302 Notes on the History of Great Some? ford. 



London. These lands were by them in the following year trans- 

 ferred to John Hadnet and Roger Dunn, clothier, of " Cizciter," who, 

 in December of the same year, transferred them to John Yewe, 

 clothier, and John Mayo, yeoman, both of Great Somerford. " The 

 original grant," Mr. Demainbray, in 1828, writes, " May be seen at 

 the Eolls Chapel — it is written on a long narrow strip of parchment 

 many feet in length, containing a great variety of similar grants to 

 different persons." The first original document now in the pos- 

 session of the trustees is a lease of the property, described as " all 

 that the tenement, garden, backside and close to the same adjoining, 

 containing by estimation half an acre of grounde, late in the 

 tenure or occupation of Agnes Bayley, widdow, together with two 

 acres of arable land in the fields of Somerford aforesayde, commonly 

 called or known by the name of ' Sainte Marye Lande,' whereof 

 one acre is in 'Brodefield' and the other acre in 'Westefield,' and 

 one beaste leaze in the ' Newleaze,' " granted in 1586 by John Yewe 

 and John Mayo, to John Young for forty-one years on a payment 

 of £10, and an annual rent of Qs. 8d. With regard to this "one 

 beaste leaze" it appears from an indenture dated 15th Nov. 15 

 Eliz. that it was " Sometymes geven and assigned for the fyndinge 

 and mayneteynance of a light within the parish Church of Broad 

 Somerford." In 1622 new feoffees were appointed by John Mayo, 

 son of William Mayo, and grandson of John Mayo, the last 

 surviving of the feoffees named in the deed of 1575. The new 

 feoffees granted in the same year a lease to Robert Young for 

 thirty-one years of the property, for which he paid £12 with a 

 reserved annual rent, as before, of 6s. Sd. During the term 

 of this lease Robert Young alias Cheshire, died, and his widow 

 married Thomas Cromwell, who, at the expiration of the lease, 

 refusing to surrender possession, and having sold his pretended 

 right in the estate to George White by his Prochain Ami, instituted 

 a suit in Chancery to recover possession. This was in the year 

 1656, during the Protectorate of Oliver Cromwell. The plea set 

 up was that one Thomas Cromwell had purchased the premises of 

 the trustees for the sale of the late King Charles's lands, and, 

 further, that the feoffees, who had taken possession, had no right or 



