Smallholding

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Smallholding
Posts: 3
Joined: 10 Feb 2020, 13:49

Smallholding

Post by Smallholding »

Hello!

I'm an author and journalist working on a memoir (for publication in spring next year) that looks at my family's experience of starting a smallholding, amongst other things. It's very much a personal story rather than a historical or journalistic look at the topic but, as I write, I am keen to weave our contemporary experience in with some broader understanding of the smallholding's place in agricultural history.

I have some trips to the British Library planned but would be grateful and interested for any recommended reading - books, journal articles, blogs and the like. If anyone has an particular expertise in this area and would have time to answer some questions on the phone or via email, I'd hugely value this. I'd like to spend a couple of years researching this topic in depth but with the actual smallholding to run, a book to write and the publisher wanting a first draft in June I'm up against it a little and some signposting would be enormously helpful!

Thanks in advance.

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webweaver
Posts: 57
Joined: 25 Jun 2017, 09:54

Re: Smallholding

Post by webweaver »

Hi Smallholding
It would probably be useful if you could say when your family started the smallholding. There are lots of items that touch on (or are entirely about) smallholdings in our online library, LIBRAL, so that would be a good place to start.
Webweaver

Alan Wadsworth
Posts: 46
Joined: 26 Jun 2017, 11:04

Re: Smallholding

Post by Alan Wadsworth »

Which county are you focusing on?

Alan

Smallholding
Posts: 3
Joined: 10 Feb 2020, 13:49

Re: Smallholding

Post by Smallholding »

Thanks @webweaver
webweaver wrote:
10 Feb 2020, 17:22
Hi Smallholding
It would probably be useful if you could say when your family started the smallholding. There are lots of items that touch on (or are entirely about) smallholdings in our online library, LIBRAL, so that would be a good place to start.
Webweaver
webweaver wrote:
10 Feb 2020, 17:22

We started our smallholding just three years ago, but I'm interested in the evolution of the concept of a smallholding within British agricultural history.

Smallholding
Posts: 3
Joined: 10 Feb 2020, 13:49

Re: Smallholding

Post by Smallholding »

Alan Wadsworth wrote:
10 Feb 2020, 17:34
Which county are you focusing on?

Alan
Hi Alan, we're in England and so it makes sense to focus on the UK, but the book will be sold internationally and so I'm interested in how our understanding of the smallholding has compares and contrasts with interesting examples globally too. There's nothing I *need* to cover per se, more that the more I can understand how smallholding has fit/does fit into a broader social/historical/ideological context the better!

Alan Wadsworth
Posts: 46
Joined: 26 Jun 2017, 11:04

Re: Smallholding

Post by Alan Wadsworth »

You would find it useful to start with the Smallholdings Act 1892 and subsequent Acts.

The various County Councils adopted the powers of the Act at different rates - which is why I asked which county you are in. The minutes of the relevant County Council committee in your local record office should give you an idea of how quickly and to what extent things started in your area.

Alan

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webweaver
Posts: 57
Joined: 25 Jun 2017, 09:54

Re: Smallholding

Post by webweaver »

Also, filter for 'small' in the 'Find articles' in Agricultural History Review (BAHS site > Search > Find articles...). There are some articles about smallholding.

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