Reference
BO1326
Title
AGREEMENT between Thos. Coleman, Wm. Coleman, Wm. Butfield, Hen. Sibley,
Hen. Sayell, Robt. Horton, Valentine Leach, Richard Bird, Richard
Cook, Thos. Coventry, Zachary Whitehead, Thos. Hull, and William
Rogers, inhabitants and landholders in the hamlet of Billington in
the parish of Leighton Buzzard
Reciting that the commons of Billington have been overcharged,
AGREEMENT between the parties that for the next 12 years
i) Summerleys Common to be a common for 77 1/2 cows
ii) Summerleys Common to be kept as ''Several and Innground'' from
12th March old stile to 11th May old stile and then cows to
be put there
iii) sheep not to be kept in Summerleys before 14th November old stile
nor after 12th March old stile
iv) one sheep to be commoned for one acre arable and field ground;
6 sheep for a cottage
v) sheep not to common in Chappel Field when the same is in crop
until 15th Nov. old stile;
sheep not to be kept in Grovebury Field when in crop until
29th Sept. old stile;
sheep not to be kept in Little Field, Greenend Field and Collicks
untill 10 days after the field is cleared, or the grain & hay
carried;
sheep not to be kept in Backfield, Chalton field or the Above-
Collicks field untill 3 full days after they shall be cleared of
grain or hay, but these fields to be kept for the commoning of
great cattle
vi) Little Field to lie with Grovebury Field and the Collicks when
in crop ''and that the Collicks as far as the foot path from
Leighton to Billington to go while Michaelmas Day old Stile
if the said alterations upon trial shall be found Convenient
if not to be continued and remain as aforetime''
vii) the Lett ground to be allotted on the Friday before Whitsunday,
and after Lammas the lots to lie for the herd of cows
viii) those who have 4 cow commons in Summerleys to let one to those
who have 1 common, and so for every 4 commons one to be let if
the one cow commoner will take the same before the 25th March
old stile yearly, rent to be what they can get.
ix) there is not to be more than one half ewes and lambs in any flock
x) the West End of the Great Meads from Northall Lane to the path
leading from Billington towards Eaton to be preserved and kept
for great cattle until 13th October old stile, and that no
horses or mares be kept on that or any other part of the meadow
after the crop of hay is off until the whole meadow is clear
xi) for every 20 acres of land two lammas commons are allowed when
the Great Mead is cleared
xii) the Tilth field to be several on 1st day Nov. old stile
xiii) lambs to be taken and counted as sheep on 14th Nov. old stile
xiv) no hogs or pigs to go unringed on the common greens
xv) the Tellers to count 21 sheep for every score
xvi) mounds belonging to Mill Fenn, and Summerleys Hooks, shall be
set up before the cows enter, by each person against their own
ground.
xvii) no person to put a cow on the commons without knobs on their
horns, or the tops of their horns sawn off
xviii) for each offence against the above regulations, to forfeit 5/-
xix) no sheep shall stay to bait on the common in sheep washing
season
xx) each person to notify Tellers in March of number of cattle
in writing
xxi) Highway Ley in Collick, being Town Ley, to be laid to the
cottages small lots yearly
xxii) there to be no private herd or ''by herd'' kept in Billington
xxiii) William Coleman to keep as several and ''Innground'' land called
Bushy land during the whole year in lieu of which he loses his
Lammas Common in Mead Hook and two of his cow commons in
Summerleys
xxiv) William Coleman to lay out his Summerleys Hook to the Common and
Commoners as soon as the Great Mead is clear or the hay carried,
in lieu of which he shall have two Lammas Commons
xxv) Henry Sayell & Zachary Whitehead together with the common
hayward to be Tellers for the first year, and that two persons
shall be elected yearly by the majority of the Inhabitants of
Billington on 20th March with common hayward as Tellers
xxvi) Tellers shall buy and provide gates and rails for Summerleys,
and shall tax each common not exceeding 3d per common each year
xxvii) Commoners not to let commons, but for each unused shall receive
2/6d from the other commoners. Anyone refusing to pay to
forfeit 5/- to the chapel Wardens of Billington
xxviii) no persons not inhabitants of Billington to stake horses on the
common, even if they bought hay growing there.
xix) of the 5/- fine for breach of these articles to be paid to
the Tellers, one moiety to go to use of Tellers, and one to use
of Poor of Billington to be paid by the Tellers to the Chapel
Wardens.
mark of Zachery Whitehead, &
signatures of all the other parties.
Date free text
26th December 1772
Production date
From: 1772 To: 1772
Level of description
item