The Agrarian Problem in the Sixteenth Century Part 33

[IN ILl.u.s.tRATION OF ACTION AGAINST ENCLOSURES BY JUSTICES]

_S. P. Dom. Charles I. Vol. 185, No. 86_

Most Honor{ble}

Wee have caused a view to bee made according to yo{r} Lo{ps} Late Lr?s of all _Inclosures and conv{r}sions of Arrable Land to meadow and pasture_, w{ch} are now in hand or haue beene made w{th}in two yeares Last past, And wee haue signifyed yo{r} Lo{ps} direcco?ns vnto such ?sons as are causers of any such Inclosures & Con?tions and have given them notice that they ought not to ?cede w{th} hedgeing or dytchinge in of any such grounds but to Let them so rest vntill wee shall have furder orders from yo{r}: hon{ors}: And wee further conceaue that if depopulaco?ns may bee reformed it will bring a great good to the whole King?: for where houses are pulled downe the People are forced to seeke new habitations. In other townes & c.u.n.tryes by meanes whereof those Townes where they get a setling are pestred so as they are hardly able to live one by an other, and it is likewise the cause of erecting new Cottages vppon the wasts and other places who are not able to releive themselves nor any such townes able to sustaine or set them on worke w{ch} Causes Rogues & vagabonds to encrease. Moreover it doth appeare that in those townes w{ch} are depopulated the People being expelled There are few or none Left to serve the King when Souldjours are to bee lodged to appeare at Musters for his Ma{te} seruice w{ch} is also a cause that poore Townes where many people are, are put to greater charg in setting forth of souldjours & depopulated Townes are much eased and the Subsidie decayed. All w{ch} wee humbly submit to yo{r} Lo{ps} great wisdome. And will e? rest.

At yo{r} hon{ble} service humbly to bee comaunded

Fran: Thornhagh Ro: Sutton vic.

Matth Palmer W. Cooper Gervas Fevery Tym: Pilsy Gil?t Millington W?i?l c.o.ke Will Moseley Jo: Woods

Wee doe herew{th} ?sent vnto yo{r} Hon{rs} the names of all such as have made any Inclosures or con?sions w{th} in two yeares Last past or that were in hand to make the same.

[Addressed:] To the right hon{ble} the Lords of his Mat{s} hon{ble} Privy Counsell humbly present these.

[Endorsed:] Feb. 1630. From the County of Nottingham touching Inclosures.

The inconveniencies of Depopulation.

[No Enclosures]

[This letter is printed by Miss Leonard, _Trans. Royal Hist. Soc._, New Series, vol. xix. She refers it to Norfolk, which is apparently a mistake.]

(VII)

[IN ILl.u.s.tRATION OF ACTION AGAINST ENCLOSURES BY JUSTICES]

_S. P. Dom. Charles I. Vol. 206, No. 71_

Lincoln

An abstract of such depopulators as have bene hetherto dealt withall in Lincolnshyre, & receyued their pardon.

The persons in number 9 The som?e of their fynes 300_l_ The number of houses by bond to bee erected 33 The tyme for the erecco? within one yere.

The number of farmes to be contynued that are now standing 22 The fynes are already payd.

Sir Charles Hussey Kn{t.} Fyne, 80?. Bond of 200 ?kes, w{th} Condico?

to sett up in Homingto? 8 farmhouses w{th} Barnes &c. and to lay to e?ye house 30 acres of land, and to keepe 10 acres thereof yearlye in tyllage.

S{r} Henry Ayscough Knt. Fyne, 20?.

Bond 200 ?kes. To sett vp 8 farmhouses in Blibroughe w{th} 30 acres to e?y farme, and 12 thereof to be kept yearlie in tylthe.

S{r} Hamond Whichcoote Knt. Fyne, 40?.

Bond 200 ?kes. To set up 8 farmhouses &c. in Harpswell, w{th} 40 acres to euy house; and 16 thereof in tyllage.

S{r} Edward Carre Kt. Fyne, 30?.

Bond 100?. To sett vp 2 Farmhouses in Branswell, and 1 in Aswarby w{th} 40 acres to euy house, 16 in tyllage.

S{r} Will? Wraye, Kn{t.} Fyne, 30?.

Bond 100?. To sett up in Graynesby 2 farmhouses w{th} 2 acres at least to either, 10 in tyllage & to contynue 2 farmes more in Grainsby & 3 in Newbell & Longworth, w{th} the same quant.i.ty, as is now used them, a third ?te in tylthe.

S{r} Edmund Bussye K{t.} Fyne, 10?.

Bond 100?. To set vp one farmhouse in Thorpe w{th} 40 acres, 14 thereof in tyllage, And to contynue 14 farmes in Hedor, Oseby, Aseby, & Thorpe, as they now are, w{th} a third ?te in tyllage.

Richard Roseto{r} Esq{?} Fyne, 10?.

Bond 50?. To set vp one farme in Lymber w{th} 40 acres, 16 in tyllage, and to continewe 1 farme in Limber, and 2 in Sereby, vt sup{?}

Robert Tirwhilt Esq{?} Fyne, 10?. Bond 50?.

To set vp one farme in Camtringt{a}un w{th} 40 acres. 16 in tyllage.

John Fredway gent. Fyne, 10?. Bond 40?.

To set up one farme in Gelson w{th} 30 acres, 10 thereof in tyllage.

[Endorsed:] Lincol? Depopulato? Fyned & pardoned and the reformacons to bee made.

[No date]

(VIII)

[COMPLAINTS CONCERNING THE PROCEDURE OF ARCHBISHOP LAUD IN DEALING WITH ENCLOSURES]

_S. P. Dom. Charles I. Vol. 499, No. 10_

That vpon the Commission of enquiry after depopulacon The Lord Archbishopp of Can? and other the Commissioners at the solicitacon of Tho: Hussey gent. did direct a le? in nature of a Co?ission to certain persons w{th} in the County of Wilts to certifie what number of Acres in South Marston in the ?ish of Highworth were converted from arable to pasture and what number of ploughes were laid downe &c.

Wherevpon the Archdeacon with two others did retourne Certificate, to the Lord Archbishopp &c.

Upon this Certificate, M{r} Anth: Hungerford, M{r} Southby with 15 others were convented before his Grace and the other Commissioners at the Councell Board, where being charged with Conversion.

M{r} Anth: Hungerford & M{r} Southby with some others did averre that they had made noe conversion, other then they had when they came to be owners thereof.

His Grace said that they were to looke noe further then to the owners, And Certificate was retourned that soe many Acres were converted and soe many ploughes let downe.

They alladged that this Certificate was false & made without their privity, and therefore M{r} Hungerford in the behalfe of the rest did desire that they might not be iudged upon that Certificate. But that they might haue the like favour as M{r} Hussey had, to have Ce?s of the same nature directed to other Commissioners, or a Commission if it might be granted to examine vpon oath whereby the trueth might better appeare.

His Grace replyed to M{r} Hungerford since you desire it & are soe earnest for it you shall not have it.

They did offer to make prove that since the conversion there were more habitaco?s of men of ability & fewer poore. And that whereas the King had before 4 or 5 souldiers of the Trayned Band he had nowe 9 there.

That the Impropriaco? was much better to be lett.

His Grace said to the rest of the Lords, wee must deale with these gen? as with those of Tedbury to take 150? fine, and to lay open the inclosures.

Which they refusing to doe they were there threatned with an informacon to be brought ag{t} them in the Starrcham? And accordingly were within a shorte tyme after by the said M{r} Hussey served with sub penas at M{r} Attorney his suite in the Starr chamber: And this as M{r} Hussey told M{r} Hungf{d} was done by my Lo: Archbp his command.

[Endorsed:] Depopulation--M{r} Hungerford & M{r} Southby [1641].