THE SNIG'S END ESTATE 137 



who are now cultivating the lots for a living are 

 paying high rents to new landlords and have no 

 sense of security. 



THE SNIG'S END ESTATE. 



The Snig's End and Lowbands estates are about 

 two miles apart. The Snig's End estate lies in 

 and about the village of Staunton, on the borders 

 of Gloucestershire and Worcestershire, half-way 

 between Gloucester and Ledbury. The original 

 estate consisted of 268 acres, and was bought for 

 12,928 13s. ; 83 houses and road-making came to 

 18,709 ; and advances to purchasers, 1,400. The 

 total cost was, therefore, 31,637 17s. lid. The 

 cost of a 4-acre holding, exclusive of the latter 

 sum, works out at 472. On this sum the tenants 

 were supposed to pay 5 per cent., but this was soon 

 found to be quite impossible, and when the com- 

 pany was wound up the ground-rents were fixed at 

 40s. to 60s. an acre, with 5s. to 7s. tithe. This was 

 very much higher than the rent of land in the 

 district ; however, the holdings were all readily 

 taken up, some by townspeople and a few by agri- 

 cultural labourers, and leases were sold for 70 and 

 80, the money being borrowed by a mortgage on 

 the lot. At first some of the people were fairly 

 successful, but none of those who had to depend 

 entirely on their holdings were able to hold their 

 own. Wheat and potatoes were the two main 

 crops, and in the days when wheat was 60s. a 

 quarter and potatoes Id. a pound a man had been 



