The Natural History of Selborne

• 1790: April 8, 1790 – Mary White left us.
• 1788: April 8, 1788 – Timothy heaves up the earth.
• 1787: April 8, 1787 – Mrs Clement’s daughter, born this day, makes my nephews & nieces 49.
• 1784: April 8, 1784 – Dry & cold. Apricot begins to blow. Cucumber blows, female bloom without male. Snow melted. (A farmer told Mr Yaldon, that he saw two swallows on this way to Hawkley!!) A very large fall of timber, of about 1000 trees, has been cut this spring in the Holt-forest; one fifth of which belongs to the Grantee Lord Stawel. He lays claim also to the lop & top: but the poor of the parishes of Binsted, & Frinsham, says it belongs to them; & have actually in a riotous manner taken it away. One man that keeps a team has carryed home near forty stacks of wood. Forty nine of these people his Lordship has served with actions; & provided they do not make restitution, proposed to sue them. The timber, which is very fine, was winter-cut; vis: before barking time.
• 1783: April 8, 1783 – Swallow appeared at Liss.
• 1773: April 8, 1773 – Fritillaria imperialis meleagris.

Notes:
The peasantry was asserting their rights to gather fuel in common land, established by custom at least since The Charter of the Forest of 1217. This period saw a rapid erosion of the old rights of the common, as land was enclosed and privatized to facilitate the industrialization of agriculture. The move from self-sustaining peasantry to wage-labour provoked more serious riots in Selborne in 1830. Of Whitean interest in these riots was the great unpopularity of Gilbert’s successor in the church, who had a shot fired through is window.

Fritillaria imperialis meleagris– the snake’s head fritillary, a native wildflower.