The Agrarian Problem in the Sixteenth Century

R.H. Tawney's The Agrarian Problem in the Sixteenth Century (1912) examines the significant changes in land use and ownership in England during a period of population growth and rising prices. The core issue was the transition from communal farming to individually owned plots, a process known as enclosure.123

Historically, farmland was divided into dispersed strips, with common rights over meadows and pastures after harvest. Enclosure involved fencing off these lands, preventing communal grazing and consolidating holdings for individual management. While enclosure began earlier, it accelerated between 1450 and 1640, primarily for increasing pastureland. This shift, driven by the profitable wool trade, led to outcry as some villages were destroyed to create more grazing areas. Despite criticism, enclosure was profitable and continued, marking a significant transformation in rural life and an omen of future changes.342