The End of Manorial Tenure, 1841-1957

Book excerpt: This book reveals the neglected world of the English manorial tenure of the nineteenth and twentieth centuries. It is rooted in landmark legislation: the Enfranchisement of Copyholds Act of 1841, and the Law of Property Act of 1922. The latter still largely governs modern property law. The story did not end until the property of the last documented former manorial tenant was enfranchised in 1957. While the English manorial system is fundamental to understanding much medieval and early-modern history, little attention has been paid to its ability to contribute to our understanding of the modern world. This book establishes for the first time a protracted manorial property revolution in England after 1841, which lasted over 100 years. This story is a massive lacuna in the history of property, and not just in the countryside; the urban manorial tenant was also heavily present in the landscape. Property rights registration since 2002, coinciding with the shale gas fracking furore, has reawakened interest in this neglected aspect of legal history, and ensures that this book will be of interest to lawyers and historians alike.