SOCIAL AND ECONOMIC HISTORY to the fact that a much smaller amount of labour was needed for the rearing of sheep than for the growing of corn. It seems highly probable that because of this rich pasture and meadow-land, and the fair price of wool, Rutland took part, during the first half of the 15th century, in the move- ment towards inclosure and towards the conversion of arable land into grass, as it undoubtedly did during the latter years of that century and the beginning of the next. The returns"^ made by jurors of Oakham Soke and East Hundred in September 15 17 show that the process of conversion of arable into pasture, with a consequent reduction in the number of small farms, had been pro- ceeding slowly but steadily during the previous thirty years. The amounts inclosed were as a rule quite small, but the aggregate for the county must have been considerable and marked a stage in the increasing displacement of labour and enrichment of the landlords at the expense of the peasant proprietors. In Oakham itself ii^ acres of arable had been converted into pasture within the last four years by Henry Jervis, as tenant of the Duke of Buckingham, and Manasses Crane had ' taken to farme two houses with two plowlands, to the hurte and losse of the town ; uppon the said houses and lands was lately kept gode and honeste inhabitacions with honest persones.' Henry Jervis appears again at Egleton as having inclosed a grove of 2 acres. At Belton, Richard Taylor, holding of 'my lord Mongie ' (Mountjoy), had inclosed 8 acres called 'the Lownte ' and another 14 acres ; the Prior of Brooke had inclosed 3J acres of his own land, and 8J acres more had been turned into pasture by other persons. In Ketton 22 acres had been inclosed, fourteen by Thomas Greenham, who had also laid down ' one plowland ' and a cottage ; two cottages had fallen into decay during the last twenty-seven years, and two others had been destroyed by fire, while on the rector's land ' three plowes be decayed.' At Empingham 6 acres of ' layes and medowe ' had been turned into pasture by George Mackworth and 23 acres of arable by Guy Edmunds. There was ' another plowe land decayed with caswelte of fier, late occupied with 23 acres,' besides smaller inclosiires. Fire had destroyed two cottages at Great Casterton and one at Essendine, and at the latter Everard Digby had inclosed several small parcels of land, some being in the hands of his son John Digby and others in those of David Cecil. The largest inclosure appears to be at Little Casterton, where 41 acres had been converted into pasture by Christopher Brown. In the case of Tinwell, where 8 acres of arable belonging to the Abbot of Peterborough had been inclosed by Richard Knott, it is added, ' the poore men of the towne be debarred of theire commons by reason thereof.' We will give a few instances of disputes and complaints belonging to a shghtly later period, which point to the changes then taking place. In 1545 Francis Mackworth complains, among other things, that Sir J. Harington has ' caused to be plucked up and cast down certain quick- setts in the common fields of Empingham,' inclosing five or six acres of land held by the plaintiff, 'as he (Sir J. Harington) intends to appro- priate these lands to himself' This indirectly shows, first that land- "» Chan. Misc. bdle. 7, no. 2 (2). Communicated by Mr. L. F. Salzmann. The above returns were collected after the publication of Mr. Leadam's ' Domesday of Inclosures.' " P.R.O. Star Chamb. Proc. 37 Hen. VIII, bdle. 28, no. 28. 221
