In the "Freeholder Booke" of Staincross, in 1665, the names at Cawthorne are "Thomas Barnby, Esq.; William Greene, gent.; "Matthew Swallow, yeom.; John Spencer, gent."
Among the papers in the possession of the Vicar of Cawthorne is a "Survay of all the lands within the Constabularie of Cawthorne taken in the month of January, 1648, by Thomas Cawthorne," of Worsbrough,—the same Thomas Cawthorne, doubtless, whose name appears as a yeoman among the Freeholders of Worsbrough in 1665.
The Barnby Estate is given as 349 acres. Amongst the names of fields are "the Schoolhouse croft," "the Roydes against the Furnace," the "over and nether Pittlands" "Willeocke Houlmes," "Hudd croft"
Sir Thomas Wentworth's estate is given as 72 acres, and Mrs. Wentworth's 78 acres. In this are "Kilnehouse Croft"—the 'Kilnehouse-piece' of our present Cemetery and adjoining gardens,—2 acres 3 roods: Towne Ing; Shingle at the Bridge; Cock croft; Parson Close; Hudroyd; Morris Croft; Butts in West Field; Kirkcroft, &c.
The word "Butts" occurs several times in the Survey, carrying us back to the time of Edward IV., when every Englishman was obliged to have a bow of his own height, and Butts for the practice of archery were to be erected near every village, where the inhabitants were obliged to shoot up and down on every Feast-day under penalty of being fined a halfpenny. "Butt Croft" and "Butt Ing" are still the names of the two fields to the east of the Vicarage, in the latter of which used to be the Butt or Serpent well, whose waters have just been made use of again to supply the lower end of the village, before the tradition has quite died out, which makes a serpent periodically fly across to it from Cawthorne Park.
The Survey was made, of course, for the Township rating: lands are mentioned in it as "belonginge to Vickars farme and Joshua Lindley which Mr. Greene is to pay lay for." Norcroft, "Over" and "Neither," is given as belonging to John Mosley; part of over Norcroft with Hillhouse and Michell Farm, both "in William Shirte occupation," belong to Mr. Greene, with Bankes and Bilcliffe; Elmhirst to William Greene: Mr. Bosvile's lands include Dawalls,
