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CHAPTER XV. 



Rural Commons. 



The movement for the preservation of Commons, 

 which commenced in 1864, was for the first five years 

 mainly directed to the saving of the Commons round 

 London from arbitrary inclosure. In 1869, the late Mr. 

 Fawcett became an active member of the Commons 

 Society, and ab his instance its operations were ex- 

 tended to rural Commons, in the interest mainly of 

 agricultural labourers. 



In the same year his attention was directed to the 

 proposals then before the House of Commons, in the 

 annual Bill of the Inclosure Commissioners, under 

 which many rural Commons were scheduled for in- 

 closure, with an aggregate area of 6,916 acres. Of this it 

 was proposed by the schemes to appropriate the miser- 

 able pittance of three acres for the recreation of the 

 people of the districts dealt with, and of six acres for 

 allotments for labouring people, in lieu of their cus- 

 tomary user of the common lands. 



Among the Commons included in the Bill for in- 

 closure was that of Wisley, an open space on the road 

 from Kingston to Gruildford, just beyond the pine woods 

 of St. Georges Hill, one of the beautiful Surrey Commons, 

 which add so much to the beauty and residential charm of 

 that county, and which are admitted to be of no value 

 s 



