259 



NATURAL HISTORY NOTES FROM 

 SKIPTON CHURCHWARDENS' ACCO 



A. BIRTWHISTLE, 



Skipton. 



Sums paid for foxheads or other vermin, extracted from the Skipton 

 Churchwardens' accounts. 



The total area of the ancient parish of Skipton as now reckoned 

 is 21,057 acres and 38 poles. It comprises the townships of Barden, 

 Beamsley, Bolton Abbey, Draughton with Berwick, Embsay with 

 Eastby, Halton East, Hazlewood with Storiths, Skipton, and Stirton 

 with Thorlby. 



In the century (1 729-1830) covered by these returns, payments 

 were made for the destruction of 1,047 Foxes, 5 Otters, 3 Ferrets, 

 2 Fomarts, and 17 Polecats. 



The war against the Otters w r as confined to the period from 1736 

 to 1752. Ferrets are named only in 1808, Fomarts in 1809, and 

 Polecats from 1808 to 1827. 



1729- 

 20 April ...Rob 1 - Boocock 1 fox head ... ... o : 1 : o 



25 Dec ...Paid to the Churchwarden of Bolton and 



Barden for Ten Foxheads ... ... 0:10: o 



?> „ ...To Spencer for fox-heads ... ... o : 5 : o 



11 Xov r ...for one foxhead ... ... 0:1:0 



!73o 



7 June ...P d - to Barden Churchwarden for 7 foxes 



heads ... 



• ■ • ••» •*• 



o : 7 : o 



n j, ...P d * to Storhies Churchwarden for 4 foxes 



ilCtlClS ••• •-• •*• ••* » • • 



v „ ...P d - to Empsey Churchwarden for 5 fox- 



0:4:0 



heads . . 



* * » 



• ■ • * » • * * 



0:5:0 



•h 5 , ...To W m - Spencer for 6 foxheads... ...0:6:0 



tj j, ...To Rob 1 - Boocock for 1 foxhead ... o : 1 : o 



1731 

 2 3 June ...Aliow'd for 23 foxes Heads w c h was 



kill'd within y e parish from y e 10 th of 



July 1730 to 23 rd June 1731 ... ... 1 : 3:0 



r 732 



7 May ...Allowed for 9 Fox heads ... ... 0:9: o 



*733 



20 May ...Allow'd for 27 foxheads ... 1 = 7 - o 



3 June ...W ni - Spencer 1 Foxhead... 



• • 



1 - o 



'* 



" 



Sept. 1896. 



...George Atkinson 1 Foxhead ... ... o - 1 - o 



