120 CAUSES OF THE DECLINE 







eighteenth century this prejudice increased. As in the Tudor 

 times, as indeed at all times, the noitveau ricJie pressed 

 into the land market and bought. Once possessed of a 

 landed estate, he could, if he were a gentleman, at once 

 take his place in county society; or, if his own manners 

 and speech proclaimed a more humble birth, he could at 

 least look forward to seeing his children do so. 



Finally, the possession of land was the easiest way of 

 acquiring political influence. As Justice of the Peace he 

 would meet the old gentry on equal terms in Petty and 

 Quarter Sessions, and take part in all measures of local 

 interest and development, where his business habits made 

 him in request. 1 Nay, the dignified office of high sheriff 

 was no longer out of his reach, and if he could not at once 

 represent his county in Parliament, his vote was at least 

 becoming increasingly valuable by the shrinking of the list 

 of the freeholders ; while, if he chose, he could increase his 

 influence by adding to the number of the leases for lives 

 among his tenantry. That attempts were made to increase 

 the numbers of those qualified to vote is proved on all sides. 

 Porrit says that the system of creating fagot votes first 

 appears in 1628, and thence goes on increasingly. Votes 

 in the eighteenth century were claimed not only by pur- 

 chasers of Land Tax, for judicial posts for life, by Clerks 

 of the Peace, and for annuities, but also by holders of lecture 

 ships, schoolmasters, choristers, and even, in 1813, by the 

 brewer, butler, bellringer, gardener, cook, organ-blower of 

 Westminster Abbey though these last were, indeed, sub- 

 sequently disallowed by a Parliamentary Committee ; for 

 freehold pews and even freehold graves. 2 Under all these 

 circumstances land had a value above its agricultural, 

 and if the small landowners ( consulted their pecuniary 



1 Mantoux, p. 410. 



2 Porrit, Unreformed House of Commons, i. 22. 



