— 
By the Rev. J. Wilkinson. 323 
Sherfield of Sarum who married Rebecca, widow of Henry Longe]; 
what “John Champion of Lullington paid for my woole.” He 
looked after his rights; was victorious in “two generall trialls for 
a wayne way over a common meadowe called broade meade lying 
in Broughton and Melksham;” 
carryadges of their corn and hay growinge in houl brookes fields 
these severale sommes of money.” He has left some notes, and a 
plan, @ Ja Chinoise, without much regard to distances, of the river 
boundary between Broughton and Melksham, and the right of 
“fyshing,” and adds, “There was a threescore and tenn yeares sith- 
made some farmers “agree for the 
ence a stranger drowned and taken up on my land on broadmea- 
dows over Melkesham syde, and the parish of Melksham, in chal- 
lenging the ded to get the somme, buryed it at Melkesham, but the 
Jury being there boath of Broughton and Melkesham, with the 
crowner, found it toe be in the parish of Broughton and the hundred 
of Bradford: and that they of Broughton and Melkesham gave [as] 
theyre verdict at the Assizes at Sarum.” 
-  Heee est 
Vita solutorum prava ambitione gravique.” 
Such was a country gentleman’s life in the good old time. 
A license exists 1661 from the Archbishop of Canterbury (Juxon) 
to Sir John, “in consideration of his own health and that of his 
daughter Penelope and six others invited to his table at his choice” 
to eat any meats he pleases, except such as are prohibited by Act of 
Parliament, (5 Eliz. cap. v.'). Sir John must have been a good 
Churchman, notwithstanding his Parliamentary connection; or he 
would have eaten meat, without waiting for the Archbishop’s 
leave. He died six years afterwards, and was buried at Broughton. 
Sir John had two brothers. One named Jeremy, of whom the 
only memorial is a nuncupative will April 1647, from which it ap- 
! The statute expressly disclaims all spiritual motives for fasting as Popish, 
and is enacted “‘ only to maintain the mariners and navy of this land by setting 
men a fishing.” Such reasons of State also appear in the second part of the Homily 
for fasting, in the injunctions of Bishops, and which is more in character, in 
the successive Royal proclamations of Edward, Elizabeth, James, and Charles. 
Such edicts were renewed on the Restoration, but were little heeded after the 
laxity of the civil wars. Sir John was more scrupulous. 
