Hard Times at Little Baldon? - Provided by John Wright
Even before the Enclosure Act of 1840, various attempts had been made to enclose land then held in common under the strip system of agriculture. One such attempt was made in at Little Baldon, which, in the Middle Ages was a thriving community second only to Marsh Baldon (in 1377 it had 25 poll taxpayers among its inhabitants.)
In 1612 one, Lewis Pollard, completed the enclosure of Little Baldon which was of substantial acreage. He was thwarted at first by Daniel Danvers, Lord of Marsh Baldon Manor who tore down the enclosures but Pollard was successful two years later when Danvers died without preventing permanent enclosure.
The land enclosed was then largely used as pasture thus depriving commoners of their livelihoods and creating depopulation as a consequence. A map of 1797 shows little more than one farmhouse in Little Baldon.
So what became of the earlier inhabitants and what hardships did they endure!
Acknowledgments Victoria County History