TOOTING COMMON. 85 
this object. When, however, it became known that Mr. 
Thompson was intending to purchase, it was generally 
understood that his object was to preserve the 
Common, and his neighbours, under this impression, 
refrained from bidding against him. It very soon 
turned out, however, that Mr. Thompson had very 
different objects in view. No sooner had he become 
the purchaser than he commenced proceedings before 
the Inclosure Commissioners for the inclosure of the 
Common, and at first his application included the 
whole of the waste. On finding them adverse to this 
proposal, he reduced his claim te 25 acres; but the 
Commissioners refused to entertain even this modified 
proposal. A committee of gentlemen in the district, 
who had opposed this attempt at inclosure, then made 
an offer to join in a scheme, under which the Common 
would be managed in the interest of the public. This 
was declined. 
In 1865, Mr. Thompson inclosed twenty-five acres of 
the Common, in spite of repeated protests. His neigh- 
bours still hesitated to incur the dangers of a lawsuit, 
and the fence remained standing till 1865, when it 
was broken in several places by Mr. Miles and other 
Commoners. Several actions of trespass were then 
commenced by Mr. Thompson; and finally, on July 
10th, Mr. Betts, and two Commoners, on the advice of 
the Commons Society,* filed a suit against the Lord 
* This action was mainly conducted by Mr. G. F. Treherne, 
whose family had property in the neighbourhood of Tooting, but Mr. 
P. H. Lawrence advised in its earlier stages. 
