The Agricultural returns as a source for local history

Coppock, J.T.

pp 49-55

Analysis of ways in which the annual agricultural returns from 1866 onwards may be used by local historians. The returns detailed livestock numbers and crop acreages, and although the original documents were destroyed the summary totals were retained by the Ministry for Agriculture. The author warns that some of the figures are open to differing interpretations and have inherent ambiguities, but suggests that they indicate the effect of topography and geology on crops. They may also prove useful in studying regional differences. Farms were often spread over a number of parishes, but changes in crop variations are shown in considerable detail. Weaknesses in the data were caused by differing collection methods in different areas and there were occasions when collecting officers were forced to provide estimated figures.

The Amateur Historian Volume 4 Number 2 Winter 1958-9