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have accepted it, and put it in repair; this man’s name was 
Skelton. He occupied it for one year, about the date of 1842; 
hut he, poor old man, had a great failing : the squire said he killed 
his game, so no more of him.” 
About fifteen or twenty years ago, if my informant, James 
Plumb, who was for many years decoyman at South Acre, is correct 
in his date, a decoy was made at Narford ; it was not worked 
long, however, and is now dismantled, and the materials sold. 
Hot far from Downham Market, in the Stow Bardolph fen, are 
the remains of a decoy ; about which, I can only learn, that it has 
not been used for fifty-five years. It is on property belonging to 
Sir Thomas Hare, and, in its day, must have been splendidly 
situated for wild-fowl. 
Another decoy existed on the Wood Hall estate, in the parish of 
Hilyay ; it was known as the “Old,” or “Wood Hall Decoy.” 
When it was made, I have not been able to learn. It was worked 
by a man named Wilson (“ Old Ducks ”) for a few years, and then, 
as it did not answer, he gave it up : this would be about twenty- 
five years ago, and it has not since been worked. The pond is 
quite grown up. 
For what is known of the history of the next three decoys, 
I am much indebted to the kindness of Mr. II. M. Upcher. 
On a tract of land called the “ Severals,” in the parish of 
Methwold, and not for from the preceding decoy, stood another 
which was built in 1806 by William Skelton, who, with his 
brother George, worked this and the “Wood Hall” decoy for fifteen 
years ; at which time, the fens became so flooded that they could 
no longer work them at a profit. They remained unused about 
three years, when Mr. Wilson hired the land of the Duchy of 
Lancaster : this was in 1824. Wilson repaired the pipes, &c., and 
caught “ a great many wild-fowl, chiefly duck, wigeon, and teal.” 
“ I have known him,” says Mr. Upcher’s informant, “ to catch 
spoonbill (shovellers), pintail, pocker, gray-bird (gadwall), and 
wewen (wigeon). I think, the pintail is the prettiest and noblest 
looking bird of all I have catclied in the decoy. I cannot tell the 
exact number drove up at once, but I am certain three to four 
dozen have been taken at one drive up. I remember on one 
occasion, in the afternoon, Mr. Wilson killed as many wild-fowl as 
a man could take home on a wheel-barrow.” Wilson died about 
