1. The action of enclosing. a. spec. The action of surrounding or marking off (land) with a fence or boundary; the action of thus converting pieces of common land into private property. Also attrib. in Enclosure Act, Commissioner. Also fig.
An Enclosure Act is a private Act of Parliament authorizing the ‘enclosure’ of common land in some particular locality. In many cases, however, the land dealt with by these Acts was not ‘common’ land in an absolute sense, but was private property encumbered with the right of commoning during a few weeks in autumn; and the usual procedure was to give each of the commoners a piece of land in absolute ownership as compensation for his surrender of this right.
1538. Starkey, England, 99. To have so grete inclosurys of pasturys.
1574. trans. Littleton’s Tenures, 49 a. Three causes of disseisin of rente service … rescous, replevine, and enclosure.
1577. B. Googe, Heresbach’s Husb., II. (1586), 50. The first needefull thing for a Garden is water. The nexte to that is enclosure.
1611. W. Sclater, Key (1629), 303. There is, then, no enclosure of this blessing of righteousnesse to any nation, person, sexe, or condition of men.
1631–2. Star Chamb. Cases (1886), 180. Suffer noe inclosures tending to depopulation.
1642. Fuller, Holy & Prof. St., II. ix. 86. The gifts and graces of Christians lay in common, till base envy made the first enclosure.
1776. Adam Smith, W. N., I. I. xi. 160. The advantage of enclosure is greater for pasture than for corn.
1801. Strutt, Sports & Past., II. i. 50. [Stow] attributes the decay of archery among the Londoners to the enclosures made near the metropolis.
1863. Fawcett, Pol. Econ., II. viii. (1876), 238. In the case of almost all these enclosures the interests of the poor have been systematically neglected.
1872. E. Peacock, Mabel Heron, I. vi. 89. The enclosure commissioners, years ago, had set out a wide road.
1883. Seebohm, Eng. Village Community, 13. Nearly 4000 Enclosure Acts were passed between 1760 and 1844.
b. gen. The action of closing in, surrounding, etc. Somewhat rare.
1605. Timme, Quersitanus, III. C c Another most excellent lute for the like incloser is made of glasse and vermilion.
1658. Sir T. Browne, Hydriot., i. 8. The Ægyptians … by … handsome inclosure in glasses, contrived the notablest wayes of integrall conservation.
1878. M. Foster, Physiol., III. vii. § 1. 531. The complete enclosure of the glottis … is so important a part of the act of coughing.
2. The state of being enclosed (in a monastery).
1816. Mary Schimmelpenninck, Biogr. Jansenius, II. 52. She resolved, therefore, to re-establish that enclosure which the rule of St. Bennet so strictly enjoins.
1872. O. Shipley, Gloss. Eccl. Terms, 179. The nuns keep strict enclosure, and lead the contemplative life.
3. That wherewith something enclosed: a. An encompassing fence or barrier; buildings round a court. Also fig.
1556. Chron. Gr. Friars (1852), 59. There was a boke made and send up to the commyns of Cornwalle and Devynshere … be cause of their rysynge and pullynge downe of incloseres.
1594. Plat, Jewell-ho., III. Chem. Concl., 33. Pales and other enclosures.
1725. Pope, Odyss., VII. 145. Th’ allotted space of ground, Fenc’d with a green enclosure all around.
1743. Young, Nt. Th., IV. 5/93. I see the circling Hunt, of noisy Men, Burst Laws Enclosure.
1754. Pococke, Trav. (1889), II. 72. A court of large buildings … the enclosure of the court seems … very old.
1823. Scott, Quentin D., iii. The second enclosure rising higher than the first.
b. An outer covering or case; an envelope.
1594. Plat, Jewell-ho., III. Chem. Concl., 2. All the outwarde couers and enclosures whatsoeuer.
1595. Markham, Sir R. Grinvile, cxxii. O why should such … enuie dwell, In the inclosures of eternall mould?
1601. Cornwallyes, Disc. Seneca (1631), 39. He that aspireth to this flight to the starres, must … make apt his grosse inclosure of earth.
1633. P. Fletcher, Pisc. Ecl., I. v. 2. When the raw blossome of my youth was yet In my first childhoods green enclosure bound.
4. That which is enclosed: a. A space included within or marked off by boundaries.
1580. Hollyband, Treas. Fr. Tong, s.v. Pourprendre, The roote of that tree did occupy in compasse a great inclosure.
a. 1610. Healey, Epictetus’ Man. (1636), 106. In the greatest enclosure of all, there was a gate.
1772. Priestley, Inst. Relig. (1782), II. 413. The whole inclosure of the walls of Babylon was actually converted into a chace for keeping wild beasts.
1836–9. Dickens, Sk. Boz (1850), 131/1. We were seated in the enclosure of St. James’s Park.
1864. Skeat, trans. Uhland’s Poems, 361.
| I, palgrave of Götz of Tübingen, | |
| Sell fortress, town, and hill, | |
| With servants, rents, inclosures, woods; | |
| Of debts have I my fill. |
b. A document or letter enclosed within the cover of another.
Mod. I have received your letter with its enclosures.
