HISTORY OF DECOYS. i8i 



and so rich in historical traditions. It is also a mile west of the village of 

 Meaux, and \\ miles ENE. of Weel. 



A few hundred yards to the west of the Decoy stands an old low 

 building, now used as a farm-house, and known as Butterbump Hall, a 

 name derived from the number of Bitterns which formerly bred in the 

 adjacent marsh. The Decoy stands at the edge of a large extent of low- 

 lying land, and must in past days have been almost surrounded by marsh 

 and water. 



Its decay as a successful Decoy would date from 1763, for in that year 

 (4 George III.) an Act was passed for draining the marshes in Holderness 

 that surrounded Meaux, and several more recent Acts, such as the Beverley 

 and Barmston Drainage Act of 1798,* for the same purpose still further 

 destroyed the avocation of this and other adjacent Decoys, by reclaiming 

 from the wildfowl their old feeding-grounds. 



These marshes — or, as they are locally termed, Carrs — existed not 

 only at Meaux, but also at Scorborough and Watton, where the other 

 Decoys alluded to flourished, and which were not far distant. 



The carrs extended from Beverley, to near Barmston and Bridling- 

 ton, and comprised 11,000 acres. The outline of the Meaux Decoy and 



* "Beverley and Barmston Drainage Act, 1798. 



'' Satisfaction to be made for Decoys. 



" Whereas Richard Savage Lloyd, Esquire, is or claims to be seised or possessed of a certain 

 piece of water and certain land at Watton contiguous thereto, which for many years last past 

 have been used as a Decoy for the catching of wildfowl : 



" And whereas Sir Charles Hotham, Baronet, is or claims to be seised or possessed of a 

 certain other piece of water and certain land at Scorbrough contiguous thereto, which for 

 many years last past have been also used as a Decoy for the catching of wildfowl : 



" And whereas the said Decoys will be rendered useless or greatly injured when the said 

 low grounds and carrs are drained and improved as directed by this Act, and by reason 

 thereof the said Richard Savage Lloyd and Sir Charles Hotham and their heirs respectively 

 will be deprived of receiving any or so much rent as they now respectively receive or are 

 entitled to account thereof: Be it therefore enacted that the said Commissioners shall make 

 such reasonable recompence and satisfaction to tiie said Richard Savage Lloyd and Sir Charles 

 Hotham respectively for the damages which they shall respectively sustain by the means 

 aforesaid as shall be agreed upon between the said Commissioners and the said Richard 

 Savage Lloyd and Sir Charles Hotham respectively, the said Commissioners in making such 

 recompence having regard to the probable improvement which the land in the Decoys shall 

 respectively receive from the siid drainige when the same shall be effected." 



