68 



THE BIRDS OF ESSEX. 



The following interesting additional information relating to 

 Steeple Decoy (No. 8) is extracted from an article by Mr. J. E. 

 Harting, entitled " An Ancient Essex Decoy," which appeared in the 

 ^/>/i3^ of July 5, 1879. (vol. 54, p. 38.) Mr. Harting says : — 



" Tradition only points to the place where 160 years ago a profitable business 

 was carried on in the capture of Wild-fowl, chiefly Wigeon, for the London mar- 

 kets. Fortunately, however, for those who at the present day take an interest in 

 such matters, the Essex yeoman who constructed this decoy, being a business-like 

 man, took the trouble to write down the cost of its construction, and for thirteen 

 years kept a strict account of the numbers of Wild-fowl captured by him, and of 

 the prices they realised. This curious MS., which is contained in a small folio 

 volume, bound in vellum, was written between the years 17 13 and 1727, and by 

 the favour of the present owner, Mr. Robert Smith, of Maldon, is now before me.* 

 The decoy in question was situated in Canney Marsh, just behind Steeple 

 Church, and rather more than half-wiy between Maldon and Tillingham. It 

 was originally constructed in 1 71 3, but in 1721, the owner, evidently finding it to 

 be a source of considerable profit, went to some expense in enlarging it ; and it 

 would appear that when the pond was dug out it was first filled by pumping from 

 Steeple Creek, but was subsequently supplied from a well which was sunk at 

 what now appears an insignificant outlay, £10, but which probably represents 

 about £^0 of our money. As affording a good illustration of the prices paid for 

 material and labour in the days of Queen Anne, the first page of this MS. is not 

 without interest, and we here transcribe it verbatim et literatim" 



An Acct. of the Charge of makeing the Duckoy Pond uppon 

 Canney Marsh, by me John Cooch, 1713. 



£ 



Bot. 2\ of rope yarn 



Bot. reed and broom 



Bot. one barrl of tarr 



Bot. netts and twine 



Bot. piles 



Bot. i65o poles 



Pd. for diggin the pond and the 4 pipes 



Pd. Thayers for a pump and filling the pond . 



Pd. for 120 rod of ditching about ye pond 



Pd. Thos. Peach, duckoyman at Tilling- 

 ham for his judgement and trouble in 

 setting out the pond 



26 . 13 . 06 



Totall . 



;^I76 



04 



Emanuel Bowen's (about 1778) : 6, Brick House, Mundon, 12, 30. 



John Gary's {1801) : 12, 20, 25. 



Greenwood's (1824) : 3, 4, 5, 12, 13, 16, 17, 19 (marked but not named) 20, 24, 25 (marked 

 but not named). 



An Early Proof Ordnance (early in century) : 3, 4, 5, 12, 13, 14, 16, 20, 24 ; 3, 14 and 24 

 (marked but not named). 



* Mr. E. A. Fitch, to whom the discovery of this interesting MS. was originally due, inform^ 

 me that it has now been lost sight of and is probably destroyed. 



