Leics Arable Acreage - 1801

Leicestershire Arable Acreage 1801

 

In 1801 as a result of the French wars the government was worried that there would be food shortages in the country. They asked all the rectors to enquire of the farmers which crops they were producing and the acreage for each one. There was some anxiety that the farmers would not be willing to give the information for fear of being asked to pay extra taxes. However it seems that the responses were fairly accurate. 

Grand total of arable acreage in 1801 for the 180 places covered in Leicestershire is 57,259

Wheat-15,832 (27.67%)

Barley-15,057 (26.2%)

Oats- 14,05 (2.4%)

Rye-    73 (0.12%)

Peas/Beans- 4,882 (8.5%)

Turnips -6,564 (11.4%)

Potatoes- 744 but mostly in gardens (1.2%)

 

Records for Barrow have been lost.

 

(*Quoted by WG. Hoskins in Leicestershire Agrarian History 1940. Leics Archaeological Society)