THE XVTH AND XVlTH CENTURIES 89 



of the country people to the towns, which had begun 

 in the XlVth century, continued. 



As the general character of the country life slowly 

 changed, approaching more and more to the type that 



we hear described by old villagers of to-day 

 Government, as existing in old-fashioned places up to the 



middle of the last century, the part taken 

 by the people not only in central government, but 

 in local affairs, diminished. Until the year 1430 all 

 freeholders, however small their holding, could vote for 

 members of Parliament, and it is possible that other 

 persons connected with the land, even though only 

 leaseholders or copyholders, also took part in the 

 elections; but in I43O 1 a law was carried through 

 Parliament directed against voters ' whereof every 

 of them pretend a voice equivalent with the most 

 worthy knights and esquires dwelling within the 

 same counties.' This act definitely limited the fran- 

 chise to freeholders owning land worth 403. a year. 

 When it is realized that forty shillings represented 

 about twenty-five pounds in modern money values, it 

 will be understood that a large section of the country 

 people were deprived of the vote. A corresponding 

 change took place in local affairs. The decay of 

 the common system of farming was followed by the 

 disappearance of many of the field juries and other 

 committees of management : at the same time, the 

 manorial courts were losing their power, and the 

 effective control of what manorial business remained 

 gradually passed into the hands either of the free- 

 holders or of the lord of the manor and his steward. 

 Further than this, the great part of the criminal and 

 1 See Appendix, p. 167. 



