NRO G2575

I received yours of the 25th., was yesterday at Grafton, & got the best information I could relating to the Church Land as you mention - ; I find it to be about the quantity that you say of two acres & a half, or hardly so much, it lyes in 3 parcels Viz. two of them in one field, & one in another - One acre of it is arable and the rest Ley Ground. The arable is rented by Mrs. Foster & was so by her husband before her at 6s 8d per ann. Which rent ye Churchwardens received & pay ye expenses of ye Parish with it when they go their perambulations - which is once in two years. The grass of ye other ground is sold annually in Hay Harvest in ye Church Porch after ye Public Notice in ye Church ye Sunday before to ye best bidder by the Inch of Candle. I find this some of the worst land for the grass seldom has exceeded the value of 10 shillings per. annum, & sometimes not half of that in June. The money that this grass is sold for is paid to the Churchwardens which helps to pay the Church Rate. This account I had from some of the principal Inhabitants & the oldest man in ye Parish - as Framer Smith who has lived there 50 years. Robert Smith who has lived there above 60 years. John Smith, Thomas Cook, John Willifer. Who all agree in this account of it. But none of them know anything of the original of it, as by whom given - or how, but suppose it might be allotted for this purposes when the farms were first divided but this is only supposition there being no writing belonging to it. And it has been applied to these uses, & no other since the oldest of these men can remember. And they never heard of any other Custom before their times.

I am Sir your most humble Servant
Tho. Herbert