This book reveals the neglected world of the English manorial tenure of the nineteenth and twentieth centuries. It is rooted in landmark legislation: the Enfranchisement of Copyholds Act of 1841, and the Law of Property Act of 1922. The latter still largely governs modern property law. The story did not end until the property of the last documented former manorial tenant was enfranchised in 1957. While the English manorial system is fundamental to understanding much medieval and early-modern history, little attention has been paid to its ability to contribute to our understanding of the modern world. This book establishes for the first time a protracted manorial property revolution in England after 1841, which lasted over 100 years. This story is a massive lacuna in the history of property, and not just in the countryside; the urban manorial tenant was also heavily present in the landscape. Property rights registration since 2002, coinciding with the shale gas fracking furore, has reawakened interest in this neglected aspect of legal history, and ensures that this book will be of interest to lawyers and historians alike.

This book studies the development of the modern university system in England from the mid-nineteenth century to the outbreak of the Second World War, focusing on the role of the state.

This volume, the eighth in The History of the University of Oxford, shows how one of the world's major universities has responded to the formidable challenges offered by the twentieth century. Because Oxford's response has not taken a revolutionary or dramatic form, outside observers have not always appreciated the scale of its transformation. Here full attention is given to the forces for change: the rapid growth in provision for the natural and social sciences; the advance of professionalism in scholarship, sport, and cultural achievement; the diffusion of international influences through Rhodes scholars, two world wars, and the University's mounting research priorities; the growing impact of government and of public funding; the steady advance of women; and the impact made by Oxford's broadened criteria for undergraduate admission. The volume also provides valuable background material for the discussion of educational policy. In short, its presents the reader with a rich cornucopia of insight into many aspects of British life.