Inclosure Acts

The Inclosure Acts (or "Enclosure Acts" in modern spelling^[1]) were a series of United Kingdom Acts of Parliament which enclosed open fields and common land in the country, creating legal property rights to land that was previously considered common. Between 1604 and 1914, over 5,200 individual Enclosure Acts were put into place, enclosing 6.8 million acres (2,800,000 ha; 28,000 km²).^[2]

History

Further information: enclosure

Prior to the enclosures in England, a portion of the land was categorized as "common" or "waste". "Common" land was under some kind of collective control.^[3] Called the open field system, a single plot of land was divided among groups, often a lord and employed or participating peasants.^[4] This facilitated common grazing and crop rotation.^[4] "Waste" was the only land not officially claimed by any group, often cultivated by landless peasants.^[3]

Enclosure Acts for small areas had been passed sporadically since the 12th century, but with the rise of the Industrial Revolution, they became more commonplace. In search of better financial returns, landowners looked for more efficient farming techniques.^[5] Enclosures were also created so that landowners could charge higher rent to the people working the land. This was at least partially responsible for peasants leaving the countryside to work in the city in industrial factories.^[6]

In 1801, the Inclosure (Consolidation) Act was passed to tidy up previous acts. In 1845, another General Inclosure Act allowed for the appointment of Inclosure Commissioners who could enclose land without submitting a request to Parliament.

List of Acts

The Inclosure Act 1773 (13 Geo.3 c.81)

The Enclosure Acts 1845 to 1882 means:^[7]

The Inclosure Act 1845 (8 & 9 Vict. c.118)

The Inclosure Act 1846 (9 & 10 Vict. c.70)

The Inclosure Act 1847 (10 & 11 Vict. c.111)

The Inclosure Act 1848 (11 & 12 Vict. c.99)

The Inclosure Act 1849 (12 & 13 Vict. c.83)

The Inclosure Commissioners Act 1851 (14 & 15 Vict. c.53)

The Inclosure Act 1852 (15 & 16 Vict. c.79)

The Inclosure Act 1854 (17 & 18 Vict. c. 97)

The Inclosure Act 1857 (20 & 21 Vict. c.31)

The Inclosure Act 1859 (22 & 23 Vict. c.43)

The Inclosure, etc. Expenses Act 1868 (31 & 32 Vict. c.89)

The Commons Act 1876 (39 & 40 Vict. c.56)

The Commons (Expenses) Act 1878 (41 & 42 Vict. c.56)

The Commons Act 1879 (42 & 43 Vict. c.37)

The Commonable Rights Compensation Act 1882 (45 & 46 Vict. c.15)

Notes

↑ "Inclosure" is an old or formal spelling of the word now more usually spelled "enclosure": both spellings are pronounced /ᵻnˈkloʊʒər/.
↑ "Enclosing the Land". www.parliament.uk. Retrieved 12 December 2013.
1 2 Clark, Gregory; Anthony Clark (December 2001). "Common Rights to Land in England". The Journal of Economic History 61 (04): 1009-1036. doi:10.1017/S0022050701042061. Retrieved 12 December 2013.
1 2 "open-field system". Encyclopædia Britannica. Encyclopædia Britannica Inc. Retrieved 12 December 2013.
↑ Motamed, Mesbah J.; Raymond J.G.M Florax; William A. Masters (October 31, 2013). "Agriculture, Transportation and the Timing of Urbanization: Global Analysis at the Grid Cell Level" (PDF): 4. Retrieved 12 December 2013.
↑ "Enclosing the Land". Retrieved 12 December 2013.
↑ The Short Titles Act 1896, section 2(1) and second schedule

References

The act for the enclosure of commons in England and Wales. By George Wingrove Cooke.
Papers by Command, Volume 12. By Great Britain. Parliament. House of Commons. Pg 588.
The Parliamentary Debates, Volume 80. By Great Britain. Parliament.pg 483
Parliamentary Papers, House of Commons and Command, Volume 12. By Great Britain. Parliament. House of Commons. 104 380
Edinburgh Review, Or, Critical Journal, Volume 62. pg 327
The Pictorial History of England, Volume 6. By George Lillie Craik, Charles Knight. pg 781
The English Peasantry and the Enclosure of Common Fields. By Gilbert Slater.
An Analytical Digest of the Reports of Cases Decided in the Courts of Common Law, and Equity, of Appeal, and Nisi Prius. By Henry Jeremy. Pg 40
The Fence. By Washburn & Moen Manufacturing Company. Pg 21
The Contemporary Review, Volume 67. Pg 703
Alienated tithes in appropriated and impropriated parishes. 38

External links

United Kingdom legislation

Pre-Parliamentary legislation	List of English statutes Charter of Liberties Magna Carta

Acts of Parliament by states preceding the Kingdom of Great Britain	Acts of the Parliament of England to 1483 1485–1601 1603–1641 Interregnum (1642–1660) 1660–1699 1700–1706 Acts of the Parliament of Scotland Acts of the Parliament of Ireland to 1700 1701–1800

Acts of Parliament of the Kingdom of Great Britain	1707–1719 1720–1739 1740–1759 1760–1779 1780–1800

Acts of Parliament of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland and the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland	1801–1819 1820–1839 1840–1859 1860–1879 1880–1899 1900–1919 1920–1939 1940–1959 1960–1979 1980–1999 2000 to date Halsbury's Statutes UK Statute Law Database Short titles

Church of England measures	List Church of England Assembly (Powers) Act 1919

Legislation of devolved institutions	Acts of the Scottish Parliament Acts and Measures of the National Assembly for Wales Acts of the Northern Ireland Assembly Acts of the Parliament of Northern Ireland Orders in Council for Northern Ireland

Orders-in-Council	Order in Council

Secondary legislation	United Kingdom Statutory Instruments Scottish Statutory Instruments Act of Sederunt, Act of Adjournal

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