Counterpart indenture, 23 April, 24 Elizabeth, between John Rowe, of Clappham, esquire,...

Counterpart indenture, 23 April, 24 Elizabeth, between John Rowe, of Clappham, esquire, and William Purratt, of the town of Bedford, husbandman; Purrat shall 'tyll, manure, dresse and sowe' 84a. arable in Clappham, late in the occupation of Evans Richarde, 'accordinge to the nature of the soyle and seasons of the yeare,' from Michaelmas next for ten years; he shall have the messuage or tenement there, of late occupied by the said Evans, for ten years, doing repairs, 'one milnehouse wher a mault milne standeth' only excepted, and he shall have 'towards the findinge and fotheringe of his cattall' 8a. meadow and a close called 'Acre Closse' there, as the said Evans had, paying yearly for the said meadow and close 4l.; Purrat covenants, at his own cost, according to 'the need usage and nature of the soyle,' to 'manure, tyll, dresse and sowe all the errable lands aforesaid for and with wheate or rye barley or pease beanes otes fetches,' or 'any other kynd of myxed corne or grayne,' according to soil and seasons, Rowe delivering to him yearly sufficient seed to sow half the said land, 'to weed and dresse the croppe readye to harvest,' to suffer Rowe to take half the crop, the division to be made 'one fortnight next before every harvest tyme,' and to carry the said grain to Rowe's barns or yards in Clappham, as follows, viz. he 'shall carry or bring home one dayes carriage' for every day's carriage by Rowe, the carriage of the tithe of both moieties excepted; clause as to 'donge and compasse'; Purrat to have 'the gate and feedinge' for ten 'beaste or neate' and forty sheep 'upon the commons in the fieldes and bounds of Clapham' with Rowe's sheep, and to 'cut downe and take' 'all the bushes growing in or upon the heydens leyses or baulkes,' belonging to the said 'ferme house,' and to feed his beasts upon the said 'heydens,' etc. Bedfordshire.