this letter it appears, that the decoy was even at that time out of 
repair. Mr. Fellowes declined Skelton’s offer, preferring the 
shooting, and the decoy has never been worked since. The pond 
is still the resort of large numbers of wild-fowl, which retire thero 
from the great feeding grounds on Ilreydou, and the place is kept 
perfectly quiet, the pipes and screens remaining. No decoy books 
can lie found; but Mr. Fellowes says, he has always understood 
that the quantity' of fowl taken was very large. There is also a 
largo heronry in the trees surrounding the decoy pond. 
In the parish of Aele are still the remains of a decoy', which 
was worked about forty years ago by' a man named Johnson. 
Mr. T. L. Keed, of Downham, tells me, that he has seen fowl 
taken there ; but, I believe, it was not worked many seasons. 
him. A gentleman who visited him when on his deathbed, has kindly 
furnished me with the following account of his visit. ‘‘The house stood 
quite alone in the marshes, no great distance from the sea-shore, and was at 
that time at least two miles distant from any other house .... it consisted 
of a long, low, rather gloomy room. On asking for him, his wife or one of 
his children, pointed to a corner of the room. On looking there, I could see 
nothing but duck and wild-fowl, hanging on strings. On repeating the 
question where Skelton was, some of these strings of wild-fowl were taken 
down, and I found him lying on a four-post bedstead. These strings of wild- 
fowl were stretched from one post to another all round the bed, so as to form 
regular curtains, if I may so term it, and shut him in so completely 
as to prevent his being seen. He died from a thickening of the membrane 
of the throat, brought on by exposure to damp and cold, and aggravated by 
his habits of intemperance.” George Skelton was twice married, and left 
one child by his first wife, and five by his second. 
William Skelton removed to Binley in Warwickshire, and constructed a 
decoy for Lord Craven at Combe Abbey, which he worked till his death. 
His two sons and grandson are now tenants on the Combe estate. 
Richard Skelton was for many years decoyman for the Gurney family at 
Hempstead ; he left that place, and took a decoy at Methwold shortly before 
his death, which occurred about the year 1S49, at the age of 53 years. He 
had five sons, three of whom died young ; Richard is now decoyman at 
Illingham near Maldon, Essex ; and Henry is gamekeeper at Woolley Park, 
Wantage. There was also a daughter, who married, and is now living at 
Southery ; to whom I am indebted for much of the information contained 
in this note. 
Henry Skelton, the fourtli son of Old George, succeeded his father at the 
Winterton decoy ; lie died on the “2‘2nd of August, 1861, aged 52 years, and 
is buried at Winterton. 
