Source A

A clergyman identifies some major economic grievances. The author had been chaplain to Protector Somerset.

See how rich men, especially sheep owners, oppress the King’s subjects by enclosing the common pasture and filling it with their sheep. How many sheep they have! Yet when was wool so expensive, or mutton so great a price? If this goes on, the people will die of cold or starve to death. For these greedy wolves will either sell their wool and their sheep at their own high price, or else not at all. Other men buy up houses, even whole villages, and then allow them to fall into ruin and decay.

Thomas Becon, The Jewel of Joy, 1547–4s8

Source B

This is an extract from instructions sent by Protector Somerset’s leading economic adviser to his commissioner,s who are enquiring into recent enclosures. He distinguishes between good and bad enclosures.

The word ‘enclosure’ is not taken when a man doth enclose and hedge his proper ground, where no man hath common land. This is very beneficial to the common wealth; it is a cause of great increase of wood. It is instead meant thereby when any man hath taken away and enclosed other men’s common land, or pulled down houses of husbandmen, and converted the lands from tillage to pasture. This is the meaning of this word, and we pray you to remember it.

John Hales, leader of the Coventry enclosure commission, 1548

Source C

This imaginary discussion about enclosures is between a doctor, a husbandman and a knight. It was written by a supporter of Protector Somerset.  

Husbandman: These enclosures do undo us all. All is taken up for pastures and grazing of cattle; and where 40 persons had their livings, now one man and his shepherd has all. By these enclosures men do lack livings and be idle. Moreover, all things are so dear that by their daily labour they are not able to live.

Doctor: I think enclosure be the occasion of those wild and unhappy uproars among us; for by reason of these enclosures, many of the king’s subjects have no ground to live upon.

Knight: Experience shows enclosures should be profitable and not hurtful to the commonwealth; for we see that counties where there are most enclosures are wealthy, like Essex, Kent and Devonshire, while tenants in common are not good farmers.

Sir Thomas Smith, A Discourse of the Common Weal of This Realm of England, 1549

Source D

This extract from the demands of the Norfolk rebels shows their views on enclosures.

1. We pray your grace that where it is enacted for forbidding enclosing that it be not hurtful to such as have enclosed saffron grounds, for they are very expensive, and that from henceforth no man shall enclose any more.
2. We pray your grace that no lord of the manor shall keep animals upon the commons.
3. We pray that vicars shall purchase no more lands, but rent their lands to tenants, as in the first year of Henry VII [1485].
4. We pray that grassland and meadow ground be at such a price as in the first year of Henry VII.
5. We pray that tenants pay rents as they did in the first year of Henry VII.

Kett’s demands being in Rebellion, 1549

Source E

A modern historian gives his view on the causes of economic problems during the Mid-Tudor period.

There was rapid inflation in Henry VIII’s reign caused at least partially by his currency debasements and foreign expeditions. By 1548 a basketful of family purchases cost almost twice its 1475 price. Between 1548 and 1550 the cost had risen by an extra 62% on top of this. As prices went up, so did rents. The Norfolk rebels had some reason to look back to the 1480s as a golden age before inflation and high rents began. In the 1540s, landlords tried to pass on as many of their financial obligations as possible. Rackrenting was felt to be a long-standing grievance in Norfolk.

A. Fletcher, Tudor Rebellions, 1968

Glossary:

Doctor: an educated academic
Husbandman: in status below a yeoman, one who farms to support himself and his family and who may engage in paid work for larger owners.
Knight: lord of the manor