136 ENGLISH AGRICULTURAL LABOURER. 



had closed a public footpath. An action was brought 

 by the landowner against the journalist, and although it 

 was admitted that a public footpath had been wrongfully 

 closed, the Judge declared that the landowner's character 

 had suffered by the publication of this article, which cost 

 my friend the sum of 500 ! 



Parish Councils had often but little assistance from Rural 

 District Councils in re-opening rights of way, and a consider- 

 able amount of work was given to that excellent body, 

 the Commons Preservation Society, in the early years of 

 the working of the Parish Councils Act. Boldness, however, 

 sometimes had its own reward. When Sir Weetman Pearson 

 (now Viscount Cowdray) purchased the Cowdray estate one 

 of his first acts was to padlock the iron gates which opened 

 on to the ancient right of way across the grounds of Cowdray 

 Castle. Thereupon the Chairman of the Midhurst Parish 

 Council took the village blacksmith with him, filed through 

 the chain, and in full view of the public walked down the 

 ancient right of way, thus reclaiming the right of way for- 

 ever. 



Common pasture and grazing grounds were provided at 

 Soulbury (Bucks), and at Hasland (Derbyshire). In York- 

 shire pasture for the poor man's cow, and the cottager's 

 goose or donkey were provided at Ashton-cum-Aughton, 

 which rented 8 acres ; at Kilham, which rented 21 acres, 

 and at Beeford, which rented 48 acres. 



It was, though, in the acquisition of allotments that 

 Parish Councils achieved the greatest success. From 1894 

 up to 1907 (when the new Small Holding and Allotment 

 Act was passed) 40,000 working men were holding land 

 directly from their Parish Councils. Under the 1894 Act 

 if land was hired compulsorily one tenant could not hold 

 more than 4 acres of pasture, or i acre of arable and 3 acres 

 of pasture. By voluntary arrangement with acquiescent 

 landowners, however, there was no limit to the acreage 

 a Parish Council might lease. 



Compulsory powers had often to be put into force, as 

 they were at the following places : Asfordby (Leicester- 

 shire), Ashby (Lincolnshire), Beaghall (Yorkshire), Dunsford 



