236 



Notes on the History of Mere. 



Henry of Pimperleigh derived his name from Pimperleigh; no 

 existing dwelling is known by that name, but we have still Pim- 

 perlease Koad, which connects Wet Lane with Barrow Street, and 

 in those days a dwelling-house was situated somewhere thereabouts. 

 Then John Clement has his name handed down to us in " Clement's 

 Lane," which extends from Edge Bridge to the corner of the road 

 which leads to Woodlands. This name probably was originally 

 John de Claymont (John of the Clay-mound, now Clay Knap), 

 where his house stood, and which is contiguous to the present 

 Clement's Lane. Again, Eobert of the Conwich took his name 

 from the park of Conwich, whioh is still known as such, although 

 all traces of dwellings are entirely swept away, but a farmhouse 

 stood on this site in the recollection of persons still living. We 

 also find in the neighbourhood a Bobert Curthose, now corrupted 

 to Curtis. Curthose means short hose, or short stockings. This 

 family still exists. 



When the Earl of Cornwall ceased to keep the manor of Mere in 

 his own occupation, it appears that it was let to a succession of 

 stewards, who sub-let the several holdings to copyholders for terms 

 of lives. The occupations were generally small, as was the custom 

 in those days, consisting of a few acres of enclosed pasture near the 

 homestead, where the dairy was kept, with a right to run a certain 

 number of cows, etc., on the commons, which were looked after by 

 a herdsman under the superintendence of a hayward. 



In Mere the reeve was the person who had the supervision of the 

 commons, and we are able to give a list of those who held this office 

 in the sixteenth century for more than thirty years, thus giving 

 the names of many of the inhabitants two centuries later than those 

 mentioned above : — 



Awbrey, 



1551 Eobert Coward 



1552 John Clement 



1553 John Gildon 



1554 Eobert Bishop 



1555 Eobert Sheppard 



1556 John King 



1566 Thomas Wats 



1567 Eandali Bannister 



1568 Alexander Bourne 



1569 John Forward, Jun 



1570 William Dixe, Sen. 



1571 Thomas 

 Gent. 



1572 John Forward 



1573 Christopher Alford 



1574 Eobert Coward, for 

 Charles Lord Stourton 



1574 John Dodington 



1575 Thomas Alford 



1576 John GildoD 



1577 Eobert Bishop 



1578 Thomas King 



1579 Nicholas Clement 



1580 Thomas Holbrook 



1581 Christopher Alford 

 and Leonard Dodington 



1582 Edward Foord 



1583 William Chafin 



1584 Edward Chafin 



1585 Thomas Alford 



1586 ThomasAbourough 

 1588 Thomas Watts 



