THE WINTER OF DISCONTENT. 137 



(Devon), East Rusten (Norfolk), Fosdyke (Lincolnshire), 

 Gamlingay (Cambs), Garthorpe (Lincolnshire), Goxhill 

 (Lincolnshire), Holt (Dorset), Kexby (Lincolnshire), Llandy- 

 friog (Cardiganshire), Potter Heigham (Norfolk), Preston 

 (Dorset), Tarvin (Cheshire), Tydd St. Mary (Lincolnshire), 

 West Shutford (Oxfordshire). 



The most interesting allotment settlements have been 

 those carried out by the Parish Councils at Belbroughton 

 (Worcestershire) and Moulton (Lincolnshire). Close to 

 Belbroughton is Catshill, and it was at Catshill where some 

 attempt was made, and certainly with a modicum of success, 

 to carry out the provisions of the Small Holdings Act of 

 1892, which proved to be an abortive attempt to establish, 

 peasant proprietorship in England as a permanent feature 

 of land settlement. The Worcebter County Council 

 was the first to apply the powers provided by this Act, 

 and in 1892 it agreed to buy at Catshill the farm of 

 147 acres at 33 an acre. 



In the usual unthinking, official way 2,000 notices were 

 issued in a hole and corner manner, and these received but 

 one application in answer. Afterwards, when a meeting 

 was held at Catshill and the Act was explained to those 

 present, the Council satisfied itself that a number of people 

 desiring small holdings were unable to find the necessary 

 deposit of 20 per cent., and so agreed to accept a certain 

 number of men as tenants besides those willing to purchase. 



A great number of the villagers in this district were 

 nail-makers, who were out of work through the intro- 

 duction of machinery in the manufacture of hobnails. It 

 did not seem to occur to well-meaning bureaucrats that 

 there was some irony in offering to sell land to penniless 

 men. At Belbroughton, where dire poverty drove many to 

 poach, and where the poor rates went up by leaps and 

 bounds, the penniless men seized the opportunity through 

 their Parish Council to apply their muscles to the labour- 

 starved acres that surrounded them. In 1895 the Parish 

 Council took a field of 18 acres and accommodated thirty 

 nailers. The next year 16 acres were added ; the year 



1 Vide Parish Councils and Village Life, The Fabian Society. 



