The Chartist Land Company
by Alice Mary Hadfield
David & Charles, Newton Abbot, 1970
The History of the Company
Includes the history of O'Connerville, at Herongate, near Rickmansworth
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Origins
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Beginnings and their Significance, 1845-6
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The Good Year. 1847
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Cracks Appearing
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The Enquiry, 1848
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Failure from Within
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Disintegration and the End
The Estates - 1846 onwards
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Heronsgate or O'Connorville
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Lowbands
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Minster Lovell or Charterville
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Snigs End
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Great Dodford
The Chartist, or National, Land Company was founded by the famous radical, Feargus O'Connor, in 1845 to establish families from the factory towns on smallholdings, where they could maintain themselves and qualify for a vote. The basis of the plan was a lottery; anyone could apply for shares, and these gave their holders the chance of a house and two to four acres of land. Five estates, with some 250 houses in all, were built, at Herongate in Hertfordshire, Minster Lovell in Oxfordshire, Lowbands and Snigs End in Gloucestershire, and Great Dodford in Worcestershire. While the scheme collapsed the little houses are still lived in and their school buildings and narrow roads still to be seen.
For information on one of the inhabitants see POCOCK, O'Connorville, Rickmansworth, 1851 and for information on the local see HUNT, Land of Liberty PH, Herongate, Rickmansworth