kids encyclopedia robot

General View of Agriculture county surveys facts for kids

Kids Encyclopedia Facts
Cover general view of the agriculture of Somerset
General View of the Agriculture of Somerset

The General View series of county surveys was an initiative of the Board of Agriculture of Great Britain, of the early 1790s. Many of these works had second editions, in the 1810s.

The Board, set up by Sir John Sinclair, was generally a proponent of enclosures.

England

County Title Year Author Comment
Bedfordshire General View of the Agriculture of the County of Bedford 1794 Thomas Stone Bedfordshire was noted for barley, but had some market gardening. Joan Thirsk comments that the conservatism noted in the reports for arable farming was overstated.
1808, 1813 Thomas Batchelor Included contributions by Charles Abbot. Batchelor observed the expansion of straw plaiting, carried out largely by women and children.
Berkshire General View of the Agriculture in Berkshire 1794 William Pearce
General View of the Agriculture of Berkshire 1809, 1813 William Fordyce Mavor
Buckinghamshire General View of the Agriculture of the County of Buckingham 1794 William James, Jacob Malcolm James and Malcolm were of Stockwell, according to the title page.
General View of the Agriculture of Buckinghamshire 1810 1813 St. John Priest, Richard Parkinson Priest wrote also Delectus Graecorum Sententiarum (1798). A Senior Wrangler, he was vicar of Scarning, and died in 1818. The title page mentions him as Secretary to the Norfolk Agricultural Society.
Cambridgeshire General View of the Agriculture in the County of Cambridge 1794 Charles Vancouver Vancouver and then Gooch listed 26 parishes where underdraining had been carried out as a land improvement.
1811, 1813 William Gooch William Gooch, A.B. was a cleric who signed the work in 1807 from Whatfield parsonage, Suffolk. Gooch, a neighbour and protégé of Arthur Young, was a curate there when brought in to revise the Cambridgeshire survey. Young then recommended him to John Upton, 1st Viscount Templetown as agent for Castle Upton, an appointment that had a poor outcome.
Cheshire General View of the Agriculture of the County Palatine of Chester 1794 Thomas Wedge
General View of the Agriculture of Cheshire 1808, 1813 Henry Holland Holland advocated for threshing machines, and paring and burning (a technique for bringing land into cultivation).
Cornwall General View of the Agriculture of the County of Cornwall 1794 Robert Fraser
1811 George Bouchier Worgan Worgan, who had fallen into financial difficulties, was given the task of revising the survey by Young, after Richard Parkinson and Humphry Davy had turned it down The report was worked over by Charles Penrose, the Rev. Robert Walker, and the Rev. Jeremiah Trist.
Cumberland General View of the Agriculture of the County of Cumberland John Bailey, George Culley Bailey was land agent to Charles Bennet, 4th Earl of Tankerville, at Chillingham Castle. -
Derbyshire General View of the Agriculture of the County of Derby 1794 Thomas Brown
General View of the Agriculture and Minerals of Derbyshire I (1811) II (1813) III (1817) John Farey, Sr.
Devon General View of the Agriculture of the County of Devon 1794 Robert Fraser
General View of the Agriculture of Devon 1808, 1809 Charles Vancouver The survey noted that pack horses, except in hilly areas, were being replaced by wagons and carts. In general the county's agriculture was not in period of rapid change.
Dorset General View of the Agriculture, in the County of Dorset 1793 John Claridge Claridge was of Craigs Court, London.
General View of the Agriculture of the County of Dorset 1812 William Stevenson
County Durham General View of the Agriculture of the County of Durham 1794 Joseph Granger Introduction by Sir William Appleby. Granger was a land surveyor at Heugh, near Durham.
1810 John Bailey
Essex General View of the Agriculture of the County of Essex 1794 Messrs. Griggs This was a short report of 29 pages. The Griggs were of Hill House, Kelvedon.
General View of the Agriculture in the County of Essex 1795 Charles Vancouver
General View of the Agriculture of the County of Essex I, II 1807 Arthur Young
Gloucestershire General View of the Agriculture of the County of Gloucester 1794 George Turner Turner was of Dowdeswell.
1807 Thomas Rudge
Hampshire General View of the Agriculture of the County of Hants 1794 Abraham and William Driver The authors were great-uncles of Robert Collier Driver, and were land agents and surveyors in Surrey. Included was Richard Warner, on the Isle of Wight.
General View of the Agriculture of Hampshire, Including the Isle of Wight 1810 Charles Vancouver
Herefordshire General View of the Agriculture of the County of Hereford 1794 John Clark It has been commented that Clark gave two pages to mistletoe, but had only a few words for Hereford cattle.
1805 John Duncumb
Hertfordshire General View of the Agriculture of the County of Hertford 1795 D. Walker
General View of the Agriculture of Hertfordshire 1804 Arthur Young -
Huntingdonshire General View of the Agriculture of the County of Huntingdon 1793 George Maxwell
1793 Thomas Stone??
General View of the Agriculture of the County of Huntingdon 1811 Richard Parkinson
Kent A General View of the Agriculture of the County of Kent 1786 John Boys
Lancashire General View of the Agriculture of the County of Lancaster 1794 John Holt
General View of the Agriculture of Lancashire 1815 Richard Watson Dickson
Leicestershire General View of the Agriculture of Leicester 1794 John Monk Monk reported on the sheep breeding of Robert Bakewell.
General View of the Agriculture of the County of Leicester 1819 (ODNB) William Pitt
Lincolnshire General View of the Agriculture of Lincoln 1794 Thomas Brace Stone
General View of the Agriculture of the County of Lincoln 1799 Arthur Young
General View of the Agriculture of the County of Lincolnshire Arthur Young
Middlesex General View of the Agriculture of the County of Middlesex 1793 Thomas Baird
1794 Peter Foot Surveyor of Dean Street, Soho, London.
1798, 1813 (2nd edition) John Middleton On the 1813 title page, Middleton is described as a land surveyor, and as farming at West Barns Farm, Merton, and Lambeth, Surrey.
Northamptonshire General View of the Agriculture of the County of Northampton 1809 (ODNB) William Pitt
General View of the Agriculture of the County of Northamptonshire James Donaldson
Northumberland General View of the Agriculture of the County of Northumberland John Bailey, George Culley
Norfolk General View of the Agriculture of the County of Norfolk 1794 Nathaniel Kent
1804, 1813 Arthur Young
Nottinghamshire General View of the Agriculture of the County of Nottingham 1794, reprinted 1798 Robert Lowe Robert Lowe, of Oxton, was High Sheriff of Nottinghamshire in 1802. Father of Rev. Robert Lowe (1780–1845), rector of Bingham, he was grandfather of Robert Lowe the Chancellor of the Exchequer.
Oxfordshire General View of the Agriculture of the County of Oxford 1794 Richard Davis
1809 Arthur Young
Rutland General View of the Agriculture of the County of Rutland 1794 John Crutchley
1808 Richard Parkinson
Shropshire General View of the Agriculture of the County of Salop 1794 John Bishton senior (ODNB)
General View of the Agriculture of Shropshire 1803 Peter Plough (collective pseudonym) Joseph Babington, John Stackhouse, Thomas Telford, Robert Townson and William Withering were involved in the compilation; also William Reynolds. The editor was Joseph Plymley, from 1804 Joseph Corbett.
1812 Joseph Plymley?
Somerset General View of the Agriculture in the County of Somerset John Billingsley Billingsley went to the antiquarian Richard Locke for information.
Staffordshire General View of the Agriculture of Stafford 1794 (ODNB) William Pitt
Suffolk General View of the Agriculture of the County of Suffolk 1794, 1797 Arthur Young
Surrey General View of the Agriculture of the County of Surrey 1794 William Malcolm
1809 William Stevenson
Sussex General View of the Agriculture of the County of Sussex 1793, 1808? (ODNB) Arthur Young (the Younger)
Warwickshire General View of the Agriculture of the County of Warwick 1794 John Wedge
General View of the Agriculture of Warwick 1815 Adam Murray
Westmorland General View of the Agriculture of Westmoreland 1794 Andrew Pringle
Wiltshire General View of the Agriculture of the County of Wiltshire 1794 Thomas Davis
Worcestershire General View of the Agriculture of the County of Worcester 1794 William Thomas Pomeroy
1813 (ODNB) William Pitt
Yorkshire, East Riding General View of the Agriculture of the East Riding of Yorkshire 1794 Isaac Leatham
1812 Henry Eustasius Strickland Strickland (1777–1865) was the youngest son of Sir George Strickland, 5th Baronet.
Yorkshire, North Riding General View of the Agriculture of the North Riding of Yorkshire 1794 John Tuke Tuke was a land surveyor of Lincroft, near York.
Yorkshire, West Riding General View of the Agriculture of the West Riding of Yorkshire 1794, 1799 Robert Brown, George Rennie, John Shirreff In 1794, the authors signed (p. 8) from Haddington, East Lothian.

Ireland

County Title Year Author Comment
King's County (now County Offaly) General View of the Agriculture and Manufactures of King's County 1801 Sir Charles Coote, 2nd Baronet Coote (1765–1857) was the illegitimate son of Charles Coote, 1st Earl of Bellomont.
Queen's County (now County Laois General View of the Agriculture and Manufactures of Queen's County Sir Charles Coote
County Wicklow General View of the Agriculture and Mineralogy, Present State and Circumstances of the County of Wicklow 1801 Robert Fraser

Scotland

Berwickshire map Lowe
Map from General View of the Agriculture of the County of Berwick (1794)
Eglinton Castle Bridge in 1811
Eglinton Castle Bridge, illustration from General View of the Agriculture of the County of Ayr (1811)
County Title Year Author Comment
Aberdeenshire General View of the Agriculture and Rural Economy of the County of Aberdeen 1794 James Anderson
General View of the Agriculture of Aberdeenshire 1811 George Skene Keith
Angus General View of the Agriculture of the County of Angus and Forfar 1794 George Dempster
A General View of the Agriculture of Angus 1794 James Roger Roger (1767–1849) was minister at Dunino and father of Charles Rogers.
General View of the Agriculture of the County of Angus, or Forfarshire 1813 James Headrick
Argyllshire General View of the Agriculture in the County of Argyll. And Western Part of Inverness-shire 1794 James Robson
General View of the Agriculture of the County of Argyll 1798 John Smith
Ayrshire General View of the Agriculture of the County of Ayr 1793 William Fullarton
1811 William Aiton
Banffshire General View of the Agriculture of the County of Banff 1794 James Donaldson
General View of the Agriculture of the County of Banff 1812 David Souter
Berwickshire General View of the Agriculture of the County of Berwick 1794 Alexander Lowe Appendix by Arthur Bruce of the Natural History Society of Edinburgh. The 1799 History of Berwick by John Fuller had its origins in a submission as the Berwickshire survey.
1808 Robert Kerr
Bute General View of the Agriculture of the County of Bute 1816 William Aiton
Caithness General View of the Agriculture of the County of Caithness 1812, 1815 John Henderson
Clackmannanshire General View of the Agriculture of the County of Clackmannan 1795 John Francis Erskine Erskine was of Marr.
Clydesdale General View of the Agriculture of the County of Clydesdale 1794, 1813 John Naismith
Dumbartonshire General View of the Agriculture in the County of Dumbarton 1794 David Ure
General View of the Agriculture of the County of Dumbarton 1811 Andrew Whyte, Duncan Macfarlan
Dumfriesshire General View of the Agriculture of the County of Dumfries 1794 Bryce Johnstone Johnstone was a minister at Holywood.
1812 William Singer
Fifeshire General View of the Agriculture of the County of Fife 1794 Robert Beatson of Pitteadie (1732–1815)
General View of the Agriculture of Fife 1800 John D. D. Thomson
Galloway General View of the Agriculture of Galloway, Comprehending... Kirkcudbright and... Wigton 1794 James Webster
General View of the Agriculture of Galloway 1806 (ODNB) Samuel Smith Smith (died 1816) was minister at Borgue, and was grandfather of Samuel Smith (1836–1906).
Hebrides General View of the Agriculture of the Hebrides, or Western Isles of Scotland James Macdonald Macdonald advocated the adoption of the potato as a staple of diet.
Central Highlands General View of the Agriculture of the Central Highlands of Scotland 1794 William Marshall
Inverness-shire General View of the Agriculture of the County of Inverness 1808 James Robertson
Kincardineshire General View of the Agriculture of the County of Kincardine 1795 James Donaldson
General View of Kincardineshire 1813 (ODNB) George Robertson
Kinross General View of the Agriculture of the County of Kinross 1797 David Ure
General View of the Agriculture of the Counties of Kinross and Clackmannan 1814 Patrick Graham
East Lothian General View of the Agriculture and Rural Economy of East Lothian 1794 George Buchan-Hepburn
General View of the Agriculture of East Lothian 1805 Robert Somerville
Midlothian General View of the Agriculture of the County of Mid Lothian 1793 (ODNB), 1794, 1795 George Robertson The 1795 Edinburgh edition contained "additional remarks of several respectable gentlemen and farmers in the country".
1812 Robert Bald Bald was a civil engineer.
West Lothian General View of the Agriculture of the County of West-Lothian 1794, 1811 James Trotter
Moray General View of the Agriculture of the County of Elgin or Moray 1794 James Donaldson
Nairn General View of the Agriculture of the County of Nairn 1794 James Donaldson
General View of the Agriculture of the Counties of Nairn and Moray 1813 William Leslie -
Orkneys General View of the Agriculture of the Orkney Islands 1814 John Shirreff
Peebleshire General View of the Agriculture of the County of Peebles, with Various Suggestions 1802 Charles Findlater
Perthshire General View of the Agriculture of the Carse of Gowrie, in the County of Perth 1794 James Donaldson
General View of the Agriculture in the Southern Districts of the County of Perth 1794 James Robertson
General View of the Agriculture in the County of Perth 1799 James Robertson
Renfrewshire General View of the Agriculture of the County of Renfrew Alexander Martin
General View of the Agriculture of Renfrewshire ... and an Account of its Commerce and Manufactures 1812 John Wilson
Ross and Cromarty General Survey of the Counties of Ross and Cromarty 1810 George Steuart Mackenzie
Roxburghshire General View of the Agriculture of the County of Roxburgh 1794 David Ure
General View of the Agriculture of the Counties of Roxburgh and Selkirk 1798 Robert Douglas The survey is considered partisan on the enclosure question.
Selkirkshire General View of the Agriculture of the County of Selkirk 1794 Thomas Johnston
Shetlands General View of the Agriculture of the Shetland Islands 1814 John Shirreff
Stirlingshire General View of the Agriculture of the County of Stirling 1796 R. Belsches
General View of the Agriculture of Stirlingshire 1812 Patrick Graham
Sutherland General View of the Agriculture of the County of Sutherland 1812 John Henderson
Tweedale General View of the Agriculture of the County of Tweedale 1794 Thomas Johnston

Wales

County Title Year Author Comment
North Wales General View of the Agriculture of North Wales 1794 George Kay
General View of the Agriculture and Domestic Economy of North Wales Walter Davies
South Wales General View of the Agriculture and Domestic Economy of South Wales Walter Davies
Anglesey 1794 (ODNB) George Kay
Brecknockshire General View of the Agriculture of the County of Brecknock 1794 John Clark Clark considered the local cattle to be poor.
Cardigan General View of the Agriculture of the County of Cardigan Thomas Lloyd, David Turnor Lloyd was Capt. Thomas Lloyd R.N. of Cilgwyn, a noted agricultural improver. Turnor was a clergyman, reclaimer of land, and founder of a Society for Encouragement of Agriculture.
Carmarthen General View of the Agriculture of the County of Carmarthen 1794 Charles Hassall Hassall was land steward on the Llanstinian estate.
Glamorgan General View of the Agriculture of the Country of Glamorgan 1796 John Fox
Monmouthshire General View of the Agriculture of the County of Monmouth 1794 John Fox
1815 Charles Hassall
Pembrokeshire General View of the Agriculture of the County of Pembroke 1794 Charles Hassall
Radnorshire General View of the Agriculture of the County of Radnor 1794 John Clark

Other

County Title Year Author Comment
Channel Islands General View of the Agriculture and Present State of the Islands on the Coast of Normandy, Subject to the Crown of Great Britain 1815 Thomas Quayle
Isle of Man General View of the Agriculture of the Isle of Man 1794 Basil Quayle
1812 Thomas Quayle

General

William Marshall, who had written the Central Highlands survey, was a rival of Arthur Young, and at odds with him over the surveys. He wrote at length about the reports in 1808 to 1817, producing a five-volume Review, generally critical of the reports. William Lester's History of British Implements and Machinery applicable to Agriculture (1811) drew heavily on extracts from the surveys, where those covered agricultural implements. His introduction commented on the difficulty in referring farmers directly to the reports.

Sir John Sinclair wrote a number of related works:

  • General View of the Agriculture of the Northern Counties and Islands of Scotland (1795)
  • Account of the Origin of the Board of Agriculture and its Progress for Three Years after its Establishment (1796)
  • General Report of the Agricultural State and Political State of Scotland (1814)
  • Hints Regarding the Agricultural State of the Netherlands, Compared with that of Great Britain (1815)
kids search engine
General View of Agriculture county surveys Facts for Kids. Kiddle Encyclopedia.