Vicar and Gamekeeper?

[Stephen J F Plowman]

Ancestry.co.uk have just added the "Dorset, England, Quarter Sessions Order Books, 1625-1905".  The thing that has surprised me was that my ggggg grandfather was appointed as a gamekeeper whilst he was already the vicar of Tolpuddle.

A rough transcription:

The Hon. Sir Robert Long of Draycott Cerne in the County of Wilts Baronet Lord of the Manors of Burleston & Southower in the County of Dorset by this [depulalion?] dated the Seventeenth day of May 1731 doth appoint the Rev'd Mr Plowman of Tolpuddle in the County of Dorset to be his Gamekeeper of and for the said manors during his pleasure.

It is not a duty that you associate with a clergyman.  Can anyone expand upon the duties of a gamekeeper in this situation?

[osprey]

I think this means he received the game from the manor or local estate, not that he did the job of gamekeeper. I've looked through gamekeeper records in one of the record offices looking for one of my ancestors, and what was recorded in the records I was checking was who was getting the game from the estate, not the man who was paid to look after it. It was often an elderly relative, or the local vicar, or a widow who was related to the family. Pretty sure they weren't out in the woods & fields checking traps....

[stanmapstone]

The appointment of gamekeepers was governed by acts of parliament see  http://www.rootschat.com/links/01968/

Stan