Overview

The enclosure of common land into smaller privately owned units of land by parliamentary intervention transformed the traditional open-field system of farming which gave even the poorest a share in the common land. Despite its long-term benefits, its methods and immediate consequences were controversial, dispossessing the rural poor from their land. This text analyzes the extent and impact of parliamentary enclosure regionally, examining the processes by which land was reorganized, cultivation extended into former waste lands and old practices transformed. It stresses the degree of local variation and the mixture of motives and effects which make the subject complex. The book also weighs up the evidence for the effect of enclosure on the poor, looking afresh at old conclusions and providing new insights.

Full Product Details

Author:   G.E. Mingay
Publisher:   Pearson Education Limited
Imprint:   Longman
Dimensions:   Width: 14.50cm , Height: 1.50cm , Length: 22.30cm
Weight:   0.350kg
ISBN:  

9780582257269

ISBN 10:   0582257263
Pages:   176
Publication Date:   11 November 1997
Audience:   Professional and scholarly ,  Professional & Vocational
Replaced By:   9780582257252
Format:   Hardback
Publisher's Status:   Out of Print
Availability:   Out of stock  

Table of Contents

Part 1 Introduction. Part 2 The anatomy of enclosure: the meaning of enclosure; forms of enclosure; the scale of parliamentary enclosure; the chronology of parliamentary enclosure; general enclosure acts. Part 2 The objectives of enclosure: the inadequacies of enclosure; enclosure for minerals and urban expansion; additional objectives - tithes, roads, drainage. Part 4 The process of parliamentary enclosure: introduction; the Bill; executing the Act. Part 5 The gains of enclosure: farming gains; the measurement of output gains. Part 6 The costs of parliamentary enclosure: the figures; meeting the costs; the turnover of small owners. Part 7 Enclosure and the cottager: enclosure of the commons; the value of the commons; enclosure and farm employment. Part 8 Conclusion - the continuing debate.

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