Light shed on farming milestone

The documents provide evidence of a major change in farming practices in Broughton, near Malton, more than 220 years ago.

The old open field system, where local tenants farmed their allotted strips in common, had existed for centuries.

But an agreement was drawn up in 1788 and 1789 to overhaul the previous system and introduce individually owned plots. The process is recorded in the documents, written in a legal hand on large sheets of parchment.

Members of the Broughton Parish Meeting were able to piece together details from the documents after taking them to be studied at the County Record Office in Northallerton.

The documents have now been placed in the care of the office, where they will be made available for public viewing.

The County Record Office is open five days a week from Monday to Friday, as well as the first Saturday of each month. More information is available by calling the North Yorkshire County Council-run office on 01609 777585.