R3/4518

Letter Reads- Saw Chalk yest; only offers 5,000 guineas for all Wilden estate but advowson. I think 5,600 lowest Duke should take. The Harpur trustees have pulled down almhouse & I think we should sell the frontage to the new street end April; Short would buy back ground adjacent his purchase, & Small that next him; we should also determine whether to sell house occupied by Loton (old & often needs repair, I think best sell). The Duke of Lord's Spencer. The Bedfordshire farmers are recovering from their first surprise, they expressed a sort of sullen satisfaction that it was better than Lord John Russell's fixed duty, and perhaps as much as they could expect; but now on further consideration they are making a stir to have a fixed minimum duty of 5s. & they are meeting & petitioning to this effect. A part of the sliding-scale farmers will not listen, as they don't want to concede a moderate fixed duty; others so thoroughly disgusted by treatment from county members in not resisting change in law so fondly cherished by them they will take no part. Sir Robert & the squirearchy must make the best of the present parlt. - they will never again find the great mass of the farmers the tools they were in the last election.

6 March 1842

From: 1842 To: 1842

item

Haedy, C,
Chalk,
Small,
Short,
Loton,
Spencer, Lord,
Russell, Lord John

farmer, advowsons, Harpur Trust, almshouses, elections, letters, WOBURN, Woburn Abbey, WILDEN, BEDFORDSHIRE