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CHAPTER XII. 



TOLLARD FARNHAM COMMON AND ROWLEY GREEN. 

 TOLLARD FARNHAM. 



From these numerous and splendid successes in vindica- 

 tion of the rights of Commoners, for the prevention 

 of inclosure, it is now necessary to turn to the cases of 

 two reverses, where there was failure to defeat aggression. 

 In 18/4 assistance was asked of the Commons Society 

 to investigate the total inclosure of a Common at 

 Tollard Farnham, a purely rural parish, about seven 

 miles from Blandford, in the County of Dorset. Upon 

 this Common the cottagers of the village had been 

 in the habit, from time immemorial, of cutting furze 

 and hazel tops, for the purpose of fuel, and for con- 

 sumption in their own houses only. The hearths of 

 all the cottages in the village were constructed for 

 burning this kind of fuel, and were unsuitable for coal, 

 which in former days it was impossible to procure, 

 and which, in more recent years, could only be pur- 

 chased in the village at a high price. The cessation 

 of the supply of the customary fuel, it was alleged, 

 had caused great inconvenience, and was the subject of 

 serious complaint in the district. 



While the Society was making inquiries into the 

 inclosure, the Lord of the Manor, the late Lord Rivers, 

 commenced actions against three villagers who had 



