A Brief introduction to Glebe Terriers

The term Glebe Terrier is specific to the Church of England. A terrier is a written survey, or inventory, of land (the word derives from the Latin terra, land). The Glebe is the land or other property held by the vicar for the support of himself and his church. A Glebe Terrier is a detailed list describing the church's property in the parish - its rectory or vicarage, its fields and the church itself.

A gad is a measure of grassland equal to a swathe, that is, six and a half feet.
Furlong, as used here, means the road or boundry upon which the separate lots abut in an open field, or a piece of unenclosed ground divided into several occupations.
A stinting was a portion of common meadow set apart for one’s personal use, but the occupancy of which changed from time to time.
Mear, Mere, Meere signifies a mark or boundry between one manor or parish and another or between different properties in the same manor or parish

A true terrier of all ye houses, glebe lands and meadows belonging to ye vicarage of Messingham (1686)

Imprimis ye vicarage house consisting of 3 bayes of building and ye barn of bayes more. Item. A little cottage with a croft on ye north side Cow-dike, inhabited by John Wilson, clerk of ye parish.
Item. Another little cottage with a croft in High Street, inhabited by Thomas Hilbert.

Glebe lands in ye West field.

Imprimis ye vicarage house consisting of 3 bayes of building and ye barn of bayes more. Item. A little cottage with a croft on ye north side Cow-dike, inhabited by John Wilson, clerk of ye parish.
Item. Another little cottage with a croft in High Street, inhabited by Thomas Hilbert.

Glebe lands in ye West field.

Imprimus, Three Gad at Stone Barke, Robert Bainton on ye South, Thomas Bishop on ye North.
Item. Four gad in Gosse acres George Major on ye South and John Stocks on ye North. Two gad more in ye same furlong, Thomas Bishop on ye south, Mr Gravenor on ye North.
Two Gad at Billim Lane end, Bransby Lilly on ye South, John Major jun. on ye North.
Two Gad upon Kirkhill, Thomas Bishop on ye South, Mr Gravenor on ye North.
Two Gad at Waterfall, Robert Major on ye South, Robert Bainton on ye North.
Two gad by Kirk close side 4th land from it. John Major jun. on ye South, Mr Gravenor on ye North.
Four Gad between ye closes, Thomas Fox on ye South, Stephen Bainton on ye North.
Two gad more between ye closes, John Major jun. on ye South, John Major sen. on the North.
Two gad in upper Smea Thorns, Mr Gravenor on ye North and Thomas Bishop on ye South.
Four more gad in ye same furlong, Stephen Bainton on ye North, John Stocks jun. on ye South.
Two gad more in ye same furlong. Armitage Mear on ye North.
Two gad in Kikholme, Unlon Lacon on ye North, Jhn Major jun. on ye South.
Four gad more in ye same furlong, John Stocks sen. on ye North, John Stocks jun. on ye South.
Two Gad in Mill furlong, John Stevenson on ye South, Mr Gravenor on ye North.
Two gad in Beggars Bush furlong. Thomas Bishop on ye South, Mr Gravenor on ye North.
Two gad more in ye same at Wood Close Nooke, John Major jun. on ye South, John Stevenson on ye North.
Four gad on upper Beck Hill, Thomas Taylor on ye East and George Major on ye West.
A headland of four gad, and four foot, John Major jun. on ye east and ye land ends on ye west.
One gad and a halfe more in ye same furlong, Thomas Bishop on ye East and ye wood on ye west.
One gad and a halfe on low Beck Hill, widow Lacon on ye East, and Mr Gravenor on ye West.

In ye East Field.

One gad and a halfe by Cowgate side, Thomas Bishop on ye South, Thomas Taylor on ye North.
Three gad more in ye same furlong, John Major jun. on ye South, Thomas Stocks on ye North.
Two gad in Lowman Mear, John Major on ye South, Thomas Taylor on ye North.
A headland in Lowman Mear, four gad and four foot, Lands ends on ye North, Thomas Taylor on ye West.
Another headland goes over Briggate four gad and four foot, Lands ends on ye West, Thomas Bishop on ye East.
Two gad in But furlong, George Major on ye West, and John Major on ye East.
Three Gad in High Gate furlong, George Major on ye South and John Stocks on ye North.
Two gad near Beggar’s Bush, Robert Major on ye South, Stephen Bainton on ye North.
Four gad at Melclose Nooke, William Brumby on ye South, John Stevenson on ye North.
Two gad more at Melclose Nooke, John Taylor jun. on ye South, Mr Gravenor on ye North.
Two gad at Beckhill Rowes, John Major on ye South, Thomas Taylor on ye North.
Two gad in Easter Woods, John Major on ye South, Robert Major on ye North.

A headland on Lowbekhill.

Four Gad Thomas Stocks croft.
Three gad on Low Beck Hill, Mr Gravenor on ye West, Thomas Fox on ye East.
Two Gad on Low Beck Hill, Mr Gravenor on ye West, John Major on ye East.
Two gad more in same furlong, William Brumby on ye West, Robert Major on ye East.
One gad and a half at Holm Parke nooke, Thomas Bishop on ye East and St. John’s close on ye West.
One gad and a halfe in Aske furlong, Mr Gravenor on ye North, Thomas Bishop on ye South.
Three gad more in ye same furlong, Thomas Bishop on ye North, Robert Major on ye South.
Three gad in Easter Woods, Symon Nelson on ye North, John Major on ye South.
One gad and a halfe in ye Stony furlong, William Brumby on ye North, and Thomas Bishop on ye South.
Three gad more in same furlong, Mr Gravenor on ye North, George Major on ye South.
One gad and a half more in ye same by Mell Close, John Major on ye North, Thomas Bishop on ye South.
Two gad in Holbeck Furre, Richard Sewers on ye North, John Major jun. on ye South.
One Headland of three gad in ye same, Thomas Bishop on ye South and ye meadow on ye North.
One gad and a halfe in Whirlamore Furlong, Mr Gravenor on ye North, Widow Lacon on ye South.
Two gad in ye same on Slakker dike, Mr Gravenor on ye North and John Stocks sen. on the South.
Two gad goes over Briggate, Mr Gravenor on ye West, John Major on ye East.
One gad and a halfe more crosses Briggate, Stephen Bainton on ye West, John Stocks on ye East.
One ged and halfe more in ye same, Briggate Mear on ye North, Thomas Bishop on ye South.
Two gad in Rowmells, John Stevenson on ye West, John Major on ye East.
Four gad more in ye same furlong, Mr Gravenor on ye East and John Stocks sen. on ye West.
Two gad in Potterhow – Carr, John Major on ye South and Robert Manger on ye North.

Glebe Lands in ye South Field.

Four gad in Cowgate side, Thomas Fox on ye North, Stephen Bainton on ye South.
One gad and a halfe in Scottergate furlong, Mr Gravenor on ye North, John Major on ye South.
Two gad more in ye same furlong, John Stevenson on ye North, John Major on ye South.
Two gad at Koel Syke ye Bull meadow on ye West, John Major on ye East.
Two gad in ye Beck furlong, John Stevenson on ye West, Widow Lacon on ye East.
Four gad more in ye same furlong, John Stocks sen. on ye West, Mr Morley on ye East.
One gad and a halfe more in ye same at Jee Close Nooke, John Stocks sen. on ye West, Thomas Bishop on ye East.
Three gad and a halfe between Jee Close and Green Close, Robert Major on ye West, George Major on ye East.
Four gad in South Mill furlong, Parrot Close Nooke on ye West, John Stocks on ye East.
Two gad more in ye same furlong, Robert Cooke on ye West, John Major jun. on ye East.
One gad and a halfe more on ye same on ye other side of ye Gate, Thomas Taylor on ye West, Widow Lacon on ye East.
Four gad in ye Beck, a stinting, William Brumby on ye West, John Stevenson on ye East, Thomas Sewers on ye South.
Two gad more in ye same towards Jee Close, John Stocks sen. on ye West and Fursdale on ye East.
Three gad more in ye same, William Brumby on ye West, George Major on ye East, Jee Close on ye North.
Two gad and four foot more in ye same at Bedmore Hills, John Stocks on ye West, Lands End on ye East.
Three gad more on ye same at Toffe Dyke, Mr Gravenor on ye North and Robert Major on ye South.
Six more gad in ye same furlong, Mr Gravenor on ye North and Thomas Stocks on ye South.
Two more gad in ye same, John Stevenson on ye North, Thomas Bishop on ye South.
Two gad more in ye Scallows, John Stocks sen. on ye West, John Major jun. on ye East. A headland of four gad in ye same, Mr Gravenor on ye North, Lands End on ye South.
In ye same four gad at ye South end two at ye North end, Kirton high mear on ye East, Martin Brumby on ye West.
Two gad more in ye same at Drake acres, Thomas Bishop on ye East, John Stocks on ye West.
Two gad in Braylands, Mr Gravenor on ye West and John Major jun. in ye East.
Four more in ye same at Cracra going down into Landmore, William Brumby on ye East, John Major on ye West.
Two gad more in ye same Scotter gate end, Mr Gravenor on ye West, Thomas Bishop on ye East.
Two gad in Long Butter Creames, Robert Bainton on ye South, John Stevenson on ye North.
One gad and a halfe in Short Butter Creames, Robert Bainton on ye South, Mrs Gravenor on ye North.

Meadow.

At ye Howes four gad at Yea and five at Cardike, Thomas Bishop on ye East, Mr Nevile on ye West.
At Wiglow four gad and two foot at Yea and five at Cardike, Mary Lacon on ye East.
At Lefthowe two gad at each end, Thomas Bishop on ye East, John Stevenson on ye West.
At Forty Gad, nine gad at ye Yea and eight at Cardike, John Major jun. on ye East, ye Forty Gad on ye West.
At Westaby Gyme four gad at each end, Widow Lacon on ye East, and Richard Chapman on ye West.
In ye Trent Ings, nine gad at each end, Thomas Fox on ye south, Roger Hudson on ye North.

The Church Yard.

This is a true account of ye premises according to ye best information we could receive of which we delivered in a copy at ye Metropoliticall Visitation held at Gainsburgh upon ye 20th day of August 1686 by ye most Reverend Father in God William Lord Archdeacon of Canterbury.
In witness hereof we ye present Minister and Church Wardens have hereto set our hands ye 18th day of October in ye year of our Lord 1686.

Ab. Crowther, Vic.
Richard Naller
Thomas T Fox