Early 16th Century Names Maintaining the Church Boundary
The church from the north-west March 2014
A book for the Sarum Rite mass from the early 16th century is kept at Shillington church. It has been annotated, presumably at the time it was created, with names of people in Shillington with responsibilities for the upkeep of the church pale, or boundary. A trancript is located in the Bedfordshire and Luton Archive and Record service searchroom [CRT130Shillington1].
Twelve of the people mentioned are in the first parish register, which begins with burials from 1543 [P44/1/1] (baptisms begin in 1559 and marriages in 1560) and a volume covering episcopal visitations by the Bishop of Lincoln between 1540 and 1551 and held at Lincoln, mentions four more. The complete list, with original spellings, is as follows:
An Olde recorde for the makynge and reparynge of Shitlyngton Church pale
Hanscam [Hanscombe End]
- In primis Richards Colman for i yarde
- Item Mathewe Chamber dimidia [half a yard]
- Thomas Dryver the style [stile]
- Item Thomas Dryver for a yarde and dimidia [half]
- Thomas Arnolde ii yards
- Thomas Walyn dimidia [half a yard]
- Robert Hanscam ii yards
- Robert Howson iiii yards
- John Aylmer iii stake
- Thomas Camswell dimidia [half]
Peggysdyn [Pegsdon]
- James Gregory ii yards
- John Sheperde a yarde
- John Pate dimidia [half] quondam [formerly] Ede et [and] Hopper
- Item John Pate iii yards
- William Lawrence ii yards
- James Gregory iii yards
- William Burges ii yards (Cartmell ---- quondam vocat'[formerly called] Hoos – d-)
- William Meger ii yards
Aspley [Apsley End]
- Thomas Aynsam i yarde
- Mathewe Lacye i yarde
- Master Butler ii yards
- Sir Thomas Rotherham iii yards
- Master Eton and Porter i yarde
- John Pate ii yards
- William Gayton ii yards
- John Newman, Roger Tylcok and Mathewe Kechener ii yards
- Robert Peerson and Robert Glover and Edwarde Fylde ii yards
- Robert Aynsam alias Burrowe i yarde
- Mathewe Grene i yarde
- William Colman of Goonners i yarde and John Dryver
- John Aylmer of Wodeman Ende iii yards
- Robert Aynsam alias Burrowe i yarde
- William kechener and Margaret Symonde ii yards
- Thomas Cowche ii yards
- Robert Chamber i yarde
- Richarde Aylmere i yarde
- John Cowche the style [stile]
- Richard Aynsam dimidia [half] nowe Thomas Crowche
- Thomas Clerke i yarde
- Thomas Walyn i yarde Somtyme [some time i.e. formerly] Gayton
- William Fowler ii yards
- Robert Aynsam iii yards
- Robert Goodale i yarde late Creks
- William Fowler ii yards Somtyme Wyat
- Thomas Paxe i yarde
- Robert Walyn I yarde
- John Grave and Thomas Paxe the north style [stile]
- Thomas Nore i yarde and a halfe
- Richarde Lylley i yarde and a halfe
- Mathew Lawrence i yard end a halfe
- John Hare ii yards
- Richarde Lawrence ii yards
- Richard Lawrence i yarde Somtyme ii Wryts
- William Strynger and Roberd Laurens ii yards
- William Fanne ii yards one for Strogm
- John Clarke i yarde somtyme John Hare
Holwell Burye vi yards
- Robert Hanstam vi yards
- Faxwell i yard