this is the reason that all the highways and lanes in this and the neighbouring parishes are measured into the lands that lie against them.
The manors that extended into this town, besides what lie therein, are Fersfield, Roydon Hall, Gissinghall in Roydon, and Frier's Manor, in Shelfhanger, and the rector of Shelfhanger hath a small parcel of glebe here.
The Commons
Are very large, and so they were always, for in an Extent in Sir John Verdon's time, it is said, that the town is surrounded with common, the names of which, at this time, [1736,] are Boyland Green, Whitehouse Green, Piddock's Green, the Great Common, with Aldwood Green, and Jay's Green now joined thereto, Roydon Green, the Fen Commons, Derby's Green, Winley Green, and Thwayt Green.
Boyland Green is so called from Boyland Hall, which stands on the west side of it, and anciently was appropriated to be fed by the tenants of that manor only, and is now [1736] fed by the towns of Brisingham and Shelfhanger, who are intercommoners here; between these towns there was a long contest, Shelfhanger claiming common of vicinage on this green, Whitehouse Green, Piddock's Green, and the Great Green or common; which contention lasted several years, till at length, upon Brisingham's proving their driving the commons solely, and always making the Shelfhanger people pay as trespassers thereon, they were adjudged to Brisingham only, except this Boyland Green, on which they were to be intercommoners, having proved, that they had about 6 acres of land in their parish, at the north end thereof, divided by a run of water; but the drift of this green also was given to Brisingham only: all the Evidences of it are in the hands of the town, with many more ancient ones, that would have set forth their sole right in a more clear manner than any they produced; and in particular the ancient Extents of this manor prove, that these commons were fed by the tenants of Brisingham only, in right as well of their freehold, as copyhold messuages, lands, and tenements, with all manner of cattle, at all times of the year, exclusive of all the tenants of Roydon and Shelfhanger, and all others, except the Abbot of Sibton, who by grant of Sir John Verdon, then lord, and his tenants, enjoyed common of pasture for 200 sheep, on the Great Green of Brisingham, paying annually 12d. to the lord of the manor, and his annual alms to the poor of the parish; this right is now [1736] enjoyed by the Duke of Norfolk, as belonging to Frier's manor in Shelfhanger, which he had with the abbey of Sibton, at the Dissolution, and the tenant that now occupies it with Shelfhanger Hall, to which it is now [1736] joined, pays bread annually on St. Thomas's day to the poor here, in lieu of the abbot's alms. The lord granted several of the tenants liberty of faldage hereon, and to drive the common sheep into their grounds to improve them, Boyland Green contains about 35 acres, Whitehouse Green about 20 acres, Piddock's Green somewhat more; the Great Green or Common, contains about 500 acres, Aldwode Green is that part of the Great
