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By Rev. C. 8. Ruddle. 275 
Sack of Moult to be paid every Year on the ffeast day of St Thomas the 
Apostle, and also the Offerings of all the Parishioners payable at Easter, and 
all offerings for Churching of Women, and all Marriage Money and no more 
belonging to the Curate of Durington for officiating in the Parish Church of 
Durington. 
“The £40 and the Sack of Wheate and Sack of Moult is paid out of the 
Impropriate Psnage of Durington by the Incumbent of the Parsonage 
*‘ Leonard Maton Curate 
* Hidw’. aia x e 
‘John Allen Chwardens. 
Leonard Maton was curate of the parish from 1623 to 1684, a 
longer time than any of his successors, and all his clerical life. 
He had just taken his B.A. at Oxford, and was 22 years of age 
when he was ordained to this curacy. He could have been no 
stranger, for his father lived in Milston parish; and his family had 
been Durrington people in Tudor times and long before, for there 
were two Matons in the subsidy roll at the beginning of Edward the 
Third’s reign. His will shows that he inherited property in the ad- 
jacent parish of Milston. But it may be asked “ How did he retain 
his curacy through the stormy times of the Commonwealth and of 
Cromwell? Was he another Vicar of Bray?” Well, the Com- 
missioners of 1649 spoke well of him:—*“ Mr. Leonard Maton 
preacheth constantly once every Lord’s day.” But of course that 
does not answer the question, for in Oct., 1647, the House of 
Commons had resolved that men “shall have liberty to meet for 
the worship and service of God, and for the exercise of religious 
duties and ordinances in any fit and convenient places. That this 
indulgence shall not extend to tolerate the use of the Book of 
Common Prayer in any place whatsoever.” My predecessor did 
not use the book, but he used the service of the book. I found in 
the Church chest a well-used and thumbed copy of a form of 
prayer issued by Charles I., which contained morning and evening 
service, with written variations by Maton, litany, and the first 
part of the office for the Holy Communion. No doubt this was 
his Directory, so that practically there would be no break in the 
accustomed prayers. 
No complete list either of his predecessors or of his successors 
_ is available because they were not instituted. The earliest of 
