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Inclosure

Inclosure (also spelled enclosure) refers to two distinct processes: firstly, the bringing into cultivation of unproductive land, such as fens or wastes; and secondly, the consolidation of scattered medieval strip holdings into large blocks. Both processes often went hand in hand. Small inclosures had been arranged privately between landowners for many years, but the period 1760-1820 saw many large-scale inclosures made by Acts of Parliament.

Parliamentary inclosure produced a great many records (acts, awards, maps, minutes and so on), and where these survive they offer a valuable and detailed insight into patterns of rural land holding. They are widely consulted today by researchers in rights of way, land ownership, agriculture, and property history. The best general introduction to how inclosure worked is W.E.Tate'sThe English Village Community and the Enclosure Movement (London 1967).

It is important when consulting an inclosure map or award to know whether the document is an original, an enrolled copy, or an unofficial copy. In theory, the original maps and awards were left with the parish itself to be kept in perpetuity, while copies were enrolled with the Clerk of the Peace.

Peterborough Central Library holds copies of the following Northamptonshire maps:

Borough Fen Common and Four Hundred Acre Common [Newborough]

  • Inclosure Map, 1822

Barnack and Southorpe

  • Open Field Map, 1790s

Castor and Ailsworth

  • Inclosure Map, 1898

Castor and Ailsworth

  • Estate Map, ?1850s

Eye

  • Inclosure Map, 1821

Longthorpe

  • Inclosure, 1814

Marholm

  • 1820s

Maxey, Deeping, Northborough, Glinton and Peakirk and Helpston

  • Inclosure map, 1819

Paston and Gunthorpe

  • Estate Map, 1794

Peterborough

  • Inclosure Map, 1821

Southorpe

  • Inclosure Map, 1845

Thornhaugh

  • Tithe/Estate Map, 1838

Thornhaugh

  • Estate Map, 1757

Thornhaugh and Wansford

  • Estate map, 1838

Thornhaugh and Wansford

  • Estate Map, 1871

Ufford, Bainton and Ashton

  • Inclosure Map, 1799

Walton and Werrington

  • Inclusure Map, 1805

Wansford

  • Estate Map, mid eighteenth century

Wothorpe

  • Estate Map, 1613 or 1615

Peterborough Central Library holds copies of the following Huntingdonshire maps:

Alwalton

  • Inclosure Map, 1809

Elton (with small contiguous part of Warmington)

  • Inclosure Map, 1784

Orton Longueville with Chesterton and Haddon and small part of Orton Waterville

  • Estate Map, 1808

Orton Waterville

  • Inclosure Map, 1809

Stanground and Farcet (with separate map of Farcet Fen c. 1773)

  • Inclosure Map, 1805

Stibbington and Sibson

  • Open Field Map, 1769
  • Estate Map, 1780s
  • Inclosure Map, 1810
  • Estate Map, 1812
  • Estate Map, 1838
  • Estate Map, 1871

Woodston

  • Inclosure Map, 1811

Yaxley

  • Inclosure Map, 1821

Peterborough Central Library also holds:

  • 1811: Peterborough claims book
  • 1811-1814: Peterborough claims book

Peterborough Archives Service holds a copy of the Stanground with Farcet Inclosure Award (1801-1806)

  • An inventory of this collection is available for consultation in the Local Studies and Archive Room at Peterborough Central Library.

Peterborough Archives Service holds the original inclosure award for Northborough (1820).

  • An inventory for this is available for consultation in the Local Studies and Archive Search Room at Peterborough Central Library.

Peterborough Local Studies Collection now has copies of Northamptonshire Record Office Microfilms M188 and M189 which contain copies of inclosure awards for the following parishes:

Microfilm M188

  • Ufford, Ashton and Bainton (award dates 17, September 1799)
  • Werrington and Walton (award dated 5, August 1805)
  • Sutton (hamlet in Castor) (award dated 10, August 1903)
  • Castor and Ailsworth (this award is impossible to read)

Microfilm M189

  • Sutton (award dated 10, August 1903) (may be a copy of the award on M188)
  • Castor and Ailsworth (award dated 10, August 1903)
  • Maxey, Deeping Gate, Northborough, Glinton, Peakirk, Etton and Helpston (enclosure commissioners minute book 1809-1814)
  • Barnack and Pilsgate (award dated 18, November 1806)

The microfilm copies are of variable quality. Please contact the the Local Studies Librarian for further information.

 

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