The weekly miner. [volume] (Butte, Mont.) 1878-1881, 1879-12-09
ENGLAND's OLD NOBILITY.
How the Great Land-Opners Obtain
Their Estates.

The London Echo has been publishing an
interesting series of articles entitled Sour Old
Nobility" in which the growth of the noble
families of England has been portrayed. In a
concluding article the writer thus sums up
his views.
In 100 chapters l have briefly sketched the
agrarlan history of a majority OF our most
notable aristocratic houses. In my selections
1 have not been guided mainly by the great
ness of their positions, but rather by their
historical interest or present prominence.
Thus 1 have included some like the Erskines
and Fanes, whose estates are small, and have
altogether omitted peers like Lord Tredegar.
with over 10000 acres, and Lord Penrhyn,
with a ~rent-roll of 100000. l have dealt in
all with 122 mobiles, owing in round numbers
nearly $500, 900 of acres, with a ~rent-roll Of
nearly f5, 100000 an average ownership of
5000 acres, and an average rent-roll of over
f46, 900. 1t certainly has not been my object
to seek out examples of what, for want of a
better word, 1 will call the illegitimate
acquisition of landed property. Yet the re-
suit is that those who can claim that they
have obtained their lands by money solely
acquired in commercial or professional pur-
suits are singularly few-perhaps about a
dozen in all. Compared with other people
we are a landless nation, and we are a land
ess nation in consequence of continued en-
croachment upon the rights our ancient fore
fathers possessed. Throughout the reigns of
the Hanoverian Kings landowners Parlia-
ments were constantly passing Enclosure acts,
desirable for the most part, with a view to
increase production, but resulting in the
appropriation of between 7,000,0 600 and S,O00,-
600, Of common land, of which the common
people retain but a very small portion-not
more than 10000 acres in all. Occasionally
l have been able to point out where vast
estates have been increased by these acts
but generally it has been impossible to obtain
exact information.
1t is worthy of note that anclently the
lavish grant of the Crown were checked by
the power of resumption. Most of the vast
estates seized and retained by William the
Conqueror were disipated by William Rufus
who was compelled subsequently to resume
the grant which he made. About the middle
of last century the grasping averice of one Of
the Lowthers, in attempting to obtain fol
himself a large tract of Crown lands, which
had been previously granted to the Bentincks
occasioned the passing of what is known as
the Nullus Tempus act, which secured the
grantees of Crown lands against any resump-
ton of their proprities. 1t is obviously i'm.
possible to reckon up acre by acre the quantity
of land which has at various times beer
obtained otherwise than by purchase. The
agrarian history of many great houses is
complicated by the acquisition of property by
marriage. l have, however, traced the
previous history OF such lands in a sufficient
number to show that we may safely presume
that. as a rule, they have been acquired II
much the same way as the rest. After a care
full consideration of all the houses | hav'
noticed, bear in mind the modern inc!osur'
act, and the increased value Of lands due t.
the improvements of tenants, l capnot bu
arrive at the conclusion that one-tenth OF the
estates in question have been acquired to
value received. All the rest, in one way O.
another has been obtained for nothing.