Communicated by the Rev. Canon Bennett. 35 



The twenty-three freeholders, tenants, and commoners sign in the 

 order of their quality, very much as they do at the present time, 

 but only six of the signatures are autographs. 



The farm lands in 1599 could have been only in the valleys 

 near the village. The rest of the parish consisted of common fields 

 and downs, which were occupied by the common flocks and herds 

 and broken up from time to time for " catch crops " of corn. In 

 the extremity of winter the cattle and sheep perished for lack of 

 hay, which could only be grown in the narrow strip of water-meadow 

 and the home pastures. Clover, rye-grass, and sanfoin were un- 

 known. A parish hayward, whose office it was to buy and provide 

 hay for the common flocks and herds, was a very necessary and 

 important person. The hayward, shepherds, cowherds, and hogherds 

 of the parish were elected by those who had rights of pasture. The 

 village pound was an important feature in the parish government, 

 and all stray and offending cattle were duly impounded, and detained 

 till their owners had paid the fines required. All fines for breach 

 of the orders, as Christian charity dictated, were given for the uses 

 of the poor of the parish. The orders were enforced and the officers 

 elected by the freeholders, tenants, and commoners, assembled, most 

 probably, in vestry, controverted points being decided by the most 

 voices. Memoranda are made in the registers of disputed bound- 

 aries being settled, and exchanges of ^^gf^ 1 ^^^ 1 tlie " ^ v0 ~ 

 cession Day " in Rogation Week. 



Children and servants were negligent then as now, but swine and 

 geese seem to have possessed greater powers of " offending." 



At the inclosure of the open field lands of Shrewton under a 

 private Act of Parliament, passed in 1798, ten acres and sixteen 

 perches were awarded to the churchwardens " in exchange for lands 

 which they previously possessed." No record exists of the manner 

 in which "the Church land" was originally acquired, but it may 

 have resulted from a benefaction which is thus entered in the 

 register : — 



"1608 



" Wylliam Gouldesborongh gave to the Churche A Cowe y e viii day of May, 8 ' 

 With the " Cowe " he surely gave a cowleaze, which would invest 



D 2 



