Aspects of agrarian society in Brent Marsh, Somerset, 1500-1700
This study examines 16 adjacent parishes in the Somerset Levels which illustrate important aspects of agrarian history in the early modern period. Land use in the Levels allowed a type of farming whereby small farmers could produce a surplus and participate in progressive, commercial farming, while the manorial structure and the secure copyhold tenure aided the tenants and supported the development of a group of landholders living on rents and other unearned income. Economic and tenurial independence, plus an absence of resident gentry, produced a parallel independence in religious and political thought and action. The Introduction describes the settlements, topography, markets, population, the distribution of wealth, and non-agricultural occupations. Chapter 2 considers the manorial structure and landholders, the formation of sub-manors, customary tenure, the level of fines, forfeiture, manor courts and the position of manorial lords, and the increasing use of copyholds as investments. Land use and husbandry are then described, including field systems, different types of husbandry and the farming systems followed. The incomes of small farmers are calculated; commercial leasing, sub-letting, and incomes from
Croot, Patricia E. C.
History
Aspects of agrarian society in Brent Marsh, Somerset, 1500-1700. This study examines 16 adjacent parishes in the Somerset Levels which illustrate important aspects of agrarian history in the early modern period. Land use in the Levels allowed a type of farming whereby small farmers could produce a surplus and participate in progressive, commercial farming, while the manorial structure and the secure copyhold tenure aided the tenants and supported the development of a group of landholders living on rents and other unearned income. Economic and tenurial independence, plus an absence of resident gentry, produced a parallel independence in religious and political thought and action. The Introduction describes the settlements, topography, markets, population, the distribution of wealth, and non-agricultural occupations. Chapter 2 considers the manorial structure and landholders, the formation of sub-manors, customary tenure, the level of fines, forfeiture, manor courts and the position of manorial lords, and the increasing use of copyholds as investments. Land use and husbandry are then described, including field systems, different types of husbandry and the farming systems followed. The incomes of small farmers are calculated; commercial leasing, sub-letting, and incomes from
aspects agrarian society somerset study_examines adjacent parish somerset levels illustrate important_aspect agrarian history early_modern_period land use levels allow type farm whereby small farmer could_produce surplus participate progressive commercial farming manorial structure secure tenure aid tenant support development group landholder live rent income economic tenurial independence plus absence resident gentry produce parallel independence religious_political think_action introduction describe settlement topography market population distribution wealth non agricultural occupation considers manorial structure landholder formation sub customary tenure level fine manor court position manorial lord increase_use investment land_use husbandry describe include field_system different_type husbandry farm_system follow small farmer calculate commercial sub income