Deposition taken by Thomas Payne the xvi of aprille 1564, on behalfe of our sovereign lady the Queen, the inhabitants of Holywell, Needingworth complaining and the inhabitants of Bluntisham, Erithe, Colne, Somerhsma, Pydley and Ffenton defending.

(Margin note : John Ffante. X acres containing common of pasture within the marsh ground or fenn called Clay lake)

1. To the first interrogatory John Ffante sayeth late stocks of the land and possessions of the late dissolved monastery of Ramseye in County of Huntingdon of these lxiii yeres sworne and examined, sayeth that after the dissolution of the said monastery the manor of Holywell cum Needingworth were fully and holy in the right and possession, and that the very tyme and presente to right and possession be presentlye in the Queens highness and ergo lye lawfully peacefully presently in her domaine.

2. To the second interrogatory he sayes that the Queens highness ye also sayes in her domaine is of fee of and in one several grounds called Clay lake and that the same is parcel of the said manor of Holywell cum Needingworth.

3 and 4 To the third and fourth he says that the bishop of Ely his domainought not to hath any common of pasture with the marsh ground or fenn called Clay Lake but that the hole rights of common of pasture belongeth to the Queen and her tenants and sayeth further that in tymes past dyd the bishops tenants dyd put in there cattell in to the marsh ground, that the abbot of the monastery for the tyme being and his tenants dyd impounde the said cattell also drove them out of the said grounde and that the Bishops tenants hath never any several grounds within Clay Lake.

5. To the fifth he sayeth that the Queen her highness is also stayed in her domain as of fee of and in one other marshe grounde of fenn called the West Fenne parcel of the said manor of Holywell cum Needingworth unto a place called Anston Lake.

6. To the sixth he sayeth that the tenants of Bluntisham with other of the Bishops tenants hath tried to have common of pasture in the said grounds of the West Fenne with the tenants of the late abbot, horne under horne, by cause that from Anston Lake downeward belonging to the bishop therefore both the tenants have tried to enter common.

7. To the seventh he can say nothing.

8. To the eighth he says that the bishop tenants hath always over trespassed grounde called West Fenne and hath putt inne more cattell than they ought to have done and yet presently do, as he is informed, for they ought not to putt inne so many cattell as the Queens tenants may do, by cause theyr parte of the pasture is not so far as the Queens tenants parte is.

9. To the ix he sayeth that the heath ground is the Quenes but whether it is parcel of the manor Holywell cum Needingworth he knoweth not, but he sayeth that the tenants of the same manor hath always led to common there with the blessing of the abbots tenants.