The Records of the Commissioners of Sewers in the Parts of Holland, 1547-1603, Volume I

The records of the Court of Sewers concern the district bounded by Friskney, Stickney, Dogdike, Kyme, Heckington, Helpringham, Swaton, Horbling, Bourne, Stamford, the Deepings, Crowland, Tydd St. Mary, Long Sutton, Lutton and Gedney. They consist of of verdicts, “laws” and ordinances, joyce books and acre books, and accounts. The joyce books give the names of the landholders with the length of the dike or bank for which they were responsible. Acre books list the names of the landholders with the acreage on which they were rated, The three volumes in the series throw light on the Courts of Sewers, and more generally on local administration in the later sixteenth century. The Introduction contains a description of the physical conditions that eventually led to the setting up of the Courts, and of the early methods used to try to prevent flooding getting worse.
Adapted from The Introduction.