Fields and Common Land in England


 
 
Concept Explanation
 

Fields and Common Land in England

"Peasants and Farmers" deals with peasants and farmers of three different countries i.e. the small cottagers in England, the wheat farmers of the USA and the opium producers of Bengal (India). The comparison between the histories of different places shows how these histories are different even though some processes are similar.

Introduction : The agricultural system of England changed dramatically over the late 18th and early 19th century. Before this time, in large parts of England the countryside was open.The lands were not enclosed or partitioned by the landlords. Peasants cultivated on strips of land around the village they live in. At the beginning of each year, people were allocated a number of strips to cultivate at the public meeting. These strips were located at different places and vary in quality.The effort was to ensure that everyone had a mix of good and a bad land. Beyond these strips of cultivated lay the common land. All villagers had access to the commons .here they pastured their cows and grazed their sheep,collected fuel wood for fire and berries and fruit for food. They fished in the rivers and ponds , and hunted rabbit in common forest.for the poor, the common land was essential for survival.

The Open Field System was different to the rural people in the 18th Century :

  • A Rich Farmer : The open field system was not beneficial for the rich farmer who preferred to expand his land holding by enclosing the open land.In the 18th century , the second round of enclosing open field took place to increase grain production.
  • A Labourer : All villagers had access to common land or the open field. The small poor farmers and labourers used the open fields for grazing sheep and cows. For the poor labourer , the open common land was essential for survival .it supplemented their meager income,sustained their cattle and helped them tide over bad times when the crops failed.
  • A Peasant Woman : For her family, the poor woman collected fuel wood for fire; berries and fruits for food.Common lands helped her tide over bad times when crops failed.so, it was beneficial to a peasant women.
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