[203] Reference is here made to the occasional seizure of parish lands or funds by the Queen’s commissioners for concealed lands.  See Strype’s strong language in his Ann. of the Ref. (Oxon. ed.), ii, Pt. i, 310.  He speaks of the unjust oppressions of courtiers and other griping men, ‘harpies’ and ‘hell-hounds,’ who, under the pretense of commissions, “did intermeddle and challenge land of long times possessed by churchwardens, and such like, upon the charitable gifts of predecessors ... yea and certain stocks of money, plate, cattle and the like.  They made pretence to bells, lead [etc.] ...”  Strype’s words are none too strong, being amply confirmed by much evidence aliunde.  See, e.g., the determined attacks in 1567 and subsequently on the Melton Mowbray school lands in Leicest.  Archit. (etc.) Soc., iii (1874), 406 ff.  Thanks to powerful neighbors the Meltonians won their case.  Less fortunate were the parishioners of St. Mary’s, Shrewsbury, the revenue from whose lands supported church fabric, the poor, etc.  For proceedings against them, and the vain appeal by the parish to the lord chief justice in 1572 ff., see Owen and Blakeway’s Hist. of Shrewsbury, ii, 350-2.  For confiscation of parish gild property and parish lands on a large scale, see examples given in Cambridge and Hunts Arch.  Soc., i (1904), 330 ff.  We are here told that during Elizabeth’s reign at least twelve commissions for concealed lands were sent down into Cambridgeshire (p. 332).  See also ibid., 370 ff. for a sale of forfeited lands to Jones and Grey in 1569.  The list of lands is very long and only a sample of many such.  For attacks (1587) on All Saints, Derby, lands, whose revenues went to church repairs, etc., see J.C.  Cox and W.H.  St. J. Hope, Chronicles of All Saints, Derby (1881).  For informers involving Lapworth, Warwick, in a suit about its parish lands see Robt.  Hudson, Memorials of a Warwickshire Parish (1904), 104.  The churchwardens acc’ts occasionally allude to the Queen’s commissioners, e.g., the Great Witchingham Acc’ts, where they are dubbed by the right name:  “for my expenses when I was before the quenes inquisitors for lands and goods” (1559). Norf. and Norw.  Arch.  Soc., xiii, 207.

[204] Jas. Copeman in Norf. and Norw.  Arch.  Soc., ii (1849), 64.  The Loddon Acc’ts cover the period 1554-1847, some of the donations, or endowments, being made in the 16th and some in the 17th centuries.

[205] Robt.  Dymond in Devon Assoc. for Advanc. of Science (etc.) Tr., xiv (1882), 407.  These acc’ts run from 1425-1590.  For a list of parish properties in 1565, see pp. 460-1.  Their yearly rent then amounted to L9 14s. 2d.

[206] Sam’l Barfield, Thatcham, Berks, and its Manors (1901), i. 121.

[207] R.W.  Goulding, Records of the Charity known as Blanchminster’s Charity, Stratton (1898), 64-5.