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dantly proved from the various rent-rolls of the lands 

 belonging to the abbey of Glaflonbury. After the 

 overthrew of Richard Hid, in the battle of Bof- 

 worth, the houfes of York and Lancafler became 

 united in the perfon of Henry Vllthj and, calcula- 

 ting from the many and various taxes which he laid 

 on the land, it appears, that long before his death,' 

 viz. about 1 500, the value of eftates had in this lad 

 century alfo become doubled, being increafed to 

 four-pence per acre. 



It was, however, on account of the reformation 

 in the reight of Henry Vlllth, and a total fuppref- 

 fion of the feudal tenure, that the lands became 

 doubled in half a century ; for as the church-lands 

 were divided and fubdivided amongfl: the laity, fo 

 thefe began to inclofe and identify their property, 

 infomuch thai in the leafes granted in the reign of 

 Edward Vlth, we find the referved rents amounted 

 to feven-pence halfpenny per acre, exclufive of about 

 that fum for a farJief^ which was then confidered 

 as a fine for the addition of a life ox for a life. If 

 we confult the feoffments and leafes granted in the 

 reign of Queen Elizabeth, we may obferve the 

 gradual increafe of landed property to fuch a de- 

 gree, that it again became doubled in fifty years, for 

 at her death, in 1603, the referved rents amounted 

 to one fliilling and three-pence per acre. The peace- 

 able reign of James L was favourable to landed 



property, 



