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^Ucstrg atf^nxt'^ Hautrs : 2Xcpovt of a 

 Commission of 1682. 



By J. Charles Cox, LL.D., F.S.A. 



jN November i6th, 1682, a Commission met at Derby, 

 to hold an enquiry under a Statute of 34 Elizabeth 

 entitled " An Act to addresse the misimployment of 

 Lands Goods and Stocks of money heretofore given to 

 Charitable Uses," with regard to the alleged misapplication of the 

 rents of certain lands at Markeaton that had, from time immemorial, 

 been applied to the repair of the church of AUestree. The Commis- 

 sion reported in favour of the parish ; all the arrears that had 

 been appropriated, as well as the costs of the suit, had to be 

 refunded to the churchwardens by the defendants. A brief 

 abstract of this report appeared some years ago,* but it has been 

 suggested that it is of sufficient interest to warrant its being printed 

 in full. The transcript is taken from a contemporary copy in the 

 parish chest at Mackworth, written by Jo. Hayne, clerk to the 

 Commissioners ; it covers eighteen folio pages, and is widely written 

 in a legal hand. The Commission met to draw up their report 

 on May 5th, 1683. The Great Seal was affixed thereto, and it 

 became a Chancery decree on July 3rd of the same year ; and on 

 the following loth of August, the churchwardens append to this 

 copy of the decree the receipt for the payment in full of Mr. 

 Edward Mundy's moiety of the sum decreed. It is rather curious 

 that there is no like entry with regard to the payment of Mr. 



* Churches of Derbyshire, vol. iv., pp. 293-5. 



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