It was a direct result of the Amicable Grant and the threatening poverty that the problem of enclosure escalated. Enclosure meant that landlords could enclose a part of their land and cease arable farming for the more profitable pastoral farming. As this required less workmen it led to an increase in unemployment in rural areas and was also blamed for depopulation, vagrancy, food shortages and inflation; although how much it real caused and which problems it only worsened is questionable. Official enquiries were managed by Wolsey on a national level in 1517, 1518 and 1527 which led to the prosecution of landowners who had enclosed too much space. 264 landowners were prosecuted including bishops, knights, nobles, religious heads and colleagues
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In order to be able to pay these increased prices landlords felt the need to enclose further property in order to make more money; leading to further loss of jobs and a rise in poverty. This worsened the divide between affluent and impoverished and although the Amicable Grant was discontinued almost immediately it had still done damage by leaving people in concern of losing their livelihood. To counteract the rising food prices and the charging of excess prices the Star Chamber released a policy of Just Price in 1518 regulating the price of meat and prosecuting those who broke the regulations. In 1527 when a particularly bad harvest had hit, Wolsey bought up surplus grain and sold it to those in need at a lower price, which later became common practice. Although this act of kindness and generosity was noble of him, he had previously been the cause of the increase in enclosures and for the riots formed after the Amicable Grant. Fighting the enclosures had been a fruitless effort and although he did try, he gave up rather easily when it came to the choice between sorting a long term problem and sorting a short-term problem, showing that he lacked long-term
In order to be able to pay these increased prices landlords felt the need to enclose further property in order to make more money; leading to further loss of jobs and a rise in poverty. This worsened the divide between affluent and impoverished and although the Amicable Grant was discontinued almost immediately it had still done damage by leaving people in concern of losing their livelihood. To counteract the rising food prices and the charging of excess prices the Star Chamber released a policy of Just Price in 1518 regulating the price of meat and prosecuting those who broke the regulations. In 1527 when a particularly bad harvest had hit, Wolsey bought up surplus grain and sold it to those in need at a lower price, which later became common practice. Although this act of kindness and generosity was noble of him, he had previously been the cause of the increase in enclosures and for the riots formed after the Amicable Grant. Fighting the enclosures had been a fruitless effort and although he did try, he gave up rather easily when it came to the choice between sorting a long term problem and sorting a short-term problem, showing that he lacked long-term