Dear Bill East
The priests of Burton upon Stather church quite
definitely kept cattle - the evidence is that they
had a church farm from before the time of the
Domesday book up to some years after 1709.
At the time of the Enclosures the Vicar was
a substantial landowner. The vicar's terrier for 1709
included, inter alia, a cow-house in the farm buildings,
Today there are ancient-looking yew trees growing
in the churchyard, although how long they have
been there no one knows. If they were there hundreds
of years ago they were enclosed. The terrier of
1709 clearly states who is to be responsible
for the repair of the churchyard fences.
I am drawing on my memories as a country-bred
boy when I say that a country vicar whose
churchyard adjoined a cattle field incurred
the wrath of the local farmer if he failed to
keep his yew trees fenced off to prevent the
cows eating yew tree berries and dying.
And I include in this the need even for individual
yew trees to fenced in if necessary.
All of which lends support to the idea that
yew trees were planted for religious purposes
rather than arms-dealing.
Ron Hornsby
Burton upon Stather
----- Original Message -----
From: Bill East <[log in to unmask]>
To: <[log in to unmask]>
Sent: Monday, September 27, 1999 10:24
Subject: Re: Yew trees
>
>
> --- Paul Spice <[log in to unmask]> wrote:
> > Dear Ron Hornsby,
> > Although I have no references to hand, my understanding was that yew
> > trees were planted in churchyards for the following reasons.
> > 3 Churchyards were ideal places because they were widespread and not
> > used for grazing anumals.
>
> They were however used for grazing animals; to this day the parson has
> the right to graze his cattle in the churchyard. In former times he
> would probably have kept cattle. When I was a parson I sometimes
> considered keeping a goat to keep down the grass. I have seen goats
> used for this purpose in churchyards.
>
>
> The Supple Doctor.
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