Читать книгу Records, Historical and Antiquarian, of Parishes Round Horncastle онлайн

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Belchford is one of our largest villages, lying at a distance of about 5 miles from Horncastle, in a north-east direction, and buried in a valley among the wolds. It was anciently among the possessions of the Conqueror’s nephew, Ivo Tailebois, which he acquired by his marriage with the Lady Lucia, the wealthy heiress of the Thorolds. Tithes and territory here were assigned by her to the Abbey of Croyland, as well as to its cell, the branch Priory of Spalding. There were two mills here, valued in Domesday book, at 18s. 8d. yearly. The acreage is large; Ivo had five carucates in demesne, or some 600 acres, while villeins, bordars, and soc-men, occupied nine carucates, or about 1080 acres; there were 360 acres of meadows, and six carucates (720 acres) reateable to gelt. The arable land was a mile long, and a mile broad, which was a large proportion. The acreage is now 2480, the population more than 400. By an indenture, 28th October, 1641, we find Sir Thomas Glemham owning lands in Belchford and Oxcombe, as well as other places, which he sold to Sir Matthew Lister, and his brother Martin Lister, subsequently the Listers of Burwell Park. The Listers, however, sold the Belchford lands again to Sir Thomas Hartopp, about 20 years later. Mr. Robert Charles de Grey Vyner is now Lord of the Manor, but much of the land belongs to the Epton, Reed, and other families. At the inclosure, land left by Henry Neave to the poor, was exchanged for two acres, now let for £5 15s., which is distributed among the poor at Christmas, as well as a rent charge of 4s., left by Mrs. Douglas Tyrwhitt. Letters, via Horncastle, arrive at 9.30 a.m. The nearest telegraph office is at Tetford.