V281

List of Deponants, Draft Depositions and Interrogatories in the King’s Bench.

not dated circa 1755

From: 1750 To: 1760

John Hart, yeoman, aged 78 Jeremiah Taylor, yeoman, aged 76 Edward Hart, aged 68 George Odell, mason, aged 66 Joseph Robinson, aged 58 Oliver Dix, weaver , aged 65 and more Simon Earl, yeoman, aged 47 Abraham Little, aged 50 and more William Little, aged 54 and more (all of Milton Ernest) whether any of these are owners of lands etc in Milton John Marshall of Thurleigh yeoman, aged 55 make oath that each was born in Milton Ernest and have lived there since, except Jeremiah Taylor who for three years lived at a considerable distance; know parish and its boundaries well, particularly a piece of mead called Hog Holm which was always regarded as belonging to owners and occupiers of lands in Milton and has been enjoyed as such except for last two years when obstructed by John Barnes, tenant of a holm formerly called Rands’s Holm in Radwell; they have kept cows etc. on Hog Holm when they were boys for occupiers of lands in Milton and that such cattle have been fed there ever since without obstruction except as above. (Query, when this right of common begins and ends) they know Rands’s Holm well , on east side of River Ouse; believe main stream and ancient course of said river formerly ran between Hog Holm and Rands’s Holm, but by neglect of cutting down the rushes growing in great quantities immediately above the two holms the course of the water was obstructed and diverted and now runs between Hog Holm and a mead belonging to Milton parish, called Great Meadow. (By whom and when were they thus informed and whether the River has not always run between Great Meadow and Hog Holm and not been diverted.) -- William Little remembers one John Risely who rented the Fishery on the said river formerly belonging to the estate of Sir Thomas Bromsall and now of Mrs. Husk of Milton; used to lay gins to catch fish between Hog Holm and Rands’s Holm in the half stream running next to Hog Holm. -- Simon Earl remembers John Risely and that he laid bow nets to catch fish in the half stream next to Hog Holm; Oliver Rands Lid nets in the said half stream and Risely cut the nets. Simon Earl now rents (and has for years past) the rushes in the said half stream (formerly rented by his father and grand-father) and they have cut and carried away the same without hindrance. -- John Marshall kept cows on Hog Holm as a boy; remembers lopping willow trees there by one Mousefall (? Mounsall) then Hayward in Milton; the deponent, with other boys keeping cows in Great Meadow, drew the lops and tops through the water to Great Meadow and were taken from there by the Hayward, (whether it is customary for commoners in this parish to lop trees and what right the Hayward of Overseer had to do so) -- Oliver Dix remembers lopping (etc. as above) and that John Morgan of Milton did so and that Thomas Hart the Overseer of the Poor of the parish of Milton carried the same to Milton but does not know why. -- Thomas Millington of Sherrington, Buckinghamshire matmaker, aged 74 and more knows Hog Holm (believes it to be in Milton) and has known it sixty years past; says it was taken as part of Milton common land and used as such by owners and occupiers for cows, sheep, horses; knows Rands’s Holm on east side of River Ouse (repeats theory of change in river course as above). For 29 years he rented from Oliver Rands rushes in the part of the river adjoining Rands’s Holm and belonging to Mr. Rands who directed him to cut only half of the river between Hog Holm and Rands’s Holm as the other half belonged to the parish of Milton. For 20 years last past has rented of Widow Little of Milton the rushes in the other half between Hog Holm and Rands’s Holm and has constantly cut and carried them without hindrance note: I have got affidavits against Milton . . . . by Mr. Horton they all lie together in my Trunk endorsed: “A Copy of the Affidavits which Milton have against mee about the Commonage and the rights of Fishery etc. at Radwell now in dispute.”

item

Hart, John,
Taylor, Jeremiah,
Hart, Edward,
Odell, George,
Robinson, Joseph,
Dix, Oliver,
Earl, Simon,
Little, Abraham,
Little, William,
Marshall, John,
Barnes, John,
Risely, John,
Bromsall, Thomas,
Husk,
Rands, Oliver,
Morgan, John,
Hart, Thomas,
Millington, Thomas,
Horton

legal papers, King's Bench, MILTON ERNEST, THURLEIGH, Milton Ernest fields, Radwell, Overseers, River Ouse, hayward, Buckinghamshire Sherrington, affidavit, fishing rights