324 Notes on the History of Mere. 
impounded them. Mr. Chafyn served a replevy for their delivery in spite of which 
they were detained. August 24th. Lord Stourton and his servants entered the 
barley fields and carried away 40 loads of barley and innyd it. They further 
threatened the sayde T. Chafyn at any time to’slaye, kill and hurt hym, hys 
sonnes or servaunts if they were taken upon the sayd demesne lands.’ (Wilts 
Arch. Mag., viii., 305.) 
The explanation of these riotous proceedings is that Lord 
Stourton’s father had a lease of the demesne lands of Mere in 1544 
from King Henry VIII., which was confirmed. This led toa 
lawsuit with Mr. Chafyn, who was in possession of the said lands, 
and who claimed the same as a grant from the Duchy of Cornwall 
to him under another lease made by Prince Edward as Duke of 
Cornwall. 
1553. Charles Lord Stourton had the lease of the manor of 
Mere renewed to him for forty years. 
“He caused a barne of Thomas Chaffyn to bee sett on fyer by iij of his 
servantes; agaynst which Chaffyn for that he sayed yt was not doon withowte 
the knowledge of the saide Lorde Stourton or of some of his servantes, Lord 
Stourton tooke an action and recovered of him £100 damage for the payment of 
which he took owte of Chaffyn’s pastures by force 1200 sheepe with the woll 
uppon their backes, all the oxen, kyne, horsses and mares that he coulde fynde 
in the said pastures. (Strype’s Historical Memorials.) 
The last of the Chafyns at Zeals was William Chafyn, Esq., who 
was Sheriff of Wilts 1685. He died 1695. His daughter Mary 
married John, son of Hugh Grove, of Chisenbury, Co. Wilts, which 
Hugh was beheaded at Exeter, 1655, pro rege et lege. The Zeals 
estate thus passed to the family of Grove, in whom it has since 
remained, its present owner being George Troyte Chafyn Grove, 
Esq. 
William Chafyn, Esq., who died 1695, left two sons, who died s.p. 
Rey. Richard Chafyn was Vicar of Mere from 1556 to 1586; 
Rey. Thomas Chafyn, D.D., from 1630 to 1645. 
CHARITIES. 
In Mere churchyard is a tomb of the Ford family, who resided 
at Zeals. Their house was situated at the edge of the parish near 
what is now called “ Ford’s Water.” They were Bristol 
merchants in the Russian trade, probably flax and hemp, which 
