Parliamentary enclosure, vermin and the cultural life of English parishes, 1750-1850

Cragoe, Matthew; McDonagh, Briony

Abstract

This article explores the impact of parliamentary enclosure on the cultural life of English villages after 1750. It focuses on parish-sponsored vermin control, arguing that the popular 'hunting' sanctioned by parish vestries under Tudor legislation, and persisting into the early nineteenth century, created a highly participatory recreational culture which continued to exist under the radar of the game laws. Using a sample of parishes from the heavily enclosed county of Northamptonshire, the article demonstrates that this communal activity survived the reworking of the landscape by parliamentary enclosure, and that, by extension, the level of disruption to village cultural life was less than has been suggested. Copyright © Cambridge University Press 2013.

Citation

Cragoe, M., & McDonagh, B. (2013). Parliamentary enclosure, vermin and the cultural life of English parishes, 1750-1850. Continuity and Change, 28(1), 27-50. https://doi.org/10.1017/S0268416013000118

• Journal Article Type: Review
• Online Publication Date: Apr 23, 2013
• Publication Date: May 1, 2013
• Deposit Date: Oct 6, 2020
• Journal: Continuity and Change
• Print ISSN: 0268-4160
• Electronic ISSN: 1469-218X
• Publisher: Cambridge University Press
• Peer Reviewed: Peer Reviewed
• Volume: 28
• Issue: 1
• Pages: 27-50
• DOI: https://doi.org/10.1017/S0268416013000118
• Public URL: https://hull-repository.worktribe.com/output/3608348
• Publisher URL: https://www.cambridge.org/core/journals/continuity-and-change/article/abs/parliamentary-enclosure-vermin-and-the-cultural-life-of-english-parishes-17501850/990BEBFDEC8314421CD487690332E86F