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Story
May 23, 1846
Alexandria Gazette
Alexandria, Alexandria County, District Of Columbia
What is this article about?
A London paper reports the consolidation of farmland in the United Kingdom, with only one proprietor per 305 acres, leading to the rapid disappearance of the 'stout yeoman' class, combination of small farms into large ones, and many former tenants sinking into poverty as laborers.
Clipping
OCR Quality
98%
Excellent
Full Text
FARMING IN GREAT BRITAIN.
A London paper states that at the present moment, "with an area of 61,522,970 arable acres in the United Kingdom, there is only one proprietor for every 305 acres. The "stout yeoman" class is rapidly disappearing; the number of persons farming their own land, every day diminishes; a dozen proprietors are run together in the hands of one holder; three or four small farms are combined into one large one; the small farmer is now an animal almost as rare as the small landlord; and the children of those who constituted the former tenantry of the country have become the laborers on the very land their ancestors cultivated as holders. Farming, like all other trades, is becoming a wholesale business, and while a few are becoming extensive and wealthy agriculturists, the mass are sinking into hopeless poverty."
A London paper states that at the present moment, "with an area of 61,522,970 arable acres in the United Kingdom, there is only one proprietor for every 305 acres. The "stout yeoman" class is rapidly disappearing; the number of persons farming their own land, every day diminishes; a dozen proprietors are run together in the hands of one holder; three or four small farms are combined into one large one; the small farmer is now an animal almost as rare as the small landlord; and the children of those who constituted the former tenantry of the country have become the laborers on the very land their ancestors cultivated as holders. Farming, like all other trades, is becoming a wholesale business, and while a few are becoming extensive and wealthy agriculturists, the mass are sinking into hopeless poverty."
What sub-type of article is it?
Historical Event
What themes does it cover?
Fortune Reversal
Misfortune
Social Manners
What keywords are associated?
Farming
Great Britain
Land Consolidation
Yeoman Class
Small Farmers
Poverty
Agricultural Change
Where did it happen?
United Kingdom
Story Details
Location
United Kingdom
Event Date
Present Moment
Story Details
Land consolidation in the UK reduces proprietors to one per 305 acres; yeoman class disappears as small farms merge into large ones; former tenants' descendants become laborers, with few wealthy agriculturists and masses in poverty.