b'The effect of 18th Century enclosures on the development of Bishop WiltonAndrew SeftonAAn example of a court ruling was in 1749 when the transformation of the landscape and farming took place around Bishop Wilton in the 18th century.court stated:In medieval times, the farming around Bishop WiltonIt is agreed unanimously that every person was based on the open fields system. There were nofreeholder, copyholder or tenant who shall field boundaries, and communal farming practiceshereafter find any piggs or swine rooting in the were employed regulated by the Manor Court system.fields or grounds within this Manor, such person This operated like todays local Parish Council withshall have power to impound such piggs or laws and regulations laid out by the locally electedswine and take one penny for each trespass as Court Leet. Their powers were wide and powerfulpunsellwith strict enforcement and policing with fines called Pains imposed for not maintaining a drain, or lettingThe Medieval Three Field Systemcattle graze their crops, for example. Bishop WiltonBishop Wiltons three fields were called North Manor court records exist from 1379 and are held byField, West Field and South Field (see the enclosure the Brynmor Jones Library in Hull University. They tellmap elsewhere in this bulletin). These big fields were of the organisation that was necessary to maintain ansubdivided into furlongs, within which lay parcels of ordered society in the village at that time. The Manorland belonging to different farmers. The rotation would court system lasted up until just after enclosures,work by wheat in the first year, beans in the next year when it was no longer necessary. and fallow in the third year. In Youthorpe in 1777, the Think of the consequences of a farming systemthree fields were actually called Wheat Field, Bean with no field boundaries. Each farmer, tenant orField and Fallow Field. As no artificial fertilizers were copyholder would need to know the extent of hisused, fertility would have depended on the rest year land, and for the open fields each would help with theof fallow, with help by manuring from livestock, and communal farming effort in growing and harvestingthe legume (beans) supplying nitrogen. On the Wolds of crops. If each person kept livestock, and theythe wheat may have been changed to barley, and on wandered into the open fields growing the main cropsthe poorer, thinner, chalk soils a two-year rotation of for the village, then the rest of the village would beBarley and fallow was commonly adopted. Malting very annoyed with the damage.barleys may have also been grown on the Wolds to Today we take for granted the central government,supply the ever-rising local brewery industry in places which builds our roads, looks after the old or sick,like Malton, Pocklington and Sherburn. Sheep were enforces law and order with a national police force. Inalso very important at the time, with most of the dale those days there was none of this; they had to do it forsides being used for sheep grazing and many sheep themselves. The parish maintained the roads; the sickwalks being listed in the old records.The existence of and infirm were looked after in Poor Houses (Bishopcommon rights of grazing and reaping for the whole Wilton had one located in the village green near thevillage necessitated bylaws to ensure all members of beck). There was a constable who maintained law andthe community had a fair share.order and chased away vagabonds and vagrants whoEnclosures were taking place in the area in the may become a burden on Parish. seventeenth century and voluntary enclosures did The court met each year; for example, in 1743 theoccur mainly to the South of the village in 1726 Court Leet met and elected the following: (see enclosure map), but the main parliamentary Jury (all sworn): Thomas Stilburn, John Hood,enclosure for the area occurred in 1772 (the first page John Whip, William Whip, Robert Turner, Richardof the 1769 Act for Bishop Medd, James Johnson, Henry Foster, WilliamWilton is shown opposite), Holliday, Michael Richardson, William Wood,when the open fields were George Harper, Roger Skelton. enclosed, and the landscape Byelawmen: John Hood, John Whip, Jameswe now see today was Johnson, Henry Foster, Robert Turner established. The names of Constables: Thomas Easingwold, Rogerthe fields mentioned in the Skelton act includes South Field, Pindar: Thomas Whip (A pindar was the personWind Mill Field, North Field, responsible for controlling straying livestockWest Field, or Low Field, which may damage the crops of the open fieldsIngs, North Cliff, South system) Cliff, Sheep Wold, or Greta 30 BULLETIN 3'