17th Century Almanac for March – open fields & enclosure
The 17th Century almanac for March – the month of ‘many weathers’, Celtic saints and Spring crops. It was a month of hard agricultural labour, of ploughing and sowing the great open fields and acre strips. March was also a time of cold, want and hunger. A month of Lenten fast.
Enclosure broke up and hedged in the open fields and commons. It led to riot and rebellion, the Midland Revolt and Western Rising. But enclosure also heralded an Agricultural Revolution that fed the swelling towns and cities. It was a harsh but essential precursor to Britain’s Industrial Revolution.
Early Modern Agriculture – open fields, commons & crofts
In the 17th Century, much of central England was still farmed in a medieval manorial manner. Entire parishes worked collectively, farming ‘in common’. The land was generally divided into three large open fields, meadows, commons, woods and crofts. The three fields were sub-divided into strips and farmed in crop rotation. Land farmed in this way was known as ‘champion country’.
In theory, each field strip was an acre of land. It was 220 yards long (equivalent to 40 rods or one eighth of an English mile). This was the distance a pair of oxen could drag a plough through the ground in one draw before they needed to pause. It was known as an ‘acre length’ or furlong – literally a ‘furrow-length’. Each strip was 22 yards wide (four rods or one chain). This is still the length of a cricket wicket today.
Within the crop rotation, the first and most important field was sown with winter wheat or rye. This was the key cash crop, the crop that provided wheat to make bread to feed rich and poor alike. The second field was planted with spring crops, a mixture of barley, rye, peas and beans. The last field was left fallow to be grazed and dunged by sheep and allowed to recover before being sown with wheat the following autumn.
Cattle grazed collectively on the meadows in spring before moving to the poorer commons over the summer months. The meadows and headlands were turned over to make hay for winter feed in early summer. The woods provided fuel and raw material for manufacturing everything from ships to spindles and spoons. Each cottage occupied a half-acre croft that included barn or byre, garden and farm yard.
Enclosure – Captain Pouch, riot & Agricultural Revolution
Today, only the Nottinghamshire village of Laxton is still farmed as open fields and acre strips. The great fields of every other champion country parish in England have been broken up by acts of enclosure. The result is the patchwork of smaller fields we know today and think of as an English landscape. It is believed that enclosure resulted in the planting of over one million miles of hedges in England.
Enclosure forced many off the land and into the cities to find work. The fields and commons were broken up and sold off or rented to those that could afford them. The smaller farms that emerged needed fewer farm labourers to work the land.
The process of enclosure accelerated in the 1600s. It coincided with over population, falling living standards and falling life expectancy across rural as well as urban parishes. Protest and riot followed in both town and country. This included ‘Captain Pouch’s’ Midland Revolt or Newton Rebellion of 1607 and the Western Rising of 1630-32.
But harsh as enclosure was, it did bring experimentation and greater productivity. The Agricultural Revolution that followed was essential to feeding the expanding cities of the industrial revolution. As Thomas Tusser himself said of champion country and open fields, ‘what is everybody’s care is nobody’s care’.
17th Century Life & Farm Labour in March – spring crops sown.
March was the month when the ground had to be prepared for the spring crops. This meant ploughing last year’s wheat field one more time, often in wet, heavy soil and bitter cold. The field was then sown.
The new sown crops had to be protected from hungry birds until covered by harrowing. This was done by boys with sticks. They must have frozen, standing in the big open fields on a cold windy March day.
We now understand the importance of beans as a crop that fixes nitrogen, helping to restore the soil after wheat. However, beans were not universally planted. In those ‘champion country’ villages that were still farmed as open fields, each cottager could choose which spring crops he grew on his strips.
The winter wheat and fallow fields were farmed collectively, ‘in common’. However, it was individual choice to grow peas, beans or spring grains – barley, oats or dredge (a mix of both). As a result, this field would have consisted of a patchwork of crops in strips.
Celtic Saints & Lenten Fast – St David, St Piran & St Patrick
In the 17th Century, March was very much a month of saints’ days and Lenten fast. St David’s Day was and is marked on the 1st of March. The 5th of March is the feast of St Piran, the first of the Cornish saints. St Patrick’s Day follows closely behind on the 17th with celebrations across the globe today.
St Gregory’s Day on the 12th of March was the day when cattle were moved off the meadows, to let the hay crop grow. They were moved onto the commons where they were fed what was left of the old hay to supplement the poorer grazing.
By March, most householders had little or no fresh meat or vegetables left after winter. It was a time of Lenten fast. For those that could afford them, the arrival of fresh herring and mackerel off the coast must have been a blessing.
Vernal Equinox – lambs, calves, hops, herbs & Spring gales
March the 20th marks the Vernal Equinox and first day of spring. This is the moment when the sun crosses the equator, when day and night are of equal length. It is traditionally a time of turbulence and storm in this month of ‘many weathers’.
This was also the start of lambing and of calving in the fields. Any calves born before the full Lenten Moon were kept on the croft and raised by the farmer’s wife. She was also expected to till and plant her garden with herbs, and set hops for brewing.
Lady Day – old Julian New Year & new Financial Year
March the 25th was Lady Day. This was a quarter day, a day when rents were due. It also marked New Year’s Day for most people in England, Ireland, Wales and the colonies in the 1640s. Although by the 1600s Scotland and Europe celebrated the new year on the 1st of January, the Gregorian Calendar was not adopted across Great Britain and its colonies until 1752.
One hangover from this is our financial year which starts and ends at the end of March. It is extraordinary to think that the world’s financial markets, trade and business all still run on a medieval calendar.
Lunar Eclipse, Biodynamics & a Lenten Blood Moon
In the 17th Century, the moon dictated the farming year. Thomas Tusser reminds us, in his Five Hundred Points of Husbandry, that any planting or sowing should be done on a new or waxing moon. Today, we call this biodynamics.
This year, a lunar eclipse will occur over the northern hemisphere on 14 March. This will coincide with the full Lenten Moon. The Earth’s shadow will turn the full moon red. It will be a ‘Blood Moon’. The eclipse will be at its darkest over UK at 06:19 in the morning, low on the western horizon, just before moonset.
Solar Eclipse & New Moon – Egg Moon, Holy Month & Eid
For those who still follow the old cycles, the new Egg Moon will rise on 29 March. Its rising will mark Eid al-Fitr and the end of Ramadan, the Holy Month of fasting, prayer and reflection across the Islamic world. Sadly for Gaza, Lebanon and the West Bank, the celebrations will be amongst destruction and loss.
If this were not enough, we will also experience a partial solar eclipse on 29 March. This will see almost half of the sun obscured by the new moon. This eclipse will be at its maximum over UK just after 11:00 in the morning of Saturday 29 March. Catch it if you can.
The Stars & Galen’s Humours – Red Mars & choleric Aries
March is the month of Aries, the ram. Those born under its fiery nature were said to have a choleric temperament. Of a hot and dry humour, they were thought to tend to towards being lean, strong limbed, swarthy and intemperate.
Red Mars will follow bright Jupiter high across the evening sky throughout March. They will be joined later in the month by a super bright Venus low on the eastern horizon just before dawn.
End of First English Civil War – Truro & Stow-on-the-Wold
Finally, March is the month that marks the end of the First English Civil War. It saw the surrender of the King’s last two field armies. On the 15th of March 1646, Sir Ralph Hopton accepted defeat and surrendered to Sir Thomas Fairfax and the New Model Army at Tresillian Bridge, outside Truro, in Cornwall.
Less than a week later, on the 21st of March 1646, Sir William Brereton cornered and defeated Sir Jacob Astley’s last army at Stow-on-the-Wold. A year later, on 15th March 1647, Harlech Castle surrendered as the last Royalist stronghold on the mainland of Great Britain. Sadly, this failed to bring peace. The Second Civil War erupted two years later, in February 1648.
Follow & Read More of the 17th Century Almanac
Whether you chose to sow your plot with beans, peas or oats, I wish you success. Spring is sprung. As ever, if this post is not the full acre you wished for, please tell me what is lacking.
I will post more of the 17th Century Almanac, next month. Each article discusses a topic of interest, such as 17th Century Climate Change and conflict, as well as annual activity in Early Modern Britain for that month. If you would like to receive email notification of the next post, click the button to follow.
17th Century History – articles, maps & events
In the meantime, this website includes articles and pages about life in 17th Century Britain, Europe and the Americas at Historical Notes and Maps. These include notes and pages on the impact of the Little Ice Age and The General Crisis of the 17th Century. They include articles on the English Revolution and Great Rebellion. They also include historical notes on the English Revolution and the Great Rebellion, as well as Pike and Shot Warfare and battles of the English Civil War.
You can also find more posts on Early Modern history, Living History and re-enactment at News & Blogs. You may also wish to read about the English Civil War history talks and battlefield walks I give.
Divided Kingdom – English Civil War historical fiction
The 17th Century almanac blog posts provide a backdrop and set the scene for the Divided Kingdom books. This historical fiction series is set in Early Modern Britain during the English Civil War. These posts are part of their backstory.
The Divided Kingdom books take a fresh approach. They are not based on a single hero. They do not take sides. Their voices – ordinary men and women – face each other in the chaos of Britain in civil war. They are both relatable and sharply relevant today. They are also as historically accurate as is possible.
Please do check out some of the writing at Divided Kingdom Books, including book tasters and a FREE ebook short story.
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