(1832–97), estate manager whose name was the origin of the word boycott; born in Burgh St. Peter, Norfolk, England; after retiring from British Army in 1873 became manager of Earl of Erne's estates in County Mayo, Ireland; in 1880 Land League (Irish land-reform group) told Boycott to reduce rents by 25 percent; in September Boycott attempted to evict tenants; Charles Stewart Parnell, leader of Land League, urged tenants not to cooperate with those who refused their demand for lower rents; policy first used against Boycott, who then had to bring in other workers to harvest crops; left Ireland the same year; later was agent for estates in Suffolk.