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England Enclosure Records and Maps (view source)
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Enclosure was the process of enclosing agricultural lands with boundaries such as fences, walls, hedges or ditches. Enclosure allowed land to be farmed by one individual rather than being shared by a community | Enclosure was the process of enclosing agricultural lands with boundaries such as fences, walls, hedges or ditches. Enclosure allowed land to be farmed by one individual rather than being shared by a community. | ||
A landowner's decision to enclose was usually driven by economics: | A landowner's decision to enclose was usually driven by economics: | ||
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The dissolution of the monasteries in the 1530's led to the distribution of these lands to those in the King's favor. This in turn lad to the creation of Tudor estates with mansion houses and surrounding buildings, deer parks, and formal gardens--all informal means of enclosure of lands once held in common. Estate records can contain lists of tenants. | The dissolution of the monasteries in the 1530's led to the distribution of these lands to those in the King's favor. This in turn lad to the creation of Tudor estates with mansion houses and surrounding buildings, deer parks, and formal gardens--all informal means of enclosure of lands once held in common. Estate records can contain lists of tenants. | ||
Common lands were abolished and replaced with assigned allotments of land--strip farming. | |||
In 1607, a mob of some 3000 angry men and women tore up new enclosure hedges and fences and filled in ditches. There were called the 'Levellers.' Their protest led to a Royal COmmission enquiry into the high incicence of enclosures in the counties of Berkshire, Buckingham, Huntingdon, Leicester, Lincoln, Northampton, and Warwick. Northamptonshire was the worst with over 27,000 acres informally enclosed in the 30 years prior to 1607, affecting more than 118 towns and villages.<br>'''''Enclosure by formal agreement''''' began about that same time. This was to ensure that enclosures were legal. Enrollment of formal agreements can be found in manorial records and in Chancery Court records. Some agreements were merely a way of laying legal claim to land as a guard against future spurious claims. | In 1607, a mob of some 3000 angry men and women tore up new enclosure hedges and fences and filled in ditches. There were called the 'Levellers.' Their protest led to a Royal COmmission enquiry into the high incicence of enclosures in the counties of Berkshire, Buckingham, Huntingdon, Leicester, Lincoln, Northampton, and Warwick. Northamptonshire was the worst with over 27,000 acres informally enclosed in the 30 years prior to 1607, affecting more than 118 towns and villages.<br>'''''Enclosure by formal agreement''''' began about that same time. This was to ensure that enclosures were legal. Enrollment of formal agreements can be found in manorial records and in Chancery Court records. Some agreements were merely a way of laying legal claim to land as a guard against future spurious claims. | ||