90 Some Account of the Parish of Monkton Farleigh. 



one year when any of them may be abiding- in the said house." The 

 house which in 1547 could provide so great accommodation, suitable 

 to the bishop of the diocese, in addition to the accommodation re- 

 quired by the family of the lessee, must have been a considerable 

 and large house, and this particular condition is not only curious 

 but it is probably unique in the annals of episcopacy, and it explains 

 how it was that Bishop Jewel, in 1570, when taken ill at Lacock, 

 did not there remain, but came to our manor house and there died, 

 as is in his life recorded. 



The Bretons, and after them the Cornwallises, had, by the con- 

 ditions of their respective leases, the presentation to the rectory, 

 which vests now, as from 154S, in the Bishops of Salisbury, but, 

 from the time of William Watson (1661), at least, the bishops re- 

 served to themselves " the donation, advowson and patronage of the 

 rectory and parsonage." 



At first, also, the bishops were acquitted by the leases, " from all 

 quitt rents, pensions, portions and other charges leviable for the said 

 premises," " the tenths and subsidies only excepted " ; but as time 

 rolled on they relieved their tenants of " all leases, g-rants, rents, 

 rent-charges, annuities, fees, tithes, troubles, and incumbrances 

 whatever made or done by them," and further agreed to leave 

 " sufficient timber trees standing or growing for the necessary repairs 

 of the premises," and for " Fire-boot, Hedge-boot, Plough-boot, 

 and Cart-boot, according to the custom of the country." ' 



On the other hand the rent was raised from £38 16?. %d., in 1548, 

 to £44, in 163S, and to £50, in 1697, in which was included a sum 

 of £10 "as an augmentation to the parsonage of Monkton Farleigh"; 

 " the customary tenants " were to be allowed by the lessee sufficient 

 timber for the reparation and maintenance of their customary tene- 

 ments," the same to be growing on their premises. The bishops 

 were to have the right of " cutting down and carrying away such 

 timber trees as according to the custom of the country were fit to 



^ Fire-boot, wood for house-firing ; Plough- and Cart-boot, wood for repairing 

 implements of husbandry ; Hedge-boot, wood for hedge and fence repairs. — 

 Stephens' Commentaries, v. i., p. 254, Ed. viii. Boot or bote, synonymous with 

 " estovers " from estofEer to furnish. — Jones's Domesday Introduction. 



