“The great quantities of ground that have been of late and are daily inclosing, and the increase of Rent that is everywhere made by those who do inclose, sufficiently demonstrate the benefit and use of Inclosures. In the Bishopric of Durham nine parts in ten are already inclosed”[79] (p. 45). [79] This statement is confirmed by the Board of Agriculture reporter: “In this county the lands, or common fields of townships, were for the most part inclosed soon after the Restoration.” (Joseph Granger, “Agriculture of Durham,” 1794.) John Cowper, in “Inclosing Commons and Common fields is contrary to the interest of the Nation” says:--“I myself within these 30 years past” (_i.e._, 1702–1732), “have seen above twenty Lordships or Parishes inclosed ... I have been informed by an eminent Surveyor that one third of all the land of England has been inclosed within these 80 years.” Perhaps what the eminent Surveyor said to John Cowper is not very convincing evidence. But in considering the estimate of the amount of enclosure in the “last 80 years,” _i.e._, from 1652, the first year of peace after the Civil War, to 1732, the time when John Cowper wrote, we have to bear in mind, firstly, that there was an important enclosure movement going on in the Commonwealth period; and secondly, that in 1660, with the Restoration, the country gentry came by their own again. The King’s ministers during the reigns of Charles II., James II., William III. and Anne would scarcely have dared, even if they had desired, to check any proceedings on the part of landowners, with the object of raising rents. The whole policy of Parliament was, in fact, in sympathy with this object, as may be seen from all the legislature affecting agriculture. For the first part of this period there is further evidence of the progress of enclosure in John Houghton’s “Collection for the Improvement of Husbandry and Trade.” In repeated issues he strongly advocates Enclosure; in that for September 8, 1681, he says: “Oh that I had sufficient influence to put it” (_i.e._, a General Enclosure Act) “to the trial, if it did not succeed I’d be content not to be drunk this seven years” ... “Witness the many enclosures that have of late been made, and that people are daily on gog on making” (pp. 15, 16). It will be remembered that a General Enclosure Act for Scotland was passed in 1695. To sum up, it is clear that the Parliamentary enclosure of a given parish indicates that the lord of the manor, or principal landlord, had not secured such a complete or preponderating influence over the parish as to enable him to effect an enclosure without an Act of Parliament. ENCLOSURE BY YEOMEN.