Hilton Field Laws, 1764
Orders and Byelaws made by the Jurors and Homage of Hilton at a Court held 23rd Oct. 1764 and confirmed at subsequent courts.
1. No person shall keep more than 16 sheep for 20 acres of land and 8 sheep for a cottage on pain of forfeiting 2/-
2. No cows shall be led in any part of the Field nor kept upon the Common except such as go in the common herd on pain of forfeiting 2/- for each cow.
3. The sheep not to go upon the Wheat stubble until a fortnight after harvest ended nor upon the pea stubble until Martinmas on pain of forfeiture for every sheep -- (?)
4. No 3 year old beasts to go in the herd unknobbled on pain of forfeiture 3d a norm (?) to the Field reeves.
5. No three, year old steers to go in the herd and 2/- forfeiture for each.
6. No Hogs shall be upon any part of the common unrung on pain of forfeiture to the field Reeves 1/- for every hog.
7. No Mare shall go upon any part of the common or in the fields on pain of forfeiting 2/- for each offence.
8. Every person shall on or before the 10th of November, Ditch or cause to be ditched, his lands in the Tilth Field on ditching side when ridged and over thewit (?) as usual (?) to be well and sufficiently done, according to the judgement of the Field reeves on pain of forfeiting 6d an end for each deficiency and upon refusal of payment of such forfeiture, it shall and ---(?) be lawful for the field reeves to take into the pound or keep in custody any live or dead stock until the fine be paid.
9. No person shall stake or cause to be staked any meadow ground after it is mowed, nor mow any other ground in the field, after it is staked on pain of forfeiting for each offence 2/-.
10. No person shall keep more than one horse or one cow for every 20 acres of land for draught on pain of the aforesaid forfeiture, if more shall be found on the common field upon the premises.
11. If any person has an odd 10 acres of land he may keep a horse for draft for the same, but no beast when the horse is taken off same forfeiture.
12. No person shall plow any sward ground withinthe common field, if done thro' a mistake he shall lay it down again or pay to the Lordof the Manor 2/- for each offence.
13. The Ti1th field closes shall be laid when that field is made several and the same by the breach field closes when that field is made several upon the said forfeiture.
14. If any person object tothese orders or any person or persons take such persons in who do not consent to the orders for any part of the folding shall forfeit one Guinea to the Lord of the Manor.
15. The common Baulks belonging to the Cottagers shall be sold on cross Wednesday to the best bidder to mow and stake. Forfeiture 2/-
16. The person or persons that refuse to pay proportionately to the Field Keeping Rate, he or they shall forfeit 5/- to the Lord of the Manor.
17. No person shall lay any dung on any part of the cottage commons in the field. 2/-forfeit for each offence.
18. --------------------------- give any horse common 2/- forfeiture.
19. No geese to go an any part of the common after 25th Nov next. 5/- forfeit for each offence.
20. The Churchwardens shall pay 2d a dozen for sparrows and ld a dozen for eggs taken in and about the said Parish.
21. Messrs J Peck and Edwd Martin to keep each of them a book for the Town service at 6d a common.
22. No person shall dig or cause to be dug any gravel or sand in any pond or ware (weir) in or about the said parish on pain of forfeiting 2/- for each offence.
23. Ordered every Farmer shall go three days and every cottager one day to mow thistles on the common upon notice given by the Field reeves or pay 1/- for each days default.
24. Ordered and agreed to begin to fallow on the 1st day of May. NB to leave an acre out of every score of land in the Fallow field whilst New Midsummer Day; and half an acre for every ten and a rood for every five - all agree that no stone horse shall go loose upon the common only Geldings and mares to be kept by them who have the right of common.
25. Ordered that the Jury shall go and lay out the joint ways and the headlands and lay the lands ends down equal and alike, to the best of their knowledge in the breach field and the fallow fields, before they begin to sow peas and oats and ------- stake out the peas and stubble fields -------- all the -------- and saw no horns from the age of two.
26. Ordered and agreed to scour the ditch from Path Haden to Parnels grove to be approved by the field reeves to be three feet at the top and one foot at the bottom, to be finished on or before Old Christmas Day and if not done by that time, the occupiers of the lands which abut against the said ditch to ----------- .