U N I V E R S I T Y O F O X F O R D Discussion Papers in Economic and Social History Number 26, Nov. 1998 AN ARDUOUS AND UNPROFITABLE UNDERTAKING: THE ENCLOSURE OF STANTON HARCOURT, OXFORDSHIRE1 DAVID STEAD Nuffield College, University of Oxford 1 I owe much to criticism and suggestion from Simon Board, Tracy Dennison, Charles Feinstein, Michael Havinden, Avner Offer, and Leigh Shaw-Taylor. The paper also benefited from comments at the Economic and Social History Graduate Workshop, Oxford University, and my thanks to the participants. None of these good people are implicated in the views expressed here. For efficient assistance with archival enquiries, I am grateful to the staff at the Bodleian Library, Oxford University (hereafter Bodl.), Oxfordshire Archives (OA), the House of Lords Record Office (HLRO), West Sussex Record Office (WSRO), and the Department of Archives and Manuscripts, Reading University. I thank Michael Havinden, John Walton, and the Warden and Fellows of All Souls College for permitting citation of material. Financial assistance from the Economic and Social Research Council is gratefully acknowledged. Discussion Papers in Economic and Social History are edited by: James Foreman-Peck St. Antony’s College, Oxford, OX2 6JF Jane Humphries All Souls College, Oxford OX1 4AL Susannah Morris Nuffield College, Oxford OX1 1NF Avner Offer Nuffield College, Oxford, OX1 1NF David Stead Nuffield College, Oxford, OX1 1NF papers may be obtained by writing to Avner Offer, Nuffield College, Oxford, OX1 1NF email:
[email protected] 2 Abstract This paper provides a case study of the parliamentary enclosure of Stanton Harcourt, Oxfordshire.