"vermin" paid for by CHURCHWARDENS. 



63 



I have never heard of a Polecat in the parish within my 

 recollection ; but in October last a man out rabbiting in the above- 

 mentioned parish of Medmenham shot at, and probably fatally 

 wounded, one. It was not obtained ; but I believe the account was 

 reliable, and that it was in all probability a Polecat, and not 

 merely an escaped Ferret. Polecats are great wanderers, and as 

 there are still a few left in various parts of the county, there 

 would be nothing very extraordinary in a straggler finding its 

 way to that spot. 



Extracts from the Churchwardens' Accounts of the Parish of 

 Hambleden, Buckinghamshire. 



1639. Fox 2.* 1747. 



1641. Fox 2. No more detailed ac- 

 counts until 1710, and no 

 more Foxes until — 



1716. Fox 9.* 



1717. Fox 3,* 1748. 



1718. Fox 3. 1749. 



1719. Fox 1, Hedgehog 1. 1750. 



1720. Fox 4 * Hedgehog 1. , 1751. 



1721. Fox 1. 



1722. Polecat 1. 1752. 



1723. Fox 1. 1753. 

 1725. Fox 2. 



1727. Fox 5. 1754. 



1730. Hedgehog 29, Polecat 2. 



1731. Hedgehog 12, Polecat 8. 



1732. Hedgehog 7, Polecat 3. 



1733. Fox 4, Hedgehog 2, Polecat 1. 



1734. Polecat 3. 1755. 



1735. Polecat 5. 



1736. Fox 3. 1756. 



1737. Hedgehog 6, Polecat 1, Bad- 1757. 



ger 1. (In March, 3s. was 



paid " for shooting Jackdaws 1758. 



about ye Church.") 1759. 



1738. Hedgehog 6, Polecat 1, Bad- 1760. 



ger 7. 



1739. Polecat 9. (Some of these be- 1761. 



long to the following spring. 1762. 

 In April 4s. was paid "for 

 Shooting the Jack-daws.") 1763. 



1740. Fox 2, Hedgehog 3, Polecat 7,* 1764. 



Badger 3. 



1741. Fox 5, Polecat 2, Badger 2. 1765. 



1742. Fox 3, Polecat 5. 1766. 



1743. Fox 7, Polecat 4. 1767. 



1744. Fox 2, Hedgehog 3, Badger 1. 



1745. Fox 6, Polecat 2. 1768. 



1746. Badger 4. " May ye 7th Pd. for 



ye Act Concerning ye Cows 1769. 

 0. 1. 6." 



Hedgehog 1, Polecat 5. " May 

 ye 15th. pd. Mr. Fairfax ye 

 Eigester bill paper for ye 

 Cows Court," &c. (To what 

 do these entries refer ?) 

 Hedgehog 1, Polecat 3. 

 Hedgehog 2, Polecat 3. 

 Polecat 1, Badger 2. 

 Fox 7, Hedgehog 4, Polecat 7, 

 Badger 7. [ger 9. 



Hedgehog 3, Polecat 7, Bad- 

 Hedgehog 3, Polecat 6, Bad- 

 ger 1. 

 No account: the parish clerk 

 "died by haven the Small 

 Pox and the acount (of the 

 churchwarden) was not found 

 any more" ! 

 Hedgehog 5, Polecat 8, Bad- 

 ger 5. [ger 5. 

 Hedgehog 12, Polecat 5, Bad- 

 Hedgehog 6, Polecat 2, Bad- 

 ger 3. 

 Hedgehog 32, Polecat 2. 

 Hedgehog 12, Polecat 3. 

 Hedgehog 5, Polecat 4, Bad- 

 ger 1. [ger 4. 

 Hedgehog 7, Polecat 7, Bad- 

 Hedgehog 15, Polecat 7, Bad- 

 ger 2. [ger 2. 

 Hedgehog 19, Polecat 7, Bad- 

 Hedgehog 24, Polecat 7, Bad- 

 ger 6. [ger 18 

 Hedgehog 17, Polecat 9, Bad- 

 Polecat 8, Badger 3. 

 Hedgehog 2, Polecat 9, Bad- 

 ger 1. 

 Hedgehog 1, Polecat 10, Bad- 

 ger 2. 

 Fox 1, Hedgehog 2, Polecat 12, 

 Badger 2. 



