By Bev. C. S. Buddie. 



275 



Sack of Moult to be paid every Year on the ffeast day of S l Thomas the 

 Apostle, and also the Offerings of all the Parishioners payable at Easter, and 

 all offerings for Churching of Women, and all Marriage Money and no more 

 belonging to the Curate of Durington for officiating in the Parish Church of 

 Durington. 



" The £40 and the Sack of Wheate and Sack of Moult is paid out of the 

 Impropriate Psnage of Durington by the Incumbent of the Parsonage 



Leonard Maton was curate of the parish from 1623 to 1684, a 

 longer time than any of his successors, and all his clerical life. 

 He had just taken his B.A. at Oxford, and was 22 years of age 

 when he was ordained to this curacy. He could have been no 

 stranger, for his father lived in Milston parish ; and his family had 

 been Durrington people in Tudor times and long before, for there 

 were two Matons in the subsidy roll at the beginning of Edward the 

 Third's reign. His will shows that he inherited property in the ad- 

 jacent parish of Milston. But it may be asked " How did he retain 

 his curacy through the stormy times of the Commonwealth and of 

 Cromwell ? Was he another Vicar of Bray ? " Well, the Com- 

 missioners of 1649 spoke well of him: — "Mr. Leonard Maton 

 preacheth constantly once every Lord's day." But of course that 

 does not answer the question, for in Oct., 1647, the House of 

 Commons had resolved that men " shall have liberty to meet for 

 the worship and service of God, and for the exercise of religious 

 duties and ordinances in any fit and convenient places. That this 

 indulgence shall not extend to tolerate the use of the Book of 

 Common Prayer in any place whatsoever." My predecessor did 

 not use the book, but he used the service of the book. I found in 

 the Church chest a well-used and thumbed copy of a form of 

 prayer issued by Charles I., which contained morning and evening 

 service, with written variations by Maton, litany, and the first 

 part of the office for the Holy Communion. No doubt this was 

 his Directory, so that practically there would be no break in the 

 accustomed prayers. 



No complete list either of his predecessors or of his successors 

 is available because they were not instituted. The earliest of 



" Leonard Maton Curate 



