The Waterford Hill farmers vs The Duke of Devonshire
In the nineteenth century, most of Ireland’s countryside was owned by a small number of absentee landlords. The people working the land often had little to no security as the landlords had the power to raise rent however often and by however much they liked.Tenants had little incentive to improve or properly maintain the land. If they worked it well and increased its value, landlords could simply respond by raising the rent. This system was one of the factors that contributed to the Great Hunger...
