SHORT ARTICLES AND MEMORANDA

Abstract

V ALUABLE material concerning the enclosure movement and other aspects of economic history can sometimes be found in solicitors' offices. This was exemplified when the present writer had an adult education class in the village of Horbling: 1 one of the students was the head of a firm of solicitors and he kindly lent a collection of documents relating to several local enclosures in the late eighteenth century. These included the minute books of the commissioners for the fen-edge parishes of Horbling and Pointon, various memoranda concerning the enclosures of the fen villages of Quadring and Surfleet and a few relating to certain upland parishes-all places in the administrative counties of Kesteven or Holland. It is upon these documents that the present article is based: they illustrate every stage in the process of enclosure (although the complete procedure cannot be traced in a single village) and they suggest certain conclusions about the movement as a whole. The following seem to me to be the main points of interest as far as the procedure of enclosure is concerned. First, the minutes of a preliminary meeting (Surfleet, I776) show that at this meeting the following decisions were taken: (a) That an enclosure should be promoted. (b) Who was to appoint the three commissioners. (c) Who was to be Clerk to the Commission. (d) How much land was to be allotted in lieu of tithe. The next step was to secure 'consents 'signatures to the petition for a bill to be introduced. The proprietors were approached personally by the Clerk, or his representative, whenever possible; otherwise by letter. Lists survive showing the results of these applications at Quadring and Surfleet. Signatures were obtained from nearly all the proprietors at both places. There seems to have been no undue pressure, and the following are examples of the reasons given by those who refused to sign: 'Would not sign because he thrt. it wd. hurt the poor.' 'Said he had no objection to an Inclosure & consented to the Bill if no material alterations had been made but wd. not sign.' 'Would not sign & said as she was old she had rather things remained as they were.'