Pastoral farming in south-east England in the fifteenth century

In many parts of fifteenth-century England landlords cut down on their labour costs by turning from arable to pastoral farming. But this pastoral expansion did not occur uniformly throughout the century or throughout the nation. In parts of east Devon, the rural economy had become almost exclusively pastoral during the course of the fourteenth century, and this process was merely accentuated in the fifteenth century.' In Warwickshire, on the other hand, the move away from arable farming did not really begin until the mid-fifteenth century, when graziers began to respond to an increasing demand for meat, especially beef.2 In the north-west Derbyshire uplands pastoral expansion began as late as I485, after a pronounced mid-century slump.3 No general picture, therefore, can emerge until more regional studies have been undertaken. South-east England is a particularly interesting region to study, since it includes both rich arable lands and excellent pasture within the coastal marshes. The success or failure of the pastoral economy, however, within any particular region, depends only partly on the kinds of pasture available and the use that farmers chose to make of them. Sheep in particular were very susceptible to murrain and their profitability depended on immunity to disease as well as the fluctuating demand for wool and cloth. But sheep, like cattle and pigs, were also valued as meat and in each case their sale depended on the number and the taste of the consumers. Thus the most important factor leading to a successful pastoral economy was the health of both domestic and foreign markets.