tailieunhanh - ENCLOSURE—THE SMALL OWNER

It must be remembered, however, that the number of Acts is not a conclusive test of the amount of enclosure, as there was a large amount that was non-parliamentary: by the principal landlord, and by freeholders who agreed to amicable changes and transfer, as at Pickering, in Yorkshire.[563] Roughly speaking, about one-third of the Acts were for enclosing commonable waste, the rest for enclosing open and commonable fields and lands.[564] Owing to the expense an Act was only obtained in the last resource. It was also because of the expense[565] that many landlords desirous to enclose were unable to. | ENCLOSURE THE SMALL OWNER The war period was one of great activity in enclosure from 1798 to 1810 there were 956 Bills from 1811-20 771. 562 It must be remembered however that the number of Acts is not a conclusive test of the amount of enclosure as there was a large amount that was non-parliamentary by the principal landlord and by freeholders who agreed to amicable changes and transfer as at Pickering in Yorkshire. 563 Roughly speaking about one-third of the Acts were for enclosing commonable waste the rest for enclosing open and commonable fields and lands. 564 Owing to the expense an Act was only obtained in the last resource. It was also because of the expense 565 that many landlords desirous to enclose were unable to do so and therefore devoted their attention to the improvement of the common fields. That agriculture benefited by enclosure there is no possible doubt but it was attended with great hardships. The landowner generally gained for his rents increased largely. In twenty-three parishes of Lincolnshire for instance his rents doubled on enclosure. But the expenses were so heavy that his gain was often very small and sometimes he was a loser by the process. As for the farmers the poorer ones suffered for more capital was needed for enclosed lands and the process generally was so slow taking from two to six years before the final award was given that many farmers were thrown out in the management of their farms for they did not know where their future lands would be allotted. That the poor suffered greatly is indubitable By nineteen Enclosure Acts out of twenty the poor are injured in some cases grossly injured wrote Young in 1801. 566 In the Acts it was endeavoured to treat them fairly 567 and allotments were made to them or money paid on enclosure in lieu of their rights of common or small plots of land but the expense of enclosing small allotments was proportionately very great generally too great and they had to be sold while the sums of money were .