Note 73 — Chapter XI · ENCLOSURE AND THE POOR.

I must here refer to the extraordinary Act by which Pickering Moor (Yorkshire, West Riding) was enclosed in 1785 and divided equally among all owners of common rights, the poorest cottager owning an ancient cottage getting as much as the largest landowner. Before enclosure the yeomen of Pickering had pastured such animals on the moor as they could provide with winter keep. The great tithes were rented by an enterprising lessee, who conceived the idea of parcelling the moor into small farms which would grow corn and yield tithes. In spite of the disinclination of the yeomen to any change, he procured the passing of an Enclosure Act, in which it was declared that the moor was equally the property of all ancient cottages and messuages, and was required to be divided equally among the owners of all of these. A peculiar clause in the Act enacted that no part of the moor should be “deemed barren in respect of tithes.” The larger yeomen felt themselves to be cheated, and were very indignant, but through inertness and lack of co-operation they failed to take steps to prevent the Act being executed. This they presumably might have done by an appeal to Quarter Sessions.