Parish-level statistics from the 1801 Crop Returns

Table ID:

CROP_1801     (1247357)

Contents:

Parish-level statistics from the 1801 Crop Returns

Approx. number of rows:

4,854

Table type:

Raw Data

Documentation Author:

Paula Aucott

Geography:

Reporting units are identified by:
   Ancient County
   Ancient Parish

Chronology:

The data are for the single year 1801.

Sources:

1. These data were transcribed from the original returns in the Public Record Office (class HO.67) by Michael Turner, as part of an ESRC funded project, and supplied to the project as a complete set of typescripts covering the whole of England (plus Jersey). They were computerised by Eileen Longland working at QMW during 1988.

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Notes:

1. For more details, see Turner, M., 'Arable in England and Wales: estimates from the 1801 Crop Return', Journal of Historical Geography, Vol. 7 (1981), pp. 291-302.
2. For each place the table specifies the number of acres under each crop. In the case of "peas and beans" and "turnips or rape" the crops are grown together and the acreages are consequently indistinguishable.
3. At present the "anc_cnty, anc_par" combinations as originally transcribed are not unique, and parishes have had to be artificially distinguished in order to create a unique index:
   • There are two parishes names 'Preston' in Gloucestershire.
   • There are two parishes called 'Ilton' in Somerset.
   • There are two parishes called 'Playden' in Sussex.
   • There are two parishes called 'Marton' both in an unknown county.
   • There are two parishes called 'Middleton' both in an unknown county.
   • There are three parishes called 'Thornton' each in an unknown county.
   • There are five parishes with unknown names each in an unknown county.
   In all of these cases, numbers between 1 and 5 have been added to the 'par_flag' column.
4. Bewcastle in Cumberland has an illegible crop name for ten acres of land on the original return and therefore has been placed in the other category.
5. Baughurst in Hampshire gives only approximate acrages.

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Checking:

1. Data are as supplied by Professor Turner; no checking.

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Acknowledgments:

We are extremely grateful to the following:

1. Michael Turner: These data were supplied to the project by Professor Turner on condition that we (a) supplied him with a copy on disc and (b) kept him informed about how we used them.

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Indices:

Index	Type	Column(s) indexed
crop_1801_pkey	Primary key	rec_num
crop_1801_idx	Unique	anc_cnty, anc_par, par_flag

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Constraints:

The table has the following associated constraints:

Constraint	Type	Details
crop_1801_pkey	Primary Key	See details above for primary key index

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Columns within table:

Column	Type	Contents
anc_cnty	Text string (max.len.=30).	The name of the 1801 county, as assigned by Professor Turner.
anc_par	Text string (max.len.=84).	The name of the place, usually a parish.
par_flag	Integer number.	In a small number of cases, as listed above, this column holds a number between 1 and 5 to permit a unique index to be constructed despite a few parish names not being unique within their counties.
wheat	Floating point number.	The number of acres of land used to grow wheat.
barley	Floating point number.	The number of acres of land used to grow barley.
oats	Floating point number.	The number of acres of land used to grow oats.
b_and_o	Floating point number.	The number of acres of land used to grow barley and oats.
potatoes	Floating point number.	The number of acres of land used to grow potatoes.
peas	Floating point number.	The number of acres of land used to grow peas.
beans	Floating point number.	The number of acres of land used to grow beans.
p_and_b	Floating point number.	The number of acres of land used to grow peas and beans.
turnips	Floating point number.	The number of acres of land used to grow turnips.
rape	Floating point number.	The number of acres of land used to grow rape.
t_or_r	Floating point number.	The number of acres of land used to grow turnips or rape. Although the column is headed as an alternative, unless they are specifically separated it cannot be assumed such entries refer to the dominant crop which would have been turnips, but it can be reasonably assumed they are in combination.
rye	Floating point number.	The number of acres of land used to grow rye.
oth_crop	Text string (max.len.=44).	Any other type of crop grown.
other	Floating point number.	The number of acres of land used to grow that other crop.
oth_crop_2	Text string (max.len.=64).	Any additional other crops that were grown.
other_2	Floating point number.	The number of acres of additional other crops that were grown.
notes	Long text.	Notes.
rec_num	Integer number.	Sequence number to keep rows in order, added on loading.
anc_cnty_unit	Integer number.	ID number of the county containing the parish, as defined in the AUO. NB this has been set for all rows except where the county is listed as 'UNKNOWN', while many parishes have yet to be matched.
anc_cdiv_unit	Integer number.	ID number of the division of Ancient County containing the parish, as defined in the AUO. This is set for the Ridings of Yorkshire and the Parts of Lincolnshire.
anc_par_unit	Integer number.	ID number of the parish itself, as defined in the AUO.