The register dates from 1543. In a parish book are some curious items between 1624 and 1629, or the early years of the reign of Charles I. These shew that the parish overseers “held the artillery in charges,” also the “town musket and knapsack.” The military forces were at that time a sort of militia, maintained by local rates, and every parish contributed towards it, in money, arms, and accoutrements. Probably these contributions were sometimes compounded for by a lump payment, as we here find mention of a sum being paid “for excusing of the town” from its liability. There is also mention of alms being given to certain persons who had been taken prisoners “by the Dunkirkers” _i.e._, the Dunkirk privateers. This, however, must belong to a rather later date, since the English and Dutch were in conflict at Dunkirk in 1635, and Dunkirk was taken by the French and English from the Spaniards, and finally handed over to England, in the last year of Cromwell’s administration, June, 1658. Mention is also made of the payment of “dog-whippers,” officials who drove dogs out of the church at the time of service. In some churches in Wales the whips are still to be seen. Another item is the payment of “dyke-reeve,” a very useful official in parishes in, or bordering on, the fens, where inundations were only to be avoided by keeping the “dykes and meres” in proper order. We are enabled to give here a list of the vicars of Stixwould from A.D. 1425 to the present time, except for an interval of about 70 years, through the researches of Mr. Gibbon, author of “Early Lincolnshire Wills.” Thomas Lane, 1425–1440; Giles Storror, 1440–1472; John Shadworth, 1472–1482; Thomas Tymson, 1482–1485; Alexander Anyson, 1485–1502; John Aby, 1502–1520; John Robynson, 1520–1530; John Oregower, 1530. Down to this date, all appointments had been made by the Lady Prioress; and there is a gap in Mr. Gibbon’s list till 1603. We are, however, able partly, if not entirely, to fill up the gap, since we find that in 1548, Thomas Wilson, clerk, S.T.B., was presented by Edmund Dighton, of Donington (kinsman, doubtless, of Robert Dighton, to whom the Priory estates were granted by Henry VIII. on the Dissolution), “this turn of advowson being given by the late Prioress and convent of B.V.” (Institutions to Benefices, “Architectural Journal,” 1898, p. 476, No. 328). Also, in a List of Institutions in the 16th century, without date, but among several others in the middle of that century (“Linc. N. & Q.” vol. vi., No. 45, p. 10), we find John Cressie, clerk, appointed by Thomas Disney, of Carlton-in-Moreland, gentleman, by grant of the Prioress to him and others, vacant by resignation of John Boysworth, and these three nominations may well have embraced the 70 years. The next vicar was probably Richard Travisse, who is mentioned in Mr. Gibbon’s list as signing, in 1603, a bequest (and therefore, we may assume, near