The history and antiquities of Boston, and the villages of Skirbeck, Fishtoft, Freiston, Butterwick, Benington, Leverton, Leake, and Wrangle; comprising the hundred of Skirbeck, in the county of Lincoln. Including also a history of the East, West, and Wildmore fens, and copious notices of the Holland or Haut-Huntre fen ... sketches of the geology, natural history, botany, and agriculture of the district; a very extensive collection of archaisms and provincial words, local dialect, phrases, proverbs, omens, superstitions, etc. By Pishey Thompson. Illustrated with one hundred engravings.

626 THE FENS.
The King, "in consideration of the increased rent, and other good causes especially moving him to do so," granted to William Bagnall and John Sharpe (the
parties to whom it appears Sir William Killigrew had transferred his interest),
divers portions of land-all very exactly described-amounting, together, to
812 A. 2R. 25 P., for which they were to pay an annual rent of 861. 4s. The
King appointed Francis Empson and George Payler, gentlemen; John Coppin,
innholder; and Thomas Fydell, yeoman, as his attorneys to carry out this
grant, to take possession and seisin of the land in the King's name, and to
deliver the same to Bagnall and Sharpe. This grant is dated 9th April, 1638
(14 Charles I.)1
A similar grant was made to Sir Abraham Dawes of 609 A. 2 R., for which he
was to pay a rent of 811o 2s.- A grant, in the same form, was made to George
Kirke of 2167 A. 2R. 20 P., the annual rent to be 1091. This grant included "a
village or place called Medlam, containing by estimation 1086 A. 1R. 16P. of
land." 3
The grant made to Robert Long was for 609A. OR 32P., the rent for which
was fixed at 501.4
The whole amount of these grants was 4198A. 3R. 37 P., and the aggregate
rent 3261. 6s.
No doubt the unsettled state of public affairs prevented any of these grants
from being carried into effect. We shall have occasion to allude to them hereafter. The decree of the Sessions of Sewers, held at Boston on 15th of May,
1630 (6 Charles I.),5 had evidently the concurrence of the parties to whom the
grant made by the King in 1629 refers, since Sir Robert Killigrew was a party
to the former, and a principally interested person in the latter. Sir Anthony
Thomas, who undertook the drainage, &c., of the Fens, and Hildebrand Pruson,
who was concerned therein, were, no doubt, connected with the grantees, Killigrew and others, since, in the grants of 9th April, 1638, we find allotments of
land assigned to them.
DUGcDALE'S account of these Fens is as follows:
" Northwards of this fenny part of the country called Lindsey Level, are divers other
marshes, lying towards Waynflete, the greatest thereof are called by the name of the East
and West Fenns.
" Upon a writ of Ad quod damnwum, in the 41 Elizabeth (1599), concerning the draining
of these fens, it appears that the East Fen (lying betwixt the parts of Holland and Lindsey),
was found to contain five thousand acres or thereabouts; and that the one half thereof,
being the skirt, hills, and out-rings, might conveniently be drained; but the other half,
consisting of deeps for the most part, could not be recovered; and, moreover, that the
commons and severals pertaining to the towns confining on the said fen, did then amount
to the number of three thousand and four hundred acres, or thereabouts; all which were
at that time surrounded. Whether anything was done at that time towards the draining
of those fens, I am not able to say; but in 6 Caroli, 15th May, 1630, there was a decree
made, in a session of sewers, held at Boston, by Robert Earl of Lindsey, Lord Great
Chamberlain of England, Edward Earl of Dorset, Lord Chamberlain to the Queen, John
Thorey, Mayor of Boston, Sir Robert Killigrew, Vice-Chamberlain to the Queen, Sir Robert
Belle, Sir John Brown, Knights, Robert Callice, Serjeant-at-Law, and others; which decree
makes the following recital, viz.: that there was a law of sewers made at Boston, 7th and
9th April, then last past, by the said Sir Robert Belle and others, whereby it appeared that
the grounds hereafter named were overflowed with fresh waters, viz., Dockdike Hurne,
from Armitage Causey and Howbriggis east, to the river of WitharY west; and from the said
river of Witham south, to Hawthorne north, from the east end of Hundell House grounds,
and so along by Raydyke, to the north side of Morehouse grounds; from thence by Mareham, Revesby, East Kirkby, and Hagnaby gate; from thence along by Bar-loade-bank, and
1 Patent Rolls, 14 Charles I., Part 2, No. 3. 4 Ibid. Part 2, No. 7.
2 Ibid. Part 2, No. 2. 5 See extract from DUGDALE on Embankment on
Jbid. Part 2, No. 1. the next page.