[ 194 3 



privileges. The Duke iflued out a proclamation 

 for the levelling theie inclofurcs, by a day therein- 

 named; which not being complied with by the 

 Lords, the tenants took the liberty of doing it 

 themfelves; and this brought on an infurredlion 

 In Somerfetftiire in the fecond year of the reign 

 of Edward VI. The mob behaved very much 

 after the fame manner as the Irifli white- boys did 

 a few years fince, from the fame motive; b,ut fome 

 of them having received exemplary punifhment, 

 the reft were pardoned, and returned to their alle- 

 giance. I never faw a feoffment or a grant in fee 

 of fmall tenements, or portions of land, identified 

 and bounded, prior to this asra -, but in the fucceed- 

 ing reign we have them in great abundance, from 

 which, with the afliftance of the publick*" furveys, 

 we may in a great meafure difcover the value of 

 money between that period and the prefent time. 

 If we examine the King's lii^er ijalorum^ as taken 

 for Somerfetfhire by Dr. John Clark bifhop of Bath 

 and Wells, Sir William Stourton, knight, Hugh 

 Powlett, William Portman, and Roger Kynfey, 

 eiquires, in the thirty-fifth year of Henry VIII. 

 we fhall find this flat part of Somerfetfhire (herein 

 before eftimated at 256,000 acres) to be valued at 

 about thirty thoufand pounds per annum, v.'hich is 

 almoft half-a- crown ^n acre upon an average. At 



the 



