106 BUCKLAND NEWTON PARISH REGISTER. 



4th October, 1685, he was again excommunicated. It speaks well, 

 however, for the state of Buckland at this period that these are the 

 only entries of the kind which occur in the Kegister. 



There are various entries scattered through this Register relating 

 to benefactions and other parochial matters, with which there is no 

 occasion to detain you. One curious memorandum should, how- 

 ever, be noticed, as it shews the singularly cumbersome, and one 

 would suppose unsatisfactory, plan on which small details of parish 

 business were discharged. Buckland Churchyard was fenced in 

 former times, as recently, until 1877 by wooden rails ; and 

 instead of the repair of these rails being carried out by a common 

 rate upon the parishioners specified numbers of rails were assigned 

 to the various holdings or tenements, the owners of which were 

 responsible for their being kept in order. Thus " A List of the 

 Churchyard Rails from the West Gate Northward to the North- 

 east wicket," which is not dated, but evidently belongs to the 

 latter part of the 18th century, enumerates 25 churchyard rails, 

 the repair of which was distributed among the owners or occupiers 

 of 20 holdings. A more extended list in the Burial Register, 

 1813-1865, adds the persons responsible for the rails on the south 

 of the churchyard, as well as from the west gate northwards, 

 giving, in all, 32 holdings. This list is principally taken from the 

 churchwardens' book of 1760. 



Other matters, interesting from the point of view of the 

 parochial historian, might easily be added to the foregoing pages. 

 But the limited time at the disposal of the Field Club to-day 

 forbids my saying more. I hope the sight of this precious volume, 

 which the present custodian prizes so highly, will impress the 

 members with a keen sense of the value of the treasures stowed 

 away in many an iron register chest. 



