The Agrarian Problem in the Sixteenth Century Part 34

APPENDIX II

TABLE I (p. 25)

This table is based on doc.u.ments relating to the following manors:--

1. Northumberland.

Acklington (1567, _Northumberland County History_, vol. v. pp. 367-8); Buston (1567, _ibid._, vol. v. p. 209); Thirston (1567, _ibid._, vol.

vii. pp. 305-6); Birling (1567, _ibid._, vol. v. pp. 200-1); Amble (1608, _ibid._, vol. v. p. 281); Hexham (1608, _ibid._, vol. iii. pp.

86-104).

2. Lancas.h.i.+re.

Warton (Hen. VIII., R.O. Rentals and Surveys, Gen. Ser., Portf. 19, No.

7, ff. 79-87); Whyttington (Hen. VIII., R.O. Rentals and Surveys, Gen.

Ser., Portf. 19, No. 7, ff. 47-9); Ashton (Hen. VIII., R.O. Rentals and Surveys, Portf. 19, No. 7, ff. 69-72); Overton (4 Eliz. R.O. Duchy of Lanc., Special Commission, No. 67); Widnes (10 Eliz. R.O. Duchy of Lanc., Special Commission, No. 181); Cartmel (Hen. VIII.(?) R.O. Rentals and Surveys, Gen. Ser., Portf. 22, No. 75); Rochdale (1626, from information kindly supplied by Lieut.-Colonel Fishwick of Rochdale, from a Survey in the Chetham Library, Manchester), Lands of c.o.c.kersand Abbey (1501, _Chetham Miscellanies_, vol. iii.).

3. Staffords.h.i.+re.

Barton (Ph. and M.(?) R.O. Rentals and Surveys, Gen. Ser., Portf. 14, No. 70); Burton Bondend (1597, R.O. Land Rev. Misc. Bks., vol. 185, ff.

70-74); Drayton Ba.s.set (1579, R.O. Land Rev. Misc. Bks., vol. 185, ff.

54-68); Wotton in Elishall (1 Ed. VI., R.O. Rentals and Surveys, Gen.

Ser., Portf. 14, No. 83); Agarsley (1611, R.O. Rentals and Surveys, Duchy of Lancs., Bdle. 8, No. 29).

4. Leicesters.h.i.+re.

Ulverscroft Priory (31 Hen. VIII., R.O. Land Rev. Misc. Bks., vol. 182, f. 35); Broughton Astley (Eliz. R.O. Rentals and Surveys, Gen. Ser., Bdle. 10, No. 4); Barkby (Hen. VIII., R.O. Rentals and Surveys, Roll 382); Stapleford (10 Eliz., R.O. Rentals and Surveys, Duchy of Lanc., Portf. 6, No. 15); Priory of Launde (31 Hen. VIII, R.O. Land Rev. Misc.

Bks. 182, f. 1); College of St. Mary, Leicester (1595, R.O. Rentals, Duchy of Lanc. 6/12); Garradon Abbey (Hen. VIII., R.O. Augm. Off., Misc.

Bks. 403, f. 123); Kibworth Beauchamp (1 & 2 Ph. and M., R.O. Land Rev.

Misc. Bks. 182, f. 284); Kibworth Harcourt (1636, Merton MSS., Book labelled Kibworth and Barkby, 1636).

5. Northamptons.h.i.+re.

Duston (3 Eliz., R.O. Rentals and Surveys, Portf. 13, No. 23); Yelvertoft (11 Eliz., R.O. Rentals and Surveys, Portf. 13, No. 52); Warmington and Eaglethorpe (30 Eliz., R.O. Rentals and Surveys, Portf.

13, No. 21); Brigstock (4 James I., R.O. Land Rev. Misc. Bks., vol. 221, f. l); Higham Ferrers (8 James I., R.O. Rentals and Surveys, Portf. 13, No. 34); Paulspurie, _alias_ Westpury (32 Hen. VIII., R.O. Rentals and Surveys, vol. 419, f. 3).

6. Norfolk.

Ormesby (7 Hen. VIII., R.O. Rentals and Surveys, Gen. Ser., Portf. 22, No. 18); Barney (29 Hen. VIII., R.O. Rentals and Surveys, Gen. Ser., Portf. 26, No. 57); Great Walsingham (29 Hen. VIII., _ibid._); Gunthorpe (29 Hen. VIII., _ibid._); Skerning (Ed. VI., R.O. Rentals and Surveys, Gen. Ser., Portf. 3, No. 23); Metherwolde (1575, R.O. Duchy of Lanc., Rentals and Surveys, Bdle. 7, No. 29_a_); Brisingham (31 Eliz., R.O.

Misc. Bks., Land Rev., vol. 220, f. 220); Aylsham (James I., R.O. Misc.

Bks., Augm. Off., vol. 360, f. 1); Scratbye Bardolphes (date uncertain, R.O. Rentals and Surveys, Gen. Ser., Portf. 12, No. 52); Burghe Vaux (1620, R.O. Rentals and Surveys, Gen. Ser., Portf. 12, No. 52); Castons (_c._ 1620(?), R.O. Rentals and Surveys, Gen. Ser., Portf. 12, No. 52 p.

10d); Ma.s.singham (Hen. VIII.(?), R.O. Rentals and Surveys, Gen. Ser., Portf. 30, No. 25); Northendall (date uncertain, R.O. Rentals and Surveys, Roll 478, m. 3); Drayton Hall (date uncertain, R.O. Rentals and Surveys, Gen. Ser., Portf. 20, No. 53); East Dereham (1649, R.O.

Parliamentary Surveys, Norfolk, No. 10); West Lexham (1595, Holkham MSS., West Lexham MSS., No. 87); Longham Hall and Gunton (1611, Holkham MSS., t.i.ttleshall Bks., No. 62); Longham and Watlington (1611, Holkham MSS., t.i.ttleshall Bks., No. 62); Watlington and Priors (1611, Holkham MSS., t.i.ttleshall Bks., No. 62); Billingford (1565, Holkham MSS., Billingford and Bintry MSS., Bdle. No. 9); Foxley (1568, Holkham MSS., Billingford and Bintry MSS., Bdle. No. 9); Peakhall (1578, Holkham MSS., t.i.ttleshall Bks., No. 12); Wellingham (1611, Holkham MSS., t.i.ttleshall Bks., No. 62); t.i.ttleshall Newhall (Holkham MSS., t.i.ttleshall Bks., No.

62). I have included one manor (R.O. Rentals and Surveys, Gen. Ser., Portf. 3, No. 21), of which I have mislaid the name.

7. Suffolk.

Snape (Hen. VIII., R.O. Misc. Bks., Treas. of Receipt, vol. 163, f.

187); Ashfield (Hen. VIII., R.O. Rentals and Surveys, Gen. Ser., Portf.

14, No. 85); Otley (Hen. VIII., R.O. Misc. Bks., Treas. of Receipt, vol.

163, f. 145); Rodstrete and Brimdishe (Ed. VI., R.O. Misc. Bks., Augm.

Off., vol. 414, f. 19-22); Dennington (Ed. VI., R.O. Misc. Bks., vol.

414, f. 22b); Harrolds in Cretingham (Ed. VI., R.O. Aug. Off., vol. 414, f. 25b); Stratford juxta Higham (17 James I., R.O. Duchy of Lanc., Rentals and Surveys, 9/13); Denham (date uncertain, R.O. Rentals and Surveys, Gen. Ser., Portf. 27, No. 32); Dunstall (date uncertain, R.O.

Rentals and Surveys, Gen. Ser., Portf. 27, No. 32); Dalham (date uncertain, R.O. Rentals and Surveys, Gen. Ser., Portf. 27, No. 32); Kentford (date uncertain, R.O. Rentals and Surveys, Gen. Ser., Portf.

27, No. 32); Nedham (date uncertain, R.O. Rentals and Surveys, Gen.

Ser., Portf. 27, No. 32); Desnage Talmaye, and Cressness[?] in Gaseleye (date uncertain, R.O. Rentals and Surveys, Gen. Ser., Portf. 27, No.

32); Higham (date uncertain, R.O. Rentals and Surveys, Gen. Ser., Portf.

27, No. 32).

8. Wilts.h.i.+re, Somerset, and Devon.

All are contained in the _Surveys of the Lands of William, Earl of Pembroke_, published by the Roxburgh Club, and edited by Straton, 1565-1573. There are twenty-seven manors in Wilts.h.i.+re, four in Somersets.h.i.+re, and one in Devons.h.i.+re.

9. Hamps.h.i.+re.

Crondal, and Sutton Warblington (_Crondal Records_, Part I., Baigent).

10. Ten other manors in the South of England.

Castle Combe (Wilts, 1454, Scrope, _History of Castle Combe_); Ibstone (Bucks, 1483, Merton MSS., No. 5902); Cuxham (Oxford, 1483, Merton MSS., No. 5902); Malden (Surrey, 1496, Merton MSS., Survey of Malden); Aspley Guise (Bedford, 1542, from information kindly supplied by Mr. G.H.

Fowler, of Aspley Guise); Ewerne (Dorset, 1568, _Topographer and Genealogist_, vol i.); Edgeware (Middles.e.x, 1597, All Souls Estate Maps); Kingsbury (Middles.e.x, 1597, All Souls Estate Maps); Gamlingay Merton (Cambridge, 1601, Merton Estate Maps); Gamlingay Avenells (Cambridge, 1601, Merton Estate Maps).

The chief criticisms which may be made upon this table are:--

(i) Some of the doc.u.ments from which the figures are taken are separated from each other by a very long interval of time, so that they do not all represent approximately the same stage of agrarian development. This is a disadvantage. It is possible, for example, that, if the manor of Rochdale could be examined in 1526 instead of in 1626, it would be found that the proportion of copyholders to leaseholders was higher than it is at the later date. This defect, however, is perhaps not so great as to outweigh the value of the general picture of the relative proportion of different cla.s.ses given by the table. A great majority of the doc.u.ments from which it is compiled belong to the sixteenth century, and are dated as follows: Those of 10 manors are of an uncertain date, those of 3 fall between 1450 and 1485, of 2 in the reign of Henry VII., of 19 in that of Henry VIII., of 5 in that of Edward VI., of 3 in that of Philip and Mary, of 60 in that of Elizabeth, of 13 in that of James I., of 2 in that of Charles I., of 1 in 1649.

(ii) The lists of tenants given by the surveyors may sometimes not be exhaustive. I am not sure, for example, that all the freeholders on the manor of Crondal, or all the leaseholders at Gamlingay Merton and Gamlingay Avenells, are recorded.

(iii) It is sometimes not clear under what category a tenant should be entered. When there is no clue at all I have entered such tenants as "uncertain." In some cases, however, though there is no entry by the surveyor, there are indications that the tenants are freeholders, customary tenants, or leaseholders, and, when that is so, I have grouped them in the table according to the probabilities of the case. But I do not doubt that I have made some mistakes.

(iv) A special word must be said about Norfolk and Suffolk. In these counties it is quite common to find the same tenant holding both by free and by customary tenure. When this is so, I have entered him both under "freeholders" and under "customary tenants" in the table. This means, of course, that the numbers entered for these two counties in the table exceed the number of individual landholders. As, however, my object was to ascertain the distribution of different cla.s.ses of tenures, this course, though not satisfactory, seemed the best one to follow. In other counties a similar difficulty hardly ever occurs, a fact which is of some interest as showing the relatively advanced agrarian conditions of Norfolk and Suffolk. In the few cases in which it does occur I have followed the same plan as I have for those two counties.