Thanks warble, it's a very big help - I believe you've answered my question!
This is because in the 1777 description of Clashendamer, there is "A large tract of pasture ground lying betwixt the Numbers 11 and 17 full of Rushes - 9ac 0r 16f" where 17 (1ac 2r 31f) is an outfield "called Badyshades" and 11 (1ac 2r 8f) is the infield beside "The Old Croft".
And I've now spotted in two undated maps for Slogmahole (next door to Clashendamer), two areas marked as "Risque Pasture" which I had mistook on first reading as "Rough Pasture" (the writing wasn't all that clear). Other areas are described as "Mossy Pasture" and "Wet Pasture" so I conclude "Risque Pasture" is a description of the type of pasture rather than a name, and thus "Risque Pasture" describes an area full-of-rushes - more elegantly than "Rushy Pasture".
I had already made a mental note wondering whether Rusk might be a contraction of "rushes" which then morphed into Risk - not quite right but vaguely on the right lines.
So, it would seem that Walter Gray, as youngest son of six, married (in 1782) and set-to improving the Risque Pasture on Clashendamer where his father was tenant. He obviously made his home there, maybe even reinstating "The Old Croft". He was there until at least 1798. In the 1797 Horse Tax records, he would appear to be the Walter Gray who had one horse taxed at "Bruyach" which must be Breach a few yards away which at the time was "Breaoch" tenanted by "Sundrys" rather than being the full-blown farm it became later.
In those days, Clashendamer was much bigger than now, embracing today's Viewfield and Berryleys (then called "The Bervey Leys" I suspect) and it's not possible to reconcile the various maps and descriptions to pinpoint the field names on the maps, but even so that's a substantial amount of inference made from scant evidence.
Thanks again, 'warble'!
