From Chicklade And Pertwood, A Short Parish History by E.R. Barty, M.A., Chicklade, Old Rectory, first published December 1955:
THE PARISH PLAN AND AWARD 1783
Now we must turn again to the year 1783. The Rev. Benjamin Blatch “presented’ to the Bishop in that year that the Parish had been lately enclosed and that the Plan and Award are kept in the Parish Church. In the Terrier of this same year, 1783, among the furniture of the Church is mentioned a “small’ box annexed to the Communion Table, containing the Plan and Award of the Parish.
We hardly expected that we should ever have the good fortune to see this Plan and Award. For one thing it is believed by some people that at some time unknown a fire occurred within the Church; if that happened documents and objects of interest may have been destroyed. Also when the ancient Church was demolished in 1832, articles of interest may have been lost. But when we were told that documents of value were in safe keeping at the Rural District Council Offices at Mere we went over there one day. The reader will readily imagine our pleasure and interest when the Parish Award and Plan of 1783 were produced for our inspection. We are able, by the courtesy of the Clerk, to reproduce a copy of a small part of the map which was prepared for us at the Rural District Council offices. On it are shown the properties in the village of Chicklade and the names of the owners in 1783.
The original map is a very large one, about the size of those one sees on the walls of a schoolroom, and on it are shown all the properties that were exchanged in the outlying parts of the parish surrounding the village.
We also examined a number of sheets (parchments) referred to as “skins” on which the different exchanges of land are set forth by the Commissioners appointed for the purpose of the Settlement (some sheets are missing and a few scorched as the edge as by fire).
The preamble of the Commissioners runs as follows:-
“Richard Richarson, Gentleman, Thomas Hawker, Gentleman of the Parish of Longbridge Deverill and Richard Bloxam of the Parish of Winterslow, Gentleman, send greetings.’
“Whereas by Act of Parliament (21 Geo. III.) institute an Article for dividing and inclosing common fields, common downs and waste lands and commonable places in the Parish of Chicklade in the county of Wiltshire. It was enacted that the said gentlemen – – be elected – – – as Commissioners for dividing the land in the said Parish of Chicklade.’
The Commissioners sat at the Bull Inn in the village (now Miss Garland’s house), the landlord of which at that time was William Blake. William Blake, “respectable landlord” i.e. a much respected man and a churchwarden or overseer (1769 – 1790) died in June 1791. Colt Hoare states that at the time of the Enclosure (21st Geo. III.) Rev. John Russ (Lord of the Manor), Henry Edgell, Thos. Waters, Nathan Wright, Esq., Thos. Hull and Martha Burney were the chief proprietors.