ENCLOSURES : ESSEX AGRICULTURE, 1500-1900. 17
the close of the eighteenth century arable farming was increasing
at the expense of pastoral farming.
In the same map of Chapman and Andre, it is possible to
trace some evidence for the theory put forward regarding the
regional division of arable and pastoral farming during the
earlier years of the period now under examination. Local
differences in soil would not be of great importance in a sheep
farming country, but might well be significant in a district
devoted to arable cultivation. Therefore, at a time when the
period of rapid enclosures was concluded, we are not surprised
at the distribution of commons in the County. It must be
borne in mind that we have been tracing the enclosures of
cultivated land for both arable and pastoral farming. It is
now proposed to consider the history of the commons. Maps
of the time show that, in 1775, few commons remained through-
out the London Clay area, whilst very few had been recently
enclosed.19 The suggested explanation is that, during the
period of the preceding two or three centuries, when the rapid
Conversion of this district to pastoral farming occurred, there
was no need to distinguish between the improved land and the
poorer land of the commons. Therefore, the comparative
absence of commons, or of recently enclosed commons, within
the London Clay area in 1775 supports the contention that
pastoral fanning had been widespread over this district during
the preceding two or three centuries. Most of the unenclosed
commons of this district remain as such today, and are sterile
tracts. In the north and centre the main mass of the Boulder
Clay had many unenclosed, and not a few enclosed, commons
at this time. The former may denote the predominance of
arable farming, whilst the latter suggest fresh enclosures for
arable farming. Something has already been said regarding
the later increase of corn growing.
An interesting feature of the distribution of unenclosed
commons at this time is the large number remaining in the three
" Saxon areas " of champion holdings, and the rarity of recently
enclosed commons. Although we know they were, in the main,
arable areas—as the presence of numerous unenclosed com-
mons would confirm—the fact that the great majority were
19 It Is assumed that a common had been comparatively recently enclosed when the common
is no longer in existence, yet the name is still present.
B