 In 1608 Sir Hugh Pollard was named as chief forester in a suit brought before the Court of Exchequer by his deputy William Pincombe . James Butler , 1st Duke of Ormonde , was named as Keeper of Exmoor Forest in 1660 and 1661 . James Boevey was a forester in the 17th century . Sir Richard Acland ( or possibly Sir Thomas Dyke Acland ) was the last forester up to 1818 . One of the roles of the Warden was Master of Staghounds and this role continued to be exercised by the Master of the Devon and Somerset Staghounds , a position extant today . By 1820 the royal forest had been divided up . A quarter of the forest , 10 @,@ 262 acres ( 4 @,@ 153 ha ) , was sold to John Knight ( 1765 – 1850 ) in 1818 . This section comprises the present Exmoor Parish , whose parish church is situated in Simonsbath . 
