Skip to content
enclosure
EntityQ792164· pop 31· linked from 1,343 articles

Also known as inclosure, enclosures, inclosures

Enclosure or inclosure is a term, used in English landownership, that refers to the appropriation of "waste" or "common land", enclosing it, and by doing so depriving commoners of their traditional rights of access and usage. Agreements to enclose land could be either through a formal or informal process. The process could normally be accomplished in three ways. First there was the creation of "closes", taken out of larger common fields by their owners. Secondly, there was enclosure by proprietors, owners who acted together, usually small farmers or squires, leading to the enclosure of whole p

Key facts

UK legislation.long_title
An Act to facilitate the Inclosure and Improvement of Commons and Lands held in common, the Exchange of Lands, and the Division of intermixed Lands; to provide Remedies for defective or incomplete Executions, and for the Non-execution of the Powers of general and local Inclosure Acts; and to provide for the Revival of such Powers in certain cases.
UK legislation.year
1845
UK legislation.citation
8 & 9 Vict. c. 118
UK legislation.territorial_extent
England and Wales
UK legislation.royal_assent
8 August 1845
UK legislation.commencement
8 August 1845
UK legislation.status
Amended
UK legislation.original_text
https://www.legislation.gov.uk/ukpga/Vict/8-9/118/contents/enacted
UK legislation.revised_text
https://www.legislation.gov.uk/ukpga/Vict/8-9/118/contents
UK legislation.UK LEG_title
Inclosure Act 1845
UK legislation.collapsed
yes
UK legislation.short_title
Inclosure Act 1845
UK legislation.type
Act
UK legislation.parliament
Parliament of the United Kingdom

via Wikipedia infobox

Wikidata facts

Show 1 more fact
start time
1604-00-00
Sources (2)

via Wikidata · CC0

~28 min read

Article

21 sections
Contents
  • History
  • Definitions
  • Methods of enclosure
  • Open-field system
  • The end of the open-field system
  • Legislation
  • Parliamentary inclosure acts
  • Commissioners of inclosure
  • Enclosure roads
  • Social and economic factors
  • Social unrest
  • {{anchor|ENCLOSURE_RIOT}}Enclosure riots
  • Midland Revolt
  • Newton Rebellion: 8 June 1607
  • Western Rising 1630–32 and forest enclosure
  • See also
  • In other countries
  • Notes
  • Citations
  • References
  • External links

Enclosure or inclosure is a term, used in English landownership, that refers to the appropriation of "waste" or "common land", enclosing it, and by doing so depriving commoners of their traditional rights of access and usage. Agreements to enclose land could be either through a formal or informal process. The process could normally be accomplished in three ways. First there was the creation of "closes", taken out of larger common fields by their owners. Secondly, there was enclosure by proprietors, owners who acted together, usually small farmers or squires, leading to the enclosure of whole parishes. Finally there were enclosures by acts of Parliament.

The stated justification for enclosure was to improve the efficiency of agriculture. However, there were a range of motives, one example being that the value of the land enclosed would be substantially increased. There were social consequences to the policy, with many protests at the removal of rights from the common people. Enclosure riots are seen by historians as 'the pre-eminent form' of social protest from the 1530s to 1640s.

Gallery (2)

Connections

Categories