 The tenants of the area, including Rogers, claimed that the ancient rights to the forest belonged to them, and rioted when 50 armed men of Worcester's arrived to carry away the felled wood.Many stands of substantial mature Welsh Oaks were felled to meet the demand for stout oak heartwoods in Royal Navy battleships and men o' war of the Napoleonic era of the 19th century, such as HMS Victory and others, but the heart of the forest remained preserved for charcoal production, a necessity for the iron industry and local ironworks.Henry Somerset, 9th Duke of Beaufort sold 2,244 in Wentwood Forest, described as "the largest wood in England", in May 1902.