^6 THE ENCLOSURES IN ENGLAND [232 



more than one farm by the same man, or to regulate the use 

 of the land so occupied. The statute of 1489 refers to the 

 Isle of Wight, where " Many dwelling places, fermes, and 

 f ermeholdes have of late tyme ben used to be taken in td 

 oon manys hold and handes, that of old tyme were wont 

 to be in severall persons holdes and handes." ^ The procla- 

 mation of 1 5 14 regulated the use of land held by all per- 

 sons who were tenants of more than one farm.^ A law of 

 1533 provides that no' person should occupy more than two 

 farms. ^ 



The old villain holdings did not necessarily pass intact 

 into the hands of one holder, but were sometimes divided 

 up and taken by different men, a few acres at a time. One 

 Richard Grene in 1582 held lands of which ten and a half 

 acres had been gradually acquired through as many as ten 

 grants. This land had formed part of six other holdings, 

 and much of the rest of the land belonging to these holdings 

 had also been alienated.* The Inquisition of 15 17 reported 

 numerous cases of engrossing, and Professor Gay notes 

 some of the entries in the returns of the Inquisition of 1607 

 which are also interesting in this connection : W. S. sepa- 

 rated six yardlands from a manor house and put a widow 

 in the house, a laborer in the kitchen and a weaver in the 

 barn. The land was divided between two tenants who 

 already had houses, and presumably, other land, and were 

 taking this opportunity to enlarge their holdings of land. 

 G. K. took from a farmhouse the land which formed part 

 of the same tenement and leased the house to a laborer whoi 

 had " but one acre of land in every field." ** 



* 4 H. 7, c. 16, as quoted by Pollard, Reign of Henry VH, p. 237. 

 ^Leadam, Domesday of Inclosures (London, 1897), P- 7- 

 »25H.8,c. 13. 



* Gray, English Field Systems (Cambridge, 1915), pp. 9S-96. 



5 " Midland Revolt," R. H. S. Trans., New Series, vol. xviii, p. 230. 



