238 THE HISTORY OF NEWMARKET. [Book XL 



1646, the Rev. Abraham Wright, M.A., was placed in 

 the rectory of Cheveley, by the authority of Padia- 

 ment, he having been approved of by the Assembly of 

 Divines, vice the Rev. B, Levitt, loyalist parson, 

 sequestrated, who died in December, 1659. The year 

 following (being the year of the king's restoration) 

 an Act was passed by which all such ministers as were 

 in mort livings, where the sequestrated incumbent 

 was dead, were settled in them during their lives. But 

 in this case it appears that a Mr. John Deker, having 

 procured a presentation to the living of Cheveley from 

 Lady Carleton, the patroness, went to the Bishop of 

 Ely, and having got an institution and induction, came 

 to take possession of the parsonage house ; but that 

 being denied to him, he, Deker, with Sir John Carleton, 

 (Lady Carleton's son) persuaded the people to detain 

 the harvest-tithes for him, on the grounds that he 

 (Deker) was the right parson and that Parson Wright 

 was in the wrong rectory. This pretty quarrel 

 between the rival rectors of Cheveley regarding the 

 loaves and fishes of the benefice, came before the 

 magistrates at Newmarket, by whom Parson Wright 

 was summoned to attend at their court, while the 

 right parson (Deker) " procured some of the looser 

 sort of people in Cheveley to swear against him," 

 upon what charges does not appear. The upshot of 

 the magisterial inquiry resulted in Parson Wright 

 being ordered to resign the living to the right parson 

 (Deker) because Parson Wright "was not in holy 

 orders " ; and the magistrates further decreed that if 

 he did not admit the right parson (Deker) to take 



