HISTORY OF DECOYS. 137 



or I S04 the second Lord Suffield had a Decoy constructed at Gunton, 

 on a mere of 30 acres. It had three pipes, but has long been dismantled. 



Hempstead (near the sea-coast), 9 miles SE. of North Walsham, and 

 2 miles SE. from Holt. — Until the year 1845 there was a very productive 

 Decoy belonging to the Gurney family at Hempstead, within a few miles 

 of the sea. It was for many years worked by Richard Skelton, son of 

 George Skelton of Winterton, who was very successful, sometimes taking 

 as many as 300 or 400 fowl at one drive. 



The Decoyman who succeeded him continued Decoying until 1845, 

 when, being detected in carrying on an illicit still, hidden in the Decoy 

 wood, by means of which he converted the Pheasants' barley into whisky 

 for his own use, he was summarily dismissed, and the Decoy having fallen 

 out of repair was never afterwards worked. 



As no Decoy-book was kept, it is not possible to give any particulars 

 concerning the fowl captured, but the number is known to have been very 

 large. 



Waxham.—T^^\-(t miles ESE. from North Walsham, and some 3 to 4 

 miles S. of the last-named, was placed the Waxham Decoy, in a large 

 marsh near the sea-coast. This is the Decoy supposed to have been made 

 by Sir William Woodhouse in the reign of James I., who, according to 

 Sj^elman, was the first person to introduce properly planned Decoys into 

 East Anglia. 



The marsh is now drained, and the site of the pool planted with osiers. 



Winterton. — This Decoy, situate a mile N. of East Somerton, 2 J 

 miles NE. of Martham, and close to the sea, was constructed by old 

 George Skelton, who continued to work it up to the time of his death in 

 January, 1840, when he was succeeded by his son Henry. It has been 

 described by Lubbock in his " Fauna of Norfolk" (2nd ed. p. 138), in the 

 Appendix to which, at p. 221, Mr. Southwell has added several interesting 

 particulars from Lubbock's MSS. 



It was originally made for Mr. Huntingdon, from whom it passed to 

 the late Mr. Joseph Hume, M. P., whose son some years since disposed of 

 the property to Captain Bird, since which time it has not been worked"; 

 the proprietor, as in the case of the Mautby and Ranworth Decoys, 

 preferring duck-shooting to Decoying. 



The Winterton Decoy was held famous among its fellows as the one 



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