This detailed study of early-modern agrarian society in the Somerset Levels examines the small landholders in a group of sixteen contiguous parishes in the Brent Marsh area. These were farmers with lifehold tenures and a mixed agricultural production whose activities and outlook are shown to be very different from that of small "peasant" farmers.

This detailed and original study of early-modern agrarian society in the Somerset Levels examines the small landholders in a group of sixteen contiguous parishes in the area known as Brent Marsh. These were farmers with lifehold tenures and a mixed agricultural production whose activities and outlook are shown to be very different from that of the small 'peasant' farmers of so many general histories. Patricia Croot challenges the idea that small farmers failed to contribute to the productivity and commercialization of the early-modern economy.