Enclosures

• Wolsey launched inquiries into illegal enclosure of land in 1517, 1518 and 1526.
• Many landowners were enclosing land without permission in order to bring in sheep farming. The result was that tenants were often driven off the land or had less land to live off.
• The inquiries achieved little but indicate that Wolsey at least took an interest in the problems of the poor.
• Ultimately, it was hard for Wolsey to cut across the rights of property owners. Once again Wolsey acted within the law.