COMMONS 53 



looked by lord and landowner and clergyman and every other party 

 concerned in the inclosure of the commons." There was no cry 

 then of robbery, spoliation, and revolution, though here and there a 

 " Village Hampden " protested in vain till he died. 



The most recent Provisional Order for the regulation of commons 

 in the county was confirmed by i and 2 Geo. 5, c. 180, the short title 

 of which is " Commons Regulation (Winton and Kaber) Provisional 

 Order Confirmation Act, 1911." The proceedings in regard to the 

 drawing up of the Provisional Order were started in 1908, but the 

 Order was not confirmed till December i6th, 191 1. 



The chief clauses in it relate to (i) the adjustment of rights in 

 respect of the commons, (2) the appointment of seven conservators, 

 one nominated by the Lord of the Manor, one each by the Winton 

 and Kaber Parish Meetings and four by persons exercising rights of 

 common in or upon the commons, (3) reserving the right of free access 

 at all times to the commons and a privilege of recreation to the neigh- 

 bourhood, providing no person enjo5^ng such privilege should be 

 accompanied by a dog, except on a leash, (4) levying a rate or rates 

 to meet expenses, on persons entitled to rights of common in proportion 

 to their respective rights, subject to the approval of the Board of 

 Agriculture. 



The conservators appointed under the Order have power (i) to 

 drain and improve the commons for the pastiurage of cattle and sheep 

 and for purposes of recreation, (2) to plant trees, (3) to make bye-laws 

 and regulations, and (4) to generally manage the commons. 



Commons that had only been capable of half starving the animals 

 pastured upon them, with paring and burning, fencing and draining, 

 liming, ploughing and sowing, changed in the course of a few years 

 from an annual rental value of 6d. to is. per acre to one of from 20s. 

 to 30s. per acre. The Revd. Cams Wilson, of Casterton Hall, giving 

 evidence before a Select Committee in 1844, said his father had had 

 allotted to him in the Casterton Fell inclosure between 300 and 400 

 acres, which, after inclosure, was worth £33 per annum — the lower 

 half of the allotment was divided and limed, and was worth, two years 

 after the work W£is carried out, 20s. an acre. The coal required for 

 burning the lime for the improvement cost 4d. to 4jd. per cwt., and 

 had to be carted eight miles. 



