Board of Agriculture

1793 Sir John Sinclair promoted a Board of Agriculture as a means of publicizing agricultural developments, advising the government, spreading information, conducting experiments, and promoting legislation. Pitt agreed to the setting up of the Board on an annual grant of £3000, with Sinclair as its unpaid president and Arthur Young as salaried secretary.

The Board of Agriculture was formed as a chartered society; it existed until 1816. It helped to improve the statistics available on agriculture.

Governments passed various relevant acts including the Tithe Commutation Act 1836, the Copyhold Act 1841, and the Inclosure Act 1845.

1834 The growing need for better understanding and improvement of agriculture led to the formation of the Highland and Agricultural Society of Scotland which led to the English Agricultural Society

1840 The Society was renamed as the Royal Agricultural Society of England

1882 The Copyhold, Inclosure and Tithe Commissioners, who administered the machinery set up by the earlier and subsequent Acts, were merged in a body of Land Commissioners for England operating under the auspices pof the Home Office.

1889 A new Board of Agriculture was formed which took over the responsibilities for these Acts, as well as the functions of the Agricultural Department of the Privy Council Office. Its powers and duties derived from the:

• the Contagious Diseases (Animals) Acts and the Destructive Insects Act 1877
• Acts relating to tithes, copyholds, enclosures, commons, allotments, land drainage, improvement of lands, university and college estates, glebelands and agricultural holdings

and included those of the Commissioners of Works and Buildings in connection with the Ordnance Survey.

It was also empowered to make orders for the control of dogs, to collect statistics relating to agriculture and foresting and to inspect and aid schools, other than elementary schools, in which instruction was given in agriculture and forestry.

1903 Responsibility for the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew, was transferred from the Commissioners of Works and Buildings.

1903 Name changed to the Board of Agriculture and Fisheries; it gained powers and duties relating to salmon, freshwater and sea fisheries.

1919 Converted to the Ministry of Agriculture and Fisheries.

See Also

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