The English Peasantry and the Enclosure of Common FieldsSlater, Gilbert
History
The English Peasantry and the Enclosure of Common Fields
Slater, Gilbert
Agriculture -- England; Inclosures; Peasants -- England; Village communities -- Great Britain
The Board of Agriculture reporter’s statements on the common fields
surviving in 1793 are that in Cheshire there was not so much as 1,000
acres (Wedge, “Agriculture of Cheshire,” p. 9); in Staffordshire
little more than 1,000 acres (Pitt, “Agriculture of Staffordshire,”
p. 85); that Shropshire “does not contain much common field land” (J.
Bishton, “Agriculture of Shropshire,” p. 8); but that in Hereford some
of the best lands of the county are common fields (Clark, “Agriculture
of Hereford,” p. 69). Of Hereford, William Marshall gives a fuller
account. “Herefordshire is an inclosed county. Some few remnants of
common fields are seen in what is called the upper part of the county;
but in general it appears to have been inclosed from the forest state;
crooked fences and winding narrow lanes” (p. 224).
Celia Fiennes found from Nantwich to Chester “much Enclosures” (p.
147), but from Salford to Northwich, “I went a very pleasant roade,
much in the downs, mostly campion ground, some few Enclosures”;
Herefordshire, “a country of Gardens and Orchards, with apple and pear
trees thick in the hedgerows” (p. 33); Staffordshire, “well wooded
and full of Enclosures, Good Rich Ground, extremely differing from
Derbyshire” (p. 89). This was her first impression, confirmed later.
“Harteshill is so high that from the top of it you see near 20 miles
round, and shows all the county which in this part of Staffordshire
is full of woods and jnclosures and good lands, except the Knackwood”
(p. 137). From “Nedwoodforest” ... “you have a fine prospect of
the country, enclosed good lands” (p. 139). Also beyond Stafford
towards Cheshire was mostly enclosures (p. 144), and from Stafford to
Wolverhampton the journey was through lanes (p. 194).
Walter Blyth includes Staffordshire and Shropshire as part of “the
Woodlands, who before Enclosure, were wont to be relieved by the
Fieldon, with corn of all sorts. And now grown as gallant Corne
countries as be in England” (“The English Improver,” 1649, p. 40).
Evidence of early enclosure is supplied by Leland. About White Castle,
which I take to be Bishop’s Castle, in south-west Shropshire, “the
Countrys is Champion” (Vol. IV. fol. 176 b), but from Hereford to
Leominster was enclosed ground (176 b and 177 a), thence towards Ludlow
“by goodly corne Ground, part by enclosed” (178 b), Bridgenorth to
Kidderminster “most by enclosed Ground” (182 b), to Bewdly was by “a
fayre downe,” but all the way thence to Milton (4 miles), Hertlebury
(2 miles), Salopbrook (5 miles), Worcester (3 miles), Wick (6 miles)
and Bromsgrove (4 miles), each stage is said to be by enclosed ground
(fols. 183 b–186 a).
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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