MR. T. SOUTHWELL ON PELTWELL DECOV. 353 
the adjoining estates in Feltwell and Lyndford. He has kindly 
furnished me with the following particulars, as to the connection of 
the parties mentioned with his family in the present day, which it 
may be well to give here, as we shall then better understand what 
is to follow. The Robert Clough mentioned in the first lease was 
great-great-grandfather to Mr. Newcome ; he married in 1726 (?) 
Miss Mary Wyche, the heiress of Hockwold, and died in 1777 : he 
was succeeded by his son, the Rev. Cyril Clough, also mentioned 
in the papers, whose youngest daughter and ultimate heiress m irried 
the Rev. William Newcome, the father of the late Mr. Edward 
Clough Newcome, so well known to us as one of the most ardent 
supporters of Falconry in recent times, and thus the Hockwold and 
Feltwell estates came into the possession of the Newcomes; but 
the Decoy Farm, and several other outlying farms in Feltwell and 
Methwold Fen had been sold previous to the death of the Rev. 
Cyril Clough, which took place in 18TG. The probable cause of 
the abandonment of the’ decoy was the drainage of the fen, hut at 
what precise date it took place is unknown. The first Act for the 
Drainage of the district was obtained in 1751, this was followed by 
a second Act in 1806. An interesting clause in the lease of 1742, 
which will be referred to, indicates the condition of the land at 
that period ; hut although evidence of the improvement of the land 
is indicated by the covenants of the lease of 1775, it is probable 
that many years would elapse, after the passing of the Act, before 
this “ Soak Land ” would be sufficiently dry for winter cultivation. 
There are two maps of the decoy and the adjoining land, the 
smaller of which has the appearance of being the older, but 
they do not differ materially save that the larger one (of which 
the accompanying plan is a reproduction) contains more detail. 
The farm consisted of 205 acres, 14 of which were devoted to the 
“Decoy and Walks,” with which went 7 acres 16 perches, on 
which stood the Decoy House, with yard and gardens ; the premises 
are described as situated. on the bank and are shown on the plan ; 
rather over 72 acres were in the occupation of Mr. Dixon, and oyer 
118 acres in that of William Galley. Galley seems to have paid 
2s. 6d. an acre for his land, five acres of which are described as 
“dug land,” i.e., I presume, from which the peat had been dug. 
The plan seems to be on a scale of about 8.1 chains to an inch, this 
would give an area of about 8640 square yards for the decoy pond, 
