By T. H. Baker. 



249 



Awbry, gent., erected a seat in Mere Church for himself and his 

 successors in his dwelling-house at Burton. In 1698 it was held 

 by Mrs. Ann Bishop, widow. 



Burton seems to have in days gone by consisted of several small 

 farms (chiefly copyholds under the Duchy of Cornwall) each having 

 a share of arable in the tenantry fields with the pasturage of a strip 

 of Burton Down ; these are all now merged into Burton Farm or 

 Mere Down Farm. 



A.D. 1274, Eoger of Burton is one of the jurors of the hundred 

 of Mere. 



1300, Eustace of Burton held two virgates and two purprestures 

 by socage. 



John of Burton held one ferlingate of land by socage, lately held 

 by his father, Eichard of Burton. 



Nicholas Gromme held a domain which was the farm of Eichard 

 of Burton, viz., one messuage, 49 acres of land on the hills, 7 J acres 

 under the hills, 3 acres of meadow, and pasture for two-teeths 

 worth 3s. per annum, for which he paid 31s. per annum. 



Most of the fields in this hamlet are still called after the names 

 of their former owners as Alford's, Hewitt's, Millard's, Gramblyn's, 

 Lucas's, Farrer's, &c, all which we find among the old parish 

 documents. 



A document without date exists in Salisbury Cathedral : — 



"De Burtune in Mera. Unfridus de Bohun, dapifer regis, omnibus ad quos 

 presens carta pervenerit ; salutem. Donationem illam quam Rogerus de 

 Cesarisburgo et W. heres terra? de Burton fecerunt decano Sarum et ecclesia? de 

 Mera. xii. solid, denariatas terra? de feudo meo concedo, et presenti scripto 

 confirmo. Et plegius sum, quod nec Rogerus, nee sui pro eo vel post eum 

 cantariam ullam in capella de Burton per debitum clamabunt. Sed quando a 

 decano et ejus capellano qui est apud Meram hanc impetrare poterunt, et salvis 

 decano decimis et omnibus consuetudinibus suis quas de terra de Burton antea 

 habere solebat, tantum de proprio catallo suo facient erga capellanum decani 

 quern ipse in predicta capella cantare velit, quando sibi vacaverit ; cum autem 

 tempus pacis venerit cadit capella et redeant xii denariata? terra? ad proprios 

 heredes, nisi tunc renovetur inter decauum et ipso (sic) couventio. 



" Testibus Margarita uxore meo ; et TJnfrido filio meo ; et Adelelmo dapifero ; 

 Ricardo pincerna : Unfrido de Scotvilla ; Unfrido de Sco. Vigore ; Waltero 

 Hosato; Rogero de Rocella." 1 



1 From the Register of Bishop Osmund iu the Cathedral of Salisbury. 



