ECONOMIC HISTORY.
In 1086 there were 4
servi and 3 ploughs on the demesne of Durand of
Gloucester's manor. (fn. 16) In 1460 the demesne of the
chief manor included c. 140 a. of arable leased
among the tenants in small parcels, c. 60 a. of
meadow, and c. 35 a. of pasture. (fn. 17) The demesne of
the FitzHerbert manor in 1286 comprised 109 a.
of arable, 10 a. of meadow, and several pasture; it
was cultivated mainly by the labour-services of the
tenants, which included ploughing, mowing, and
reaping. (fn. 18) The demesne of Llanthony Priory's
manor comprised 2½ yardlands and 90 a. in the
early 13th century. (fn. 19)
The tenants of Durand's manor in 1086 were 9
villani and 11 bordars with 9 ploughs. (fn. 20) On the
FitzHerbert manor in 1286 there were 3¼ yardlands
held by customary tenure, 3 bondmen, and 4 cottars. (fn. 21) The rent of the customary tenants on the chief
manor amounted to c. £10 in 1460, and there were
also some free tenants. (fn. 22) In the early 13th century
Llanthony Priory's manor had one tenant holding
2½ yardlands, another with ½ yardland, and 6 holding
fardels; (fn. 23) in 1540 the manor had 5 copyhold tenants
holding houses and land, who owed herring-silver
and payments instead of eggs. (fn. 24)
Eight open fields were mentioned in 1460: the
largest were apparently Leigh field north-east of
Haresfield village, Downhill field south-east of the
village, Broad field between the village and Parkend,
and Windmill field; there were also Wood field,
Caldew field, Engle field, and Oak field, and there
was some arable on the top of Haresfield Hill. A
three-course rotation was then being followed. The
main common meadow was Rodmore Meadow in the
extreme west of the parish; it covered over 32 a.,
and other meadow land lay in the same area. (fn. 25)
The main common pasture was presumably, as
later, in Broadbarrow Green on Haresfield Hill;
in the late 18th century the pasture, which was
unstinted, covered c. 200 a. (fn. 26) Sheep were mentioned
in an early-14th-century tithe agreement. (fn. 27) A new
sheep-house was to be added to the farm buildings
of the chief manor in 1502, (fn. 28) and was presumably
the building referred to in 1590. (fn. 29) In 1713 one small
farm had a flock of 87 sheep. (fn. 30)
Inclosure apparently proceeded piecemeal during
the 17th and 18th centuries. Some of the glebe land
in Leigh field and in North field, a field to the northeast of Parkend mentioned from 1572, (fn. 31) was inclosed
between 1612 and 1705, (fn. 32) and 10 a. inclosed out of
Leigh field were mentioned in 1654. (fn. 33) Exchanges of
land in Downhill field and North field in 1706, and
in Broad field in 1750 were presumably the preliminary to inclosures. (fn. 34) An Act for inclosure was passed
in 1812 and an award had apparently been drawn
up and implemented by 1815, (fn. 35) but because of the
delay by some of the proprietors in paying their
shares of the expenses the award did not officially
take effect until 1831. (fn. 36) Under the award (which
affected the whole parish including Harescombe
tithing) over 50 proprietors received allotments, the
re-allotted land including many old inclosures. (fn. 37)
Wheat, barley, and beans were being grown in
1713. (fn. 38) The parish was described as mainly pasture
and orchard c. 1775, producing cheese and cider of
the best quality. (fn. 39) Orchards had been a feature of the
parish since the early 14th century when an agreement was made about the tithing of apples, pears,
and cider, (fn. 40) and there were said to be many orchards
in 1624. (fn. 41) In 1795 324 a. were returned as sown
mainly with wheat, beans, and barley, and with some
peas. (fn. 42) A small acreage of potatoes was recorded in
1801. (fn. 43)
In 1813 the Niblett estate, which included most of
the parish between Broadbarrow Green and the
Bristol road, had 191 a. of arable out of a total of
1,086 a. (fn. 44) In 1815 the main farms in Haresfield and
Parkend tithings were Parkend Lodge (195 a.),
Oakey farm (171 a.), Chestnut farm (113 a.), and
Round House farm (107 a.), which were entirely
or almost entirely pasture, and Mount farm (135 a.),
the farm at Lower Green (173 a.), and Malthouse
farm (136 a.), which each had 30-50 a. arable. (fn. 45)
In 1856 there were 16 farms in the parish. (fn. 46) After
1947 only 4 of c. 13 farms on the Haresfield Court
estate (which also included most of Colethrop) (fn. 47)
were rented; most of the land was kept in hand
and farmed from the Court. Much pasture land was
ploughed up, and in 1967 the estate supported
dairying and corn-growing in roughly equal parts. (fn. 48)
In 1967 much of the former meadow land belonging
to Oakey farm in the west of the parish was under
crops.
Five potters were paying rent to Haresfield manor
in 1086. (fn. 49) A carpenter and a tailor were recorded in
1327. (fn. 50) In 1608 the inhabitants included two carpenters, a smith, a tailor, 3 weavers, a thatcher, and
a man described as a fish-carrier. (fn. 51) Other weavers
were recorded in 1767 and 1808. (fn. 52) Masons were
mentioned in 1655 and 1804, (fn. 53) and blacksmiths in
1674 and 1781. (fn. 54) In 1831 35 families were supported
by trade, and 84 by agriculture. (fn. 55) In the mid 19th
century the parish had a shoemaker, a cooper, and,
until 1889, a blacksmith. A firm of woollen dyers
was based in the parish in 1870 but was not recorded
in 1879. (fn. 56) A malt-house in the parish was mentioned
in 1690, (fn. 57) and in the early 19th century there was one
near the Cross; (fn. 58) another presumably gave its name
to Malthouse Farm.
There was a mill at Haresfield in 1275 when a
third share of it, belonging to John of Ashton, was
in the king's hands because of John's default in a
case in the king's court. (fn. 59) No later record of a mill
in the parish has been found before the early 20th
century when there was a water-mill, used for grinding corn, at Haresfield Court; the single wheel of
the mill survived in 1967 but had not been used for
many years. (fn. 60)