Notes on the History of Mere. 



impounded them. Mr. Chafyn served a replevy for their delivery in spite of which 

 they were detained. August 24th. Lord Stourton and his servants entered the 

 barley fields and carried away 40 loads of barley and innyd it. They further 

 threatened the sayde T. Chafyn at any time to slaye, kill and hurt hym, hys 

 sonnes or gervaunts if they were taken upon the sayd demesne lands." {Wilts 

 Arch. Mag., viii., 305.) 



The explanation of these riotous proceedings is that Lord 

 Stourton's father had a lease of the demesne lands of Mere in 1544 

 from King Henry VIII., which was confirmed. This led to a 

 lawsuit with Mr. Chafyn, who was in possession of the said lands, 

 and who claimed the same as a grant from the Duchy of Cornwall 

 to him under another lease made by Prince Edward as Duke of 

 Cornwall. 



1553. Charles Lord Stourton had the lease of the manor of 

 Mere renewed to him for forty years. 



" He caused a barne of Thomas Chaffy n to bee sett on fyer by iij of his 

 servantes ; agaynst which Chaff yn for that he sayed yt was not doon withowte 

 the knowledge of the saide Lorde Stourton or of some of his servantes, Lord 

 Stourton tooke an action and recovered of him £100 damage for the payment of 

 which he took owte of Chaffyn's pastures by force 1200 sheepe with the woll 

 uppon their backes. all the oxen, kyne, horsses and mares that he coulde fynde 

 in the said pastures. (Strype's Historical Memorials.) 



The last of the Chafyns at Zeals was "William Chafyn, Esq., who 

 was Sheriff of Wilts 1685. He died 1695. His daughter Mary 

 married John, son of Hugh Grove, of Chisenbury, Co. Wilts, which 

 Hugh was beheaded at Exeter, 1655, pro rege et lege. The Zeals 

 estate thus passed to the family of Grove, in whom it has since 

 remained, its present owner being George Troyte Chafyn Grove, 

 Esq. 



William Chafyn, Esq., who died 1695, left two sons, who died s.p. 

 Rev. Richard Chafyn was Vicar of Mere from 1*556 to 1586 ; 

 Rev. Thomas Chafyn, D.D., from 1630 to 1645. 



Charities. 



In Mere churchyard is a tomb of the Ford family, who resided 

 at Zeals. Their house was situated at the edge of the parish near 

 what is now called " Ford's Water." They were Bristol 

 merchants in the Russian trade, probably flax and hemp, which 



