b'Field Names from the 1726 Enclosure AwardPart 1Mike Pratt: Based on work done by Peter & Pat GospelLocal History WorkshopA t a workshop held in September 2004, PeterThe map that accompanies the 1772 Enclosure and Pat Gospel took on the task of transcribingAward was produced as a result of a survey of the field names that are given in the 1726 Enclosureall the land in the township of Bishop Wilton. Award onto cards with each card holding one fieldAs well as showing the field boundaries name, its acreage, the person to whom it had beenresulting from that parliamentary enclosure it awarded, and the field (or road or lane) that it wasalso shows the boundaries of the old Open adjacent to on each of its four sides. The idea beingFields, the former divisions of the pasture land that the cards could be positioned one with anotheron the Wolds and land that was called ancient in order to map out the South Field which was beingenclosed (i.e. enclosed in 1726 and before).enclosed. As things turned out there wasnt enough time on the day of the workshop so Peter and PatField was enclosed, as part of what was formerly took everything away and completed the task atcommon pasture on the South Cliff was also home. included. According to the award, the overall area of Background land enclosed was just over 432 acres. This article The 1726 enclosure of one of the three open fields,concentrates on the land to the east of the road to the South Field, was by voluntary agreement and thePocklington that was affected by the 1726 enclosure outcome, showing who got what, is documented inwhich includes one plot of ancient enclosed land, an Enclosure Award. There is no accompanying mapfurlongs that were already under cultivationbordering to this Award but we are fortunate that the map thatwhat is now Park Lane and part of the common accompanies the parliamentary enclosure of 1772pasture on the South Cliff. Based on the 1772 map shows the boundaries of the fields that resulted fromthis is represented below:the 1726 enclosure and who those fields belonged toThis diagram allows us to associate the old field at the time 1(see box). names with currently identifiable plots but it must It was usual for everyone in a township whobe remembered that the boundaries shown are the had land to cultivate to have a share in each of theenclosure boundaries not the boundaries of the old Open Fields, so we can assume that the majorityfurlongs to which the names apply.of the community was affected in 1726. However, it is possible that deals were done and land was exchanged such that only a certain number of individuals ended up with a sufficient share of the South Field that could be turned into a reasonably sized enclosed field.The enclosure of the South Field left only the two remaining open fields to be cultivated communally and there is documentary evidence that this proved problematic for those who had been used to a three-field system. Some time after 1726 representation had to be made to the lord of the manor to have a three-field system reinstated by subdividing the remaining North and West fields into threebut that is part of a different story!The field names used in the Award are of particular interest because they were the commonly used names given to the subdivisions of the South Field i.e.Observations the collection of parallel strips or selions that formed(starting top right and working round anti-clockwise):what was called a furlong. 1.Remington Close, which belonged to William Walgate in 1726, is an example of land that was Field NamesPart 1 already enclosed.Strictly speaking more than just the South2.East Gail Butts with Bernard Hills and a1 See Bishop Wilton Open Field System Prior To 1772 in Bulletin 3 for an overview of the map.BULLETIN 11 173'