Millennium Project
In order to ensure a fair distribution at the 1808 Enclosure it was necessary to assess the quality of all the land in the open fields in Deddington and Barford. The work was carried out by Mr. Hopcraft and Mr. Taylor and, as standard practice, the results were documented in a Quality Book. A copy of this book, possibly transcribed by John Stilgoe, aged 12, is still in the possession of the Stilgoe family.
As well as listing the lands, the book also identifies a number of Deddington homesteads, usually with the name of their owner or occupier. Each homestead has a number next to it, usually in the range 25 to 40 and mostly divisible by 5. Further reseach is needed to find the meaning of these numbers.
Click HERE to see a list of the Homesteads and Proprietors as a PDF (20Kb).