Study Of English Leaseholders, C.1400-1700

As we all know, Medieval Britain is economically Agricultural Society which is mainly linked by the unique " feudal " relationship ties. Contrast to the modern society whose agriculture is market-oriented and whose society has non-identity level system, there are great differences between the two types of society. However, what we must point out is that from the Middle Ages to modern times, this change from rank identity to freedom is not suddenly unexpected. In this transition, the alteration of land property rights system plays a key role in the evolution from the traditional society to the modern society. In pace with the growth of free labor productivity and the formation of wealthy peasantry, the interaction of market economy, free society, individual forces and absolute nationalism promotes the decline of serfdom. At the same time, rent of land was converted from labor to money. In terms of land holding, currency Agriculture characterized in the individual ownership of land began to replace the manor Agriculture. Freeholding, copyholding and leaseholding appear and experience some changes, which gradually evolved into actually and relatively safe possession of land, and social groups, especially farmer groups who are closely bound to land are increasingly complex with differentiation occurring. Historians have tried to make sense of this extreme variety by defining two main types of lease: commercial lease characterized by short to medium term agreements(1 to 21 years), with rents set at market values, for which no entry fine was paid; beneficial leases held for long terms (21 years or more, or three lives) at low fixed rents, often with variable entry fines at the start of the contract which to some extent reflected market values. Under this background, Leaseholders, especially during around the 16th century, have been tried to make a breakthrough in their own development. On one hand, they have a close relationship with the traditional tenants, and even sometimes a farmer probably is both a copyholder and leaseholder; on the other hand, through leasing the land of landlords, they formed contractual relationship with their lords. At the beginning, this type of relationship has been tried to break through the barriers of rank identity. And the legal status of farmers in specific agricultural practices is to a higher degree of standardization. Compared with the small plots of land whose production guidance is traditional self-sufficient nature, the production guidance of larger leasing land is marketability. Both agricultural and livestock products are produced to meet the demand of the market, whose prices are subject to market. In the agricultural production and operation, Some of them gradually evolved into greater tenant farmers or so-called "agricultural capitalists", seeking more gains in the market, While there are also a large part of them swept away by the tide of market development disappearing in the past. However they are not only historical but also developing. With the robust growth of the leaseholder, their relative safety in land leasing grows also. Their rights to lease land continue to be protected, especially in common law, which are gradually included into the vision of legal protection. This change made the protection of rights and interests in leasing land experience a transformation from contract to property, and this specification and analysis of leasing land relationship promoted the development of the legal system of land, which is more close to the level of land development to meet the needs of the development of land system. In fact, during this period, a lot of beneficial leases were created. Beneficial leases indicates a fact that manor lords were cautious and careful in abandoning the traditional relationship. In leasing land, beneficial leases have been widely adopted, and until the 18th century or even the 19th century, this type of leasing land gradually extended to fade. The general theory that the lease contract in farming promote agricultural progress and the development of agrarian capitalism is clearly inaccurate or even misjudgment, and we must make a detailed analysis of the nature of the land leases. Nevertheless, this efforts of leaseholders in the spirit and substances to strive for land and independence is precious and important, especially in the terms of economic development and social transformation.