By T. H. Baker. 249 
Awbry, gent., erected a seat in Mere Church for himself and his 
successors in his dwelling-house at Burton. In 1698 it was held 
by Mrs. Ann Bishop, widow. 
Burton seems to have in days gone by consisted of several small 
farms (chiefly copyholds under the Duchy of Cornwall) each having 
a share of arable in the tenantry fields with the pasturage of a strip 
of Burton Down; these are all now merged into Burton Farm or 
Mere Down Farm. 
A.D. 1274, Roger of Burton is one of the jurors of the hundred 
of Mere. 
1300, Eustace of Burton held two virgates and two purprestures 
by socage. 
John of Burton held one ferlingate of land by socage, lately held 
by his father, Richard of Burton. 
Nicholas Gomme held a domain which was the farm of Richard 
of Burton, viz., one messuage, 49 acres of land on the hills, 74 acres 
under the hills, 3 acres of meadow, and pasture for two-teeths 
worth 3s. per annum, for which he paid 31s. per annum. 
Most of the fields in this hamlet are still called after the names 
of their former owners as Alford’s, Hewitt’s, Millard’s, Gamblyn’s, 
Lucas’s, Farrer’s, &c., all which we find among the old parish 
documents. 
A document without date exists in Salisbury Cathedral :— 
“De Burtune in Mera. Unfridus de Bohun, dapifer regis, omnibus ad quos 
presens carta pervenerit ; salutem. Donationem illam quam Rogerus de 
Cesarisburgo et W. heres terrz de Burton fecerunt decano Sarum et ecclesiz de 
Mera. xii. solid. denariatas terre de feudo meo concedo, et presenti scripto 
confirmo. Et plegius sum, quod nec Rogerus, nec sui pro eo vel post eum 
cantariam ullam in capella de Burton per debitum clamabunt. Sed quando a 
decano et ejus capellano qui,est apud Meram hanc impetrare poterunt, et salvis 
decano decimis et omnibus consuetudinibus suis quas de terra de Burton antea 
habere solebat, tantum de proprio catallo suo facient erga capellanum decani 
quem ipse in predicta capella cantare velit, quando sibi vacaverit ; cum autem 
tempus pacis venerit cadit capella et redeant xii denariatz terre ad proprios 
heredes, nisi tune renovetur inter decanum et ipso (sic) conventio. 
“Testibus Margarita uxore meo ; et Unfrido filio meo ; et Adelelmo dapifero ; 
Ricardo pincerna: Unfrido de Scotvilla; Unfrido de Sco. Vigore ; Waltero 
Hosato; Rogero de Rocella.” ! 
1 From the Register of Bishop Osmund in the Cathedral of Salisbury. 
