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Landowner, Tenant and Agent on the Marquis of Anglesey's Dorset and Somerset Estate, 1814–44

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  02 September 2015

CAROL BEARDMORE
CAROL BEARDMORE*
Affiliation:
Centre for Medical Humanities, University of Leicester, 7 Salisbury Road, Leicester, LE1 7RH, UK cb309@leicester.ac.uk
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Abstract:

This article uses the surviving correspondence between the Marquis of Anglesey and his land agent William Castleman to explore the relationship which existed between landowner, tenant and agent. The aim of this research has been to examine how these affiliations worked in practice through five broad but interconnecting themes which include: an investigation into the men who became agents, a survey of the changing patterns of land tenure, an evaluation of the estate's reaction to economic downturn, a study of the schemes used to alleviate tenant distress and an analysis of how these estate interactions were reflected in the repairs and improvements undertaken. Castleman was already an experienced attorney and land manager when he began to work for the estate and he and the Marquis developed, over time, a deep and trusting business partnership. Consequently their correspondence has created a historical prism which this article has used to illustrate the working partnerships within this West Country locality.

Type
Research Article
Information
Rural History , Volume 26 , Issue 2 , October 2015 , pp. 181 - 199
Copyright
Copyright © Cambridge University Press 2015 

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References

Notes

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78. Ibid.

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