Volume I - Little Baddow History Centre

within the precincts of the Leet and Manor aforesaid…” By 1723 Parsonage common
seems to have been entirely enclosed, mainly by Robert Clarke of Riffhams, with the
consent of the Barringtons and their courts. A temporary enclosure was allowed at
the 1665 court to Edmund Butler, tenant of the Hall, to enclose with posts and bars
not more than one rood of waste next to the barn at the Hall for the better
conservation of the barn, the enclosure to continue until the next court but not beyond.
The condition of the High common is revealed by a military report of 1797 (when it
was proposed to establish an army camp there) which stated that it was covered with
“Furzes and the roots of Brushwood” and that it was somewhat “Springy and Rotten”,
which might be remedied by clearing the roots and furze “that prevent the Water from
running off and the Sun and wind having their due effect upon a soil naturally dry”.
In 1760 Lord Barrington agreed to a request by the majority of his tenants who had
rights on the waste that the High common should be enclosed and it was suggested
that the Bailiff, Isaac Pledger, should assign a portion to each tenant, to be held at a
yearly rent of 6d. an acre. This scheme was agreed to by all the tenants “except Old
Campion who refused and there ended the project”. Another abortive scheme was
drawn up in 1773 by which the lord was to have 100 acres of High common and the
poor 10 acres (later changed to 80 acres and 30 acres) while the remaining 59 acres,
20 acres on Wickhay green and various other pieces about the manors were to be
divided amongst the tenants at about 4 acres each. This was “so opposed by the
Lower Class, that nothing did, nor has ever taken place.”
Sketch shown
Finally in 1810 John Strutt and his son, the Major-General, with their stewards, T. and
G.W. Aylmer, came to an agreement with the twelve copy-hold tenants of Tofts
manor (of whom the Major-General was one). Wickhay green was to be divided into
14 portions (in the event only 12) and Tofts’ share of High common, with a few other
small pieces, also into 14 portions. The twelve copyholders were to have 2 portions
each, and the remaining portions, including Whitlocks green (Loves green), were to
be sold to defray expenses. A person was to be chosen to make the division and “set
out what Hedges and ditches shall be made by each Lot” and to determine the
“necessary Roads and Ways to the several Lots”, these to be paid for by the tenants if
the money from the sale were insufficient. All the new roads were to be the property
of the lord. Portions were to be drawn by lot and the remaining pieces sold by auction
to the copyholders on the day of the drawing of lots. The tenants were to pay 1s. an
acre rent annually for their portions and a fine (payment) on entry.
John Strutt was somewhat apprehensive of trouble from some of the tenants and wrote
to T. Aylmer in March 1810 “On the common you may recollect there grows much
brush-wood which is cut for firewood and I suppose ought to be the sole property of
the tenants of the Manor but of late years all who reside in the parish have cut the
wood at what time and in what manner suited their convenience without control –
Another matter strikes me, may not the Freehold Tenants object.” G.W. Aylmer
replied that “If the copyholders are the only tenants entitled to commonage and they
all consent to the division among themselves there will be nobody left to dispute the
decision: if the free tenants also have rights of common and they do not consent,
there will be persons to complain of an enclosure not leaving sufficient common for
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