Where Did It Come From?
After an extremely poor crop in 1880, Lord Erne offered to reduce his cash-strapped tenants' rents by 10%. His tenants said that this wasn't good enough and demanded a 25% reduction. Boycott, acting on behalf of Lord Erne, refused and evicted eleven tenants. This caused quite the uproar, but the Irish Land League advised against the angry tenants resorting to violence. Instead, they came up with another plan: shun Boycott completely.
"Meanwhile his oats and corn remained standing, and his stock would have been unfed had he not exerted himself night and day to attend to their wants. Next the village butcher and grocer declined to sell provisions to Capt. Boycott or his family, and when he sent to neighboring towns for supplies he found it absolutely impossible to get anything. There was no fuel in the house, and nobody would cut turf or carry coal for the Captain's family. He had to tear up floors for firewood."