308 



Notes on the History of Mere. 



of certain rights of common which the poor of the parish of Mere 

 had over the disafforested forest of Grillingham. 



The articles of agreement by which this property was allotted to 

 the poor of Mere are dated 30th January, 1651. It is vested in 

 thirteen trustees, 



" and when eight of them shall bee dead, then the survivors of them shall convey 

 and assigue the said Fowerscore Acres of Land to the use of themselves and of 

 eight others of the most ablest and discretest Inhabitants of Mere aforesaid such 

 as they shall make choyce of and of theire Heires and Assignes for ever. Upon 

 the like trust and for the intents and purposes aforesaid and upon noe other 

 trust nor for any other Intent or purpose whatsoevV 



According to the original deed the income is to be appropriated 



"for the better relieving of the poor from time to time inhabiting Mere in such 

 manner as the trustees shall in their discretion think fit." 



The following letter, from among the papers at Zeals House, is 

 printed in Somerset and Dorset Notes and Queries, Sept., 1897 : — 



" Mere 23 Marti j 1651. 



" Sr 



" There is nowe in agiticon a business concerning o r pish wherein yo 11 

 are concerned the state whereof I thought fitt to represent unto yo u w dl is thus. 

 Vpon the disafforestacon of the Forrest of Gillingham there was an allowance of 

 100 acres layd out for the Freehold 1-8 and Comou of the Mannor of Mere, w ch 

 was enioyed w th the rest of the Comons ever sithince that tyme, w ch was about 

 27 yeres past. In the tyme of the troubles some of the enclosures of the Forrest 

 were throwne open and vpon the late reenclosure, the Inh'itants of the pish 

 laboured to have some further allowance and intrusted me in the busines whoe 

 travelled therein, & vpon search found in the Articles annexed to the Comision 

 for disafforestacon a clause, that care should be taken for the poore of Mere (who 

 formerly had a greate pt of their maineten'nce out of the Forrest) in regard that 

 vpon the improvement & enclosure they were wholely cast vpon the pish, and 

 vpon treaty e w th the owners of the Forrest and in fine, I concluded with them 

 for 80 acres in satisfaccon of that clause in the Articles and soe agreed to accept 

 of those 80 acres (to be imployed for the comfort and releife of the Poore) and 

 the 100 acres (formerly layd out for Comon) in lieu and full satisfaccon for all 

 claymes in the Forrest as well for Comm" as for Poore : this the pishioners of 

 all sorts well approued and desired me to gett setled w ch I putt in order; but 

 when the tyme of setlem 1 came, some few of the pish (w ch made greate vse of 

 the Comons) would not agree to the Enclosure vnlesse the 80 acres (gotten vpon 

 the interest of the Poore) might be vsed in comon as well as the 100 acres 

 allowed to the Comon 18 although it was expressely allowed to the pish for the 

 better support of the poore, aud agreed to be helt (?) inclosed and made vse of 

 for that purpose. And by meanes of this vnworthy opposicon of some vnworthy 



