Waywardens
A ‘Statute for the Mending of Highways’ in 1555 required each parish to appoint two persons to act as ‘Surveyors of Highways’. In Fovant these persons were known as Waywardens and they would be served with a warrant by the Parish Constable confirming their appointment for the ensuing year. Acceptance of this duty was compulsory. The following extracts from the Fovant Waywardens’ Accounts give some idea of the tasks that they undertook.
| Year | Amount | Entry | Comment |
|---|---|---|---|
| 3s. 0d. | For this book | ||
| 1783 | 6s. 0d. | For picking 12 load of stone | |
| 10s. 0d. | For cleaning the river | The rivers were often mentioned | |
| £1. 13s. 3½d. | To 2 Way Rates that the Rev Eyre refused to pay. | A surprising entry | |
| 1785 | 1s. 0d. | For repairing West's Bridge | |
| 1787 | 3s. 0d. | William Day for 3 days' work | |
| 1s. 0d. | T. Nightingale also for work at Turnbridge | ||
| 1789 | 5s. 0d. | John Jay's bill for putting up Bright's Bridge | |
| 1s. 0d. | For mending the bridge by Goodfellow | It appears from this last entry that John Jay's work was not very lasting. | |
| 1793 | 1s. 0d. | Repairing Catherine's Ford bridge and making 2 steps to Thos. Jay's house in the Moor | |
| 1795 | 5d. | Opening the watercourse | |
| 1s. 0d. | Pd. to John Jay for doing ye bridge at Limeway (Limbway?) | ||
| 1803 | £3. 16s. 4d. | Turnpike money | The length of the Turnpike road was recorded as 1 mile 5 furlongs 5 chains 2½ yards |
| £2. 10s. 0d. | Composition | ||
| £20. 0s. 0d. | For putting up the Catherine Ford bridge. Mr Barnes | ||
| 1806 | For work on roads @ 6s.0d. per week | ||
| £7. 13s. 4d. | Agreement with the commissioners for repairing of the turnpike road for 7 years @ £10 per mile each year. Composition for the turnpike of Fovant fixed for the year. | ||
| 1812 | £32. 18s. 6d. | Recd. of Mr South 2 years turnpike money | |
| £15. 6s. 8d. | Less 2 years composition | ||
| £17. 11s. 10d. | |||
| 1815 | £18. 15s. 10d. | Recd. of Mr South 1 year Turnpike money | |
| Also agreed with Mr South for 3 years for the turnpike @ £12 per mile to sink the composition. S Bracher | |||
| 1s. 9d. | C. Goodfellow for cutting half a hundred furze | ||
| £19. 15s. 1d. | Recd. of Mr South, The Glove, Donhead, for I year's repairing of turnpike | The Glove was the headquarters of the Trustees | |
| 1817 | £19. 15s. 1d. | Recd. of Mr South for 1 year's repairing of turnpike | |
| Labour. Women @ 6d. per day | Clearly both sexes were involved in turnpike maintenance | ||
| Men @ 1s.0d. per day | |||
| 3s. 6d. | Pd. Mr Stevens for beer at the drain near the field | It was also thirsty work! | |
| Mr South, The Glove, Donehead to supervise from Barford to White Sheet Hill. 9.7.17.0 | |||
| 1818 | £19. 15s. 1d. | Recd of Mr South at the Glove, Donehead, Turnpike money | |
| 4s. 0d. | Expenses to Sarum | ||
| 7s. 0d. | To cleaning the river below Catherine's Ford | ||
| 1782 | 1s. 6d. | For mending the wheelbarrow | Inevitably, tools were often replaced |
| 1805 | 4s. 8d. | For a spade | |
| 1808 | 2s. 6d. | For a shovel | |
| 1816 | 5s. 0d. | For a shovel | |
| 1819 | £1. 3s. 6d. | 2 pickaxes and 3 shovels |