Enclosure
In England, appropriation of common land / From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
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Enclosure or inclosure[lower-alpha 1] is a term, used in English landownership, that refers to the appropriation of "waste"[lower-alpha 2] or "common land"[lower-alpha 3] enclosing it and by doing so depriving commoners of their rights of access and privilege. Agreements to enclose land could be either through a formal or informal process.[4] The process could normally be accomplished in three ways. First there was the creation of "closes",[lower-alpha 4] taken out of larger common fields by their owners.[lower-alpha 5] 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.[6]
The primary reason for enclosure was to improve the efficiency of agriculture.[7] However, there were other motives too, one example being that the value of the land enclosed would be substantially increased.[8] 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.[7][9]