LANDLORDS AND TENANTS 



ment. 1 In Leicestershire, the yeomen farmers 

 were improving their lands, but the tenant 

 farmers were slow to make improvements owing 

 to the lack of long-term leases. It was said that 

 while in many cases the present landlords could 

 be trusted by the farmers, the estates might 

 change hands at any time and that a new lord 

 usually meant a different ordering of affairs. 

 The phrase, "New lords, new laws," was current 

 in Leicestershire. 2 In 1784, William Marshall 

 was of the opinion that, in the midland counties, 

 it was of little importance whether land was held 

 under a lease for a term of years, or from year to 

 year, such was the confidence of the tenantry in 

 the landlords. An instance is given of a young 

 man who held a large farm from year to year, and 

 who proceeded to improve the land in various 

 ways. Five years later the following note was 

 added to the earlier statement: "Unfortunately 

 for the tenant, in this instance, his farm is now on 

 sale, and the very expensive improvements which 

 he has been making, are, probably, in a great 

 measure sunk." 3 



It was thought that farmers would be more 

 enterprising in Shropshire, if more leases were 

 granted. 4 In Worcestershire, it was believed, 

 both by the landlords and by the tenants, 



1 Survey, p. 57. 



2 Ibid., p. 341. 



8 Rural Economy of the Midland Counties, Vol. II, p. 52. 

 4 Survey, p. 137. 



293 



