Notes copied from the Malet-Veale and Related Families Tree on World Connect. The source isn't given but the spelling and other mistakes suggest it was copied using OCR. George Nevile (d. 1652) consolidated the Haddington property and acquired Aubourn by a steady series of purchases. In 1605, for 500 pounds he bought from his brother-in-law, Sir John Meres of Auboun, two farms and four cottages in Haddington and all the tithes in Haddington belonging to the rectory of Aubourn. The description of some property excepted from the purchase provides some local colour: one windmill in Haddington with access to it, access to certain other water mills called Awborne mills, and all such waters and fishings as Sir John Meres heretofore enjoyed, a certain meadow or pasture called the Holmes lying between Old Wytham and New Wytham, and 1 rood of meadow or pasture ground lying near Awborne brigge ? and environed about with water in the manner of an island ?. In 1605 George Nevile also bought from William Hales, husbandman, the farm in Haddington in which Hales lived. In 1608, to enable further consolidation of his open-field strips, he bought three selions and four pieces of meadow totalling 14 acres from Robert Hales, yeoman. The description of the property reveals an unusual situation : two of the selions, one of meadow or pasture, the other of arable, were said to be in a certain close lately enclosed. In the same year, for 40 pounds he was able to buy from Helen Leary, widow, and John Reade, yeoman, property which included "Fosse howse ? and two more selions of arable land in the close lately enclosed. In 1609 he bought four selions in Howsam in Haddington. An agreement for the enclosure of the manor of Haddington was signed in 1611 and recited that the division and enclosure had already been made to the liking of the five parties: George Nevile, lord of the manor, Thomas Russells, rector of South Hykeham, Thozmas Carre, tenant of the lands in Haddington belonging to the Dean and Chapter of Lincoln, and a freeholder of the manor, and John Reade and Robert Hales, two other freeholders. The parson was to have two closes in lieu of glebe lands and tithes. Carre, Reade and Hales in lieu of their lands dispersed and intermingled in the fields were each given several closes to be held in severalty, of equal value and in the places most convenient to them. Nevile was to have all the residue of the manor and of the late open fields and all the lands and tithes in Haddington which had belonged to the parsonage of South Hykeham. In 1616 George Nevile joined with Roger Meres of Aubourn in the purchase of the rectory and impropriate parsonage of Aubomn, and it was agreed that Nevile's part ? should be so much of the rectory as extended into Haddington. George Nevile was now turning his attention to Aubourn and the estate 0f the Meres family there. In 1618, for 350 Pounds, he bought from Sir John Meres and Dame Barbara his wife nineteen closes, two watermills, and a wind-mill, with fishing in the Witham from Aulbourn bridge to Thurlby. It was not until 1628 that he was able to lay his hands on tlhe main Meres estate, the manor, manor house, and impropriate rectory, and then he could only afford it by sharing it with Thomas Thorold, citizen and ironmonger of London. They did not buy directly from the Meres family. Sir John Meres and his son Roger had sold to Edward Osborn, esq., and Nevile and Thorold bought it from Thomas Moulson, citizen and alderman,of London, and seven others, probably Osborn's heirs or trustees. The price was 5000 Pounds. Nevile and Thorold agreed that each should hold a moiety of the property. The demesne closes were divided between the two, but Nevile was to have the manor house, where Sir John Meres had altered and added considerably to the Tudor house, with the accompanying buildings, gardens and orchards. He was also to have the swan mark in the rivers Witham and Brant and the fishing in the Witham. Each should hold in severalty a moiety of the wastes, moors, fens and commonable grounds, and the lanes between the lands and closes, and should not enclose them without the agreement of the other. In the same year, 1628, the newly-acquired Aubourn property was settled on the marriage of George's eldest son and heir Gervase Nevile, who was knighted in this year, married Katherine, daughter of Sir Richard Hutton, Justice of the Common Pleas, who brought with her a portion of 1,600 Pounds. The young couple were going to live in the manor house of Haddington, where George had been living, and he would pay them 200 Pounds towards furnishing the house and stocking the grounds. The manor house, with closes and farms in Haddirrgton was settled on Sir Gervase for life, then on Katherine for life, and then on their heirs male. George was to hold the manor house of Aubourn and the half of the manor for life, and if his wife Jane survived him, it was to be her jointure, before descending to Sir Gervase and his heirs male by Katherine. Other farms and lands in Haddington and Aubourn and the manor of Thorney were to be held to the use of George for life, then to the use of Sir Gervase and his heirs male. According to a note in Maddison's pedigree, George had bought Thorney from his uncle Denis Nevile's son.