102 ENGLISH RURAL LIFE 



The peasants had, in addition to the disappear- 

 ance of many commons, one other loss. The English 



country people have always been sportsmen, 

 game and wm l st game killed on the commons, woods 



and wastes must have been in mediaeval 

 times an invaluable addition to the peasant farmers' 

 larder. In the XlVth century it will be remem- 

 bered the right to kill game was limited to the 405. 

 freeholder. It is doubtful whether this statute was 

 enforced : indeed, before the time of police or game- 

 keepers it could hardly have been possible to prevent 

 the peasantry snaring hares, ferreting rabbits or netting 

 partridges on the great commons or in the woods and 

 waste land. No one could have objected very seriously to 

 such practices. But in the XVI Ith century new condi- 

 tions arose : game began to have a commercial value 

 since wealthy people were buying considerable quantities 

 of venison and other game. The class who were, as the 

 century closed, securing the control of the country-side 

 must have been fully aware of the change. They decided 

 to secure for themselves the sporting rights, and Parlia- 

 ment was persuaded to pass a statute in 1670 * laying 

 down the rule that no one was to kill game unless he 

 had a freehold estate worth 100 a. year or leasehold 

 property worth 150. Thus game became substantially 

 the property of the greater landholders. 



(Enclosures have always gone hand in hand with 

 poverty, and it is not surprising to find that many 

 poor were to be found in the villages in 

 tnis century while vagabonds were wan- 

 dering all over the country.) These un- 

 fortunate people continued to be a cause of endless 

 1 See Appendix, p. 171. 



