Land Management: Welbeck and Holkham in the Long Nineteenth Century

The intention of this thesis is to explore the professionalisation of the management of the country house estate during the long nineteenth century through a meticulous examination of the archives at Welbeck Abbey and Holkham Hall. It uniquely surveys the impact of these changing dynamics of management through four broadly defined themes. Firstly it examines the concept of the patriotic landowner and the ways in which this affected farming practice. Secondly it investigates the characteristics of the expanding agricultural press and questions whether this corpus of knowledge contributed to professionalisation. Thirdly it considers the factors which contributed to the changing face of land management including: mechanisation, scientific farming, and agricultural experimentation, the dissemination of knowledge through agricultural shows and societies and increasing legislation. Fourthly it studies how changes within the landscape impacted on estate management and the ways in which this changed the characteristics of estate management. This is the first detailed micro-study relating to the changing dynamics of professionalisation. Previous studies have lacked detail or depth. The diary of William Gould and the correspondence of William Cripwell both agents at Welbeck form the basis of this study and create a historical perspective which is missing from the limited amount of previous research into this subject. Despite the lack of formalised training, by the beginning of the twentieth century the land agent was classed as a professional and this thesis for the first time starts to provide the answers as to why and how this change occurred.