566. in J. Nicholl, Comp. Ironmongers (1866), 90. Hewe Watts and Xpofer Beckes, Wadwardes, or Ivemen.
b. As the title of an officer of the ‘Ancient Order of Foresters.’
1886. Rules Court No. 2991 Foresters, No. 22. The Woodwards shall visit the sick members … once a week.
Hence † Woodwardship, the office of woodward.
1418. in 41st Dep. Kpr.’s Rep., 700. [The] Wodewardships [of the commotes of Penthlyn and Thalepont, Merionethshire].
1485. Rolls of Parlt., VI. 379/1. The Office of Keping of the Parke of Haseley, with the Wodewardship.
1586–7. in H. Hall, Soc. Eliz. Age (1886), 242. Mr. Inkpen … sold him the woodwardship of that manor for 33/4.
1640. in Jrnls. Ho. Comm., XLIII. 589/1. The … best Ship Timber there within the Wood-Wardship of Cesar Robert, Esquire.
