236 Notes on the History of Mere. 
Henry of Pimperleigh derived his name from Pimperleigh; no 
existing dwelling is known by that name, but we have still Pim- 
perlease Road, which connects Wet Lane with Barrow Street, and 
in those days a dwelling-house was situated somewhere thereabouts. | 
Then John Clement has his name handed down to us in “ Clement’s 
Lane,” which extends from Edge Bridge to the corner of the road 
which leads to Woodlands. This name probably was originally 
John de Claymont (John of the Clay-mound, now Clay Knap), 
where his house stood, and which is contiguous to the present 
Clement’s Lane. Again, Robert of the Conwich took his name 
from the park of Conwich, which is still known as such, although 
all traces of dwellings are entirely swept away, but a farmhouse 
stood on this site in the recollection of persons still living. We 
also find in the neighbourhood a Robert Curthose, now corrupted 
to Curtis. Curthose means short hose, or short stockings. This 
family still exists. 
When the Earl of Cornwall ceased to keep the manor of Mi in 
his own occupation, it appears that it was let to a succession of 
stewards, who sub-let the several holdings to copyholders for terms 
of lives. 'The occupations were generally small, as was the custom 
in those days, consisting of a few acres of enclosed pasture near the 
homestead, where the dairy was kept, with a right to run a certain 
number of cows, etc., on the commons, which were looked after by 
a herdsman under the superintendence of a hayward. 
In Mere the reeve was the person who had the supervision of the 
commons, and we are able to give a list of those who held this office 
in the sixteenth century for more than thirty years, thus giving 
the names of many of the inhabitants two centuries later than those 
mentioned above :— 
1651 Robert Coward 1571 Thomas Awbrey, , 1579 Nicholas Clement 
1552 John Clement Gent. 1580 Thomas Holbrook 
1553 John Gildon 1572 John Forward 1581 Christopher Alford 
1554 Robert Bishop 1573 Christopher Alford | and Leonard Dodington 
1555 Robert Sheppard 1574 Robert Coward, for} 1582 Edward Foord 
1556 John King Charles Lord Stourton | 1583 William Chafin 
1566 Thomas Wats ‘| 1574 John Dodington | 1584 Edward Chafin 
1567 Randall Bannister | 1575 Thomas Alford 1585 Thomas Alford — 
1568 Alexander Bourne | 1576 John Gildon 1586 ThomasAbourough 
1569 John Forward, Jun.| 1577 Robert Bishop 1588 Thomas Watts 
1570 William Dixe, Sen.! 1578 Thomas King 
