214 Customs of the Manor of Winterhourn Stoke, 1574. 



to the Bounds and the Year to Cutt and Eidd By Lamas Eve, then to Be 

 feed By the Heard of Beast to Candlemas Eve. 



"42. Item: Our Custome is that Small Mead is to be Lead a firth' at 

 Lady Day ; and Shruton people to have the Cutt of it, and to Cutt and Eidd 

 by Lamas Day : and when they put the Hay in Grass Cocks they Are to have 

 a Loafe of Bread, a Cheese, and Bottle of Beer, Allowing the Farm Three 

 pooks of Hay in Small Mead. 



" 43. Item : Our Custome is for Shruton people to Fence Small Mead 

 Gap at Our Lady Day. 



"44. Item : Our Custome is to the Messuage of Adam Snow, is to have 

 for the Standing of A Hedge & Ditch in apart of Steen Mead, in the South 

 side of the Little Mead, two pooks of Good Hay in the Little Mead. 



" 45. Item : Our Custome is to the Messuage of Nicholas Kellow Senr. at 

 Bridge foot, for the Standing and Dropping* a Hedge at the North Side of 

 Small Mead and South side of Ham Bank, to have three pooks of Good Hay 

 in Horse Croft. 



"46. Item: Our Custome is that All the Yard Lands taken Out of the 

 Farm Do pay to the Lord A Bushel of wheat or a Bushel of Barly for Everey 

 Eidge they Sow ; and Everey Yard Land in the Farm Feild have two Horse 

 Lease in the Farm Feild. 



" 47. Item : Our Custome is that the Great Cattle of Everey the 

 Inhabitants of the Manner, Except Horses, that Shall go or Depasture By 

 Night Or By Day in the Common Feilds of this Manner, Shall Be Allways 

 under the Charge and Keeping of the Heardman, During the time of Keeping. 



"48. Item: Our Custome is that Everey Tennant who turneth with 

 the plow upon the Next Adjoining Land'* that is Sown, Shall make Good the 

 Same again. 



" 49. Item : Our Custome is that No Tennant of Bourton, at any time, 

 Shall tye Any Horse upon any Land of his Neighbours ; or Shall feed any 

 Horses upon Any Linches^ within the Corn feild. Before the Corn Be Cutt 

 and Carried away. 



"50. Item: Our Custome is that when Shortshill Feild is Sowed with 

 wheat, or Barly, the Tennants have A Harvest way Through the parsonage 

 Ground, A Bove the Barn and the Backside 



" The Custome of Bourton presented the Twenty fourth Day of April, one 

 Thousand Six Hundred Seventy four.'^ 



' Laid up for hay. Frith=(l) a bushy place, a small field taken out of a 

 common, unused pasture land ( Halliwell) ; (2) as verb, to free from tillage 

 and set apart for pasturage. (Dial. Diet.). The victuals seem to be ordered 

 to save Shrewton folk the trouble of bringing their own 1 W. Stoke is bounded 

 by Shrewton on N., Maddington on W. : Bourton Farm lies between these 

 points. 



- Does this mean erecting and pulling down again a dead fence between 

 common grounds, at certain seasons ? 



^ The three " Common Fields " were divided into " Furlongs " ; those again 

 into "Acre" or " Half-acre strips. Each yardland consisted of many such 

 strips scattered among others. Hence, the necessity for this " custom." 

 ^ Grassy banks on sloping ploughed land. 

 •■■ Probably the date of this copy of the Customs is 18th century. 



