Parliamentary enclosure in England : an introduction to its causes, incidence, and impact 1750-1850

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Bibliographic Information

Parliamentary enclosure in England : an introduction to its causes, incidence, and impact 1750-1850

G.E. Mingay

Longman, 1997

  • : hbk
  • : pbk

Available at  / 26 libraries

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Includes bibliographical references and index

Description and Table of Contents

Volume

: pbk ISBN 9780582257252

Description

Enclosure transformed the old open fields and common lands of England to create the modern rural landscape. It changed forever the life of many villages, but provided food for a rapidly rising population. Its methods and consequences were controversial - many rural poor lost their access to land - and the subject is still a cause of dispute. Gordon Mingay's authoritative survey guides the reader through the complexities of the topic. He describes the processes by which land was reorganised and analyses the impact of enclosure regionally. Throughout he stresses the extent of local variation which make the subject so complex.

Table of Contents

1. Introduction. 2. The Anatomy of Enclosure. 3. The Objectives of Enclosure. 4. The Process of Parliamentary Enclosure. 5. The Gains of Enclosure. 6. The Costs of Parliamentary Enclosure. 7. Enclosure and the Cottager. Conclusion: the continuing debate.
Volume

: hbk ISBN 9780582257269

Description

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.

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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