Burgess Lands Map, Newcastle-under-Lyme

Description:This map shows the lands held in trust by the Burgesses of Newcastle-under-Lyme and was made by Richard Malabar.

Over 800 years ago the King granted the town a Royal Charter, and it became a Borough. People who lived in a Borough were called Burgesses, and they were allowed to use the ‘common’ lands that surrounded the town for grazing animals and growing crops.This land was divided into fields, known as Stubbs' Field, Clayton Field, Brampton Field, King's Field, Stoney Field, Ash Field and Pool Field. Although all of these field are now built on the names are still familiar today.

By the 18th century the Burgesses had the right to: grow crops or graze animals on Burgess land, not to be called up for military service, trade in the market and form a guild or traders' association, vote and a ‘burgage’ plot on the Burgess lands to live on.

After the government passed the Enclosure Act in 1816 the Burgesses were given a portion of the common land and a group of Trustees were formed to manage this land. Many Burgesses were involved in the running of the town and they often had important positions on the town council.

To become a Burgesses, you had to be a man over the age of 21 so long as they were either: apprenticed to a Burgess, the son of a Burgess, willing to pay for the title or given the title for free.

Newcastle's Burgesses today can no longer give or sell the right to be a burgess, are not involved in the running of the town.The original trustees sold most of the Burgess lands and invested the money, so on 1 March each year the Burgesses get a share of the profits.

Digitisation funded by Heritage Lottery Fund