94 ENCLOSURES OF THE EIGHTEENTH 



The next point to notice is that the relative amount 

 of common field and of waste enclosed varies. T^Thus, while 

 the enclosure of the common field is going on most rapidly 

 in the forty years between 1761 and 1801, and is nearly 

 finished by the year 1845, the great period for the enclosing 

 of the waste belongs to the forty years following (1802 to 

 1844), and is by no means over in 1845. This difference 

 is easily explained. It was natural that attention should 

 be first paid to the common field, but as that became enclosed 

 the waste was resorted to in the desire of thereby adding to 

 the land under cultivation at a time when the price of corn 

 and all foodstuffs was so high. 



By the year 1876 the enclosing movement was practi- 

 cally over. The common open field still survived in several 

 counties, notably in Bedfordshire, Cambridgeshire, Berk- 

 shire, Buckinghamshire, Lincolnshire, in the Vale of 

 Pickering, and in Northamptonshire. 1 These soon were 

 for the most part enclosed, though some lasted on into 

 the twentieth century, an interesting memorial of a past 

 system of cultivation. With regard to the wastes or 

 commons, however, public opinion began to change, and 

 a new gospel began to be preached. The enormous growth 

 of population led philanthropists to value open spaces as 

 conducing both to the physical and mental welfare of 

 the masses, and social reformers began to complain that 

 the poor man had been divorced from the soil, largely 



appointed by Parliament to approve of suggested enclosures. These it 

 was hoped would look better after interests of the poor. In 1852, by 

 15 & 16 Viet., all such schemes were to be submitted to Parliament 

 in a general Act. Cf. Scruton, Commons, p. 155. 



1 Prothero, Pioneers, p. 50. According to the return of 1874 

 264,000 acres still lay in the common field, 883,000 acres were waste 

 but capable of cultivation, 1,500,000 acres were unfit for cultivation, 

 cf. Board of Agriculture Report, 1912, p. 10. 



