and runeinge yearly therevpon was due and payable to the late Deane and Chapter of Sarum (excepting the Tythes of x. Acres of wheate and x acres of Barley parcell of the said Farme, and the tithe wooll of 160 sheepe, parcell of the Flocke belonging to the said Farme, five tythe Lambs, five Apples and five eggs, all which by custome or composicion due and payable out of the said Farme to the Impropriate parsonage of the parish of Maddington. All which Tithe due and payable to the aforesaid Deane and Chapter over and above the exceptions before specified is worth per annum xxxli.

All which premises are claymed held and enjoyed by Edward Tooker, Esq. propriator and owner of the aforesaid Farme, by vertue of a Lease (as wee are informed) from the said Deane and chapter of Sarum which hath not been produced to vs. In margin :-The Lease to bee produced.

All those Tenths or Tythes great & small of what kind quality or nature soever they be comeinge groweing or runeinge yearly within or out of the Forrest of Chute wiltshire in the County of Wilts and within or out of the Forrest of Chute Hantshire in the County of Southampton. All which were due and payable to the late Dean and Chapter of the Cathedrall Church of Sarum, and are worth per annum lxxxli

All which premisses (that is to saye) all those there Tenths and Tithes great and small of what kind qualitye or nature soever, they bee comeinge groweinge ariseinge increasinge runeinge or beinge or that at any tyme hereafter shalbee comeinge groweinge ariseing increasinge runeinge or beinge within or out of all the East and west Walks wood in the County of Southampton or any parte or parcell thereof, with all and singuler their appurtenaunces together with all the Tithes of all and every or any of the Forrest grounds, out grounds or purpresture grounds part parcell or member of the said east & west walkes of the said Forrest of Chute in the said County of Wilts, and walkes wood in the said County of Southhampton with all and singuler their appurtenances as fully and freely and in as large and ample manner and Forme as the said Tenthes and Tythes were by a Deed indented demised and graunted vnto John Isington deceased by the Deane and Chapter of the Cathedral Church of Sarum, by and vnder the name and names of the Tenths and Tithes runeing within or out of the Forrest of Chute Wiltshire, and the Forrest of Andover and Husborne alias Chute Hamshire in the County of Southampton or by or vnder any other name or names whatsoever, were by Indenture dated vltimo August 15° Caroli demised vnto Thomas Hawley his executors or assignes from the date for the Terme of xxjtie yeares vnder the yearly Rent of fortye shillings, payable at two feasts or terms in the year most usual, (That is to saye) att the Feast of St. Michael the Archangell and of the Annunciacion of the Virgin Mary at the Font stone of the Cathedrall Church, but are worth vppon Improvement over and above the said Rent per annum lxxviijli.

Redditus xl.

If it happen the said yearly Rent of forty shillings or any part thereof to to bee behind or vnpaid in part or in all by the space of forty after any of the said feasts being lawfully demaunded at the Fontstone that then and from thence forthe demise to be void and a reentrye. A cov. for the payment of the Rent according to the tyme Limitted.

All those Tenths and Tythes of whatt kinde qualitye or nature soever they bee comeing groweinge or runeinge yearly in or vppon a certaine farme called Hippingscombe sett lyinge and beinge within the County of Wilts betweene the Forest of Chute and Savernocke, All which were due and payable to the late Deane and Chapter of the Cathedrall Church of Sarum and are worth per annum xxvli.

Sutt of

All which premisses are claymed held and enjoyed by1 Chilbolton in Comit. Southampton Esq. By vertue of a Lease (as wee are informed) from the said late Dean and Chapter, which hath not beene produced to vs.

All those Tenths and Tithes great and small of kinde qualitye or nature soever they bee comeing groweing ariseinge or runeinge yearely within or out of the Forrest of Chippenham alias Pewsham within the County of Wilts (The Tythes or Tenthes of the Parke of Bowe wood excepted (together with the Tithes of all the said Forrest grounds out grounds or perpresture grounds, beinge or that at any tyme heretofore have beene part parcell or member of the said Forrest all which Tenths or Tithes are worth per annum lli.

All which premisses have been claymed by the late Deane and Chapter of the Cathedrall Church of Sarum as of right belonginge and appertaineinge to them. And by vertue of their said Clayme and right severall Demises by Indenture of Lease have beene made and graunted by them to severall persons succeeding one another as by the counterparts of their severall leases found by vs in the Muniment howse in the Cathedrall Church of Sarum doth appeare vizt. by the last Indenture bearinge date the 27th July 17th Caroli they particularly demised by the said late Deane and Chapter vnto Henry Shuter of Chippenham in the County of Wilts. Habendum from the date for the terme of xxi yeares vnder the yearly rent of forty shillings at the Feasts of St. Michaell the Archangell and of the Annunciacion of the Virgin Mary by even porcions. By another Indenture bearinge date the 26th of January 7° Caroli they were inter alia expressly demised by the said Deane and Chapter vnto John Essington the elder of Durneford in the County of Wilts esquire. Habendum from the date for the terme of xxj years, All of them vnder the like yearly rent of xl and at the same termes of payment: which last mencioned Lease is said to bee surrendered when the latter Lease was graunted, the same being then not expiered, and, by a Third Indenture bearinge date 26th October 8° Jacobi they were by the said late Deane and Chapter amoungst the Tithes and Tenths of other Forrests lyeing within the said Countye of Wilts and in the said Indenture of Lease specified and named demised vnto Otho Nicholson of Cittye of London Esq. Habendum for the terme of xxj yeares. But that the before recited premises were enjoyed by any of the before named persons by vertue of the before recited and respective Leases, wee doe not certainely finde yett by reason of a Sute now dependinge betweene the parson of the impropriate parsonage of Chippenham and the Inhabitants of the said Forrest for the Tithes of the said Forrest as being within the said parish of Chippenham. Wee do finde that the said

1 Blank in MS.

Inhabitants for the tyme to come are willinge to paye theire Tythes to and for the vse of the State in behalf of the right or clayme of the said late Deane and chapter, provided that the same can be so cleared, as they shall not be charged with a double payment of theire Tithes to seuerall persons claymeinge the same by seuerall and differinge rights.

Memorandums Wee doe finde moreover, that the said late Deane and chapter have claymed the Tithes of severall other Forrests viz: The Tithes of the Forrest of Savernocke alias Savernacke Melksham alias Blackmore Cricklade alias Brayden, and Grovely all of them lyeinge within the County of Wilts and alsoe the Tithes of the Forrest of Buckholt and New Forrest lyeinge in the County of Southampton for enjoyeinge and holdinge of all which Tythes wee doe finde by the counterparts of severall Indentures found by vs in the muniment howse of Sarum severall leases have beene graunted to severall persons commencinge from seuerall respective dates and for seuerall reserued rents and termes. And that the whole annuall proffittes or Improvments of those Tythes have been at any tyme peaceably and quietly enjoyed by any of the severall respective persons to whom the said severall Leases were respectively graunted wee doe not certainely finde But are credibly informed that they were only graunted for questioninge and tryeinge of Titles or the Claymers claymes of right to those Tithes, but nevertheless that noe enjoyment of those Tithes was ever evicted by reason or by vertue of any Tryalls excepting in Savernock Forrest, where wee are informed that John Essington Esquire did by vertue of a Lease from the said late Deane and Chapter of Sarum obtaine a decree or judgment in the court of Chancery or Common pleas against the Inhabitants of Savernocke Forrest for their Tithes which they now denye affirmeing that they ever did hold and enjoye theire Lands free from the payment of any Tithe. And wee are moreover informed that the said late Dean and Chapter did clayme the Tythes or some porcion of Tithes in and over all Winsor Forrest but have not seen any particuler grannt made thereof to any particuler person or persons by any Indenture or Counterpart of Lease nor cann wee certainly learne collect or gather from any cleere prooffe or evidence that ever the Tythes or any part of the Tithes of or within the Forrest of Winsor have beene enjoyed by any person or persons holding or claymeing the same by vertue of any right graunt or Lease made to him or them of from or vnder the said late Dean and chapter of the Cathedrall Church of Sarum.

The said late Deane and Chapter have alwaies enjoyed the Tithe wood of all coppices or vnderwoods groweinge within Claringdon Parke in Comit: Wilts, and have received the same in kinde yearley whensoever any coppices within the foresaid Parke was felled and cutt downe, or otherwise at some tymes or in some yeares when any of the coppices within the said Parke were felled and cutt downe they did as pleased them sell their Tithe of every such coppice or coppices as was that yeare felled or cutt downe for such prices as they could gett and obtaine for the same as doth appeare by severall and differinge prices and sumes of money with the receipt thereof, the severall and respective Communre. or yearly receivours for the said late corporation of Dean and Chapter doe charge themselves by

Sic. "Commissioners" intended.

several of their yearly Rolls of Accompts found by vs in the muniment howse at Sarum. But it doth noe where appeare that any interest or estate was made thereof to any manner of person or persons by virtue of any demise or graunt from the said late Deane and chapter, neither hath any person or persons at any tyme claymed any interest or estate therein by vertue of any Lease or graunt &c. Wee doo therefore returne the aforesaid Tithe of all coppices or vnderwoods groweing within Claringdon Parke aforesaid to appertaine and belong to the Trustees for Sale of Deane and Chapters Lands for the use of the State and to bee worth communibus annis per annum. xviijli. Returned the 7th May 1650 by Christ Weare, Walter Foy George Fairley, John Squibb Surveyors Exr. Ra: Hall Regist. Dept.

[Concluded.]

NOTES ON THE RURAL DEANERIES OF MARLBOROUGH

AND CRICKLADE, 1812.1

Communicated by the REV. G. F. TANNER.

The long dormant office of Rural Dean was revived by Bishop Fisher at the close of the year 1811, and the Rural Dean's Book, now in Mr. Tanner's custody, from which these notes are taken, was drawn up by the Rev. Charles Francis, Rector of Mildenhall and of Collingbourne Ducis (1788 to 1821). It is a small 4to vellum-bound book, 8in. × 6žin., entitled "Memoranda of the Injunctions respecting Repairs & Improvements of Churches, and Parsonage Houses within the Rural Deanries of Marlborough and Cricklade, left by the Rural Dean C.F. in his first Visitation, A.D. 1812." The Rural Dean orders the ground round the Church walls to be lowered, and a drain to be made, roof and pews to be mended, walls where green to be scraped and whitewashed, no graves to be dug within 3ft. of the Church walls or pillars, or within the Church at all unless bricked and arched, new coverings for pulpit and communion table, and in many cases the ceiling of Churches with half-inch deal-this last injunction was often shirked by churchwardens.

In cases where the plate existing in 1891, when Nightingale's Church Plate of Wilts was published, differs from that described here, I have added a note myself.-ED. H. GODDARD.

Aldbourne.

1812. Curate, Mr. Mitchell, Plate given by Col. Oliver Nicholas silver chalice and paten, very large silver flagon and lid, silver gilt chalice and paten. H. Com. monthly. Average of communicants, 15, (at the festivals 30 to 40). Two services on Sundays. Present Vicar, John Elderton, non resident. The Poors Chancel" in the Church "nearly rebuilt" 1812-1814. Great Bedwyn. 1812. Vicar, Mr. Skey. No resident clergyman. Service once a day in morning or afternoon. No Vicarage. Two silver chalices, two pewter plates, a pewter flagon and lid, 1768. Holy Eucharist four times a year, Communicants 100. Population 1800. Worth £100 a year. [The pewter vessels have disappeared.-E. H. G.] "The Earl of Ailesbury (as Impropriator of the Prebend of Bedwin) claims Archidiaconal Jurisdiction and appoints an Ecclesiastical Commissioner or official who is now the Rev. Chas. Francis, Rector of Mildenhall and Collingbourne Ducis. The Dean of Salisbury likewise visits this Parish and at his late Visitation at Hungerford appointed the Rev. Benjamin Newton, Vicar of Little Bedwin, to be his Rural Dean for both the Bedwins and 8 other neighbouring Parishes, Peculiars.”

1 A portion of these notes formed part of a paper read by the Rev. G. F. Tanner, Rector of Collingbourne Ducis and Rural Dean, at a Ruridecanal Conference held at Pewsey, Dec. 6th, 1915, and were printed in the Wilts, Berks, and Hants County Paper, Dec. 10th, 1915.