Scope and Content
The thirty letters were written, with two exceptions, by George Duncombe and later on his behalf, by his second wife Ann. They are addressed to his father, also George, and his elder brother John. His father, a farmer of Marston Moretaine, married Mary Cripps of Cranfield, at Marston on 24th June 1778. They had three sons, John, baptised on 10th September 1779; William Cripps, baptised on 12th March 1781, who was buried less than a month later; and George, the writer of the letters, baptised on 24th June 1783
From the first letter to his father in 1813, it appears that George had obtained a position as footman to Joseph Lyne esquire, of Finsbury Square, London, but by the second letter, 1818, he had moved on to another position. This latter post would appear to be with a family named 'Pedder', whom he mentions frequently, and in 1921 he asks his father to direct his letters to Robert Pedder
The Pedder family loved to travel but this could be disconcerting for servants. George found them "the most uncertain Devils in the wourld". In 1818 he reports that they had planned a four months visit to France but came back earlier and on going to Brighton for a fortnight they actually stayed eleven weeks. One of the family trips is to the West Country in 1821 and their itinerary is fully described. The journey began from Brighton on 21st June, and reached Weymouth in four days, they then stay at various places for varying lengths of time in Dorset, Devon and Cornwall. The writer found Devonshire "the most delightfull country that I ever traveled in for no sooner you are down one hill but you are going up another. Sometimes we walk for a mile or two together as the hills are so steep". Writing his letter on 18th July in Exeter he expects there will be "great confusion tomorrow on account of the coronation as their is a grand dinner and a ball for the evening and a very great illumination". They are off for Hereford on Saturday and hope to reach Cheltenham in five days, adding cautiously "if their is no fresh araingment".
George Duncombe senior died early in January 1825, aged 81, and it is obvious from his will that his eldest son had taken over his farm in 1807. At that time an inventory of the farming stock, cattle, implements, household goods etc., had been made, and apart from some household goods which were specifically mentioned, which were to go to his son George on his death, they were valued at £735. The farming business was then taken over by John who was indebted to his father for this amount, who by the will was released from the debt. He was also left a house, divided into two tenements, in Marston, and three closes of pasture, called Parsons Close, Long Close and Little Pightle, containing eleven acres. George, the younger son, was to have £450, which was to be paid to him within twelve months, together with the household goods and furniture mentioned in the inventory of 1807.
Just a month before his father's death George had written to him and it would appear that, then aged 41, he had recently married, apparently someone he had known previously "as the separation had made it a verry happy meeting whitch I never expected but thair is no accounting for matrimony".
It seems George and his wife began business on their own account by purchasing two houses, or their leases, in Brighton, and letting them out to 'well to do' customers wishing to take advantage of the sea air - some for holidays and others hoping to improve poor health or following an illness. Brighton's popularity stemmed from the interest shown by the Prince Regent who built the Pavilion. With the Royal patronage business hopes were high as in May 1831, when George tells his brother "the King is making great alterations at the Palace, therefore we are in hopes of a good season". Later, however, the royal presence seems to have made little difference "althou the King is with us lodgings let verry bad and I am fearful the will get worse verry soon as it is large houses that are wanted for large familys .... it is verry little good for lodgings it beeing so late in the year ...."
George's wife died early in 1831, after a short illness, and he gives an account of her death in his letter of 13th May. He continues to let his houses but complains in January 1833 that he has "made less this year bye 1 hundred pounds then last year" and rent and taxes take all his profits. With a change of monarch, however,, business improved, for in December 1838 George's second wife Ann says "I must now tell you we have got the Queen here and our two houses are full", but she was still pessimistic, "I will not complain altho from my heart I wish I was doing better".
The letter which shows that George remarried is from another writer, S C Clarke, who is writing to 'Uncle John'. George's brother, on 27th August 1834. It shows that by this time George had a son of nine months, also called George. This letter makes it clear that John has now moved to a farm at Wavendon. George's second wife, Ann, takes over the letter writing and her letters are more chatty. She usually complains because her husband wants to hear from Wavendon but refuses himself to put pen to paper. Ann has never met her brother and sister-in-law and is always asking them to visit them, She has, however, met their son George and daughter Eliza, who have been down to stay with them at Brighton. Gifts of goose, turkey and hare are received form Wavendon, especially at Christmastime, when they also enclose £5. They reciprocate with parcels of tea and coffee "as there seems uncertainty of you getting fish while its good". Perhaps the codfish and oysters George sent in January 1831 took a long time to arrive. They send their parcels to be called for at the Leather Bottle, Woburn.
George is uncertain of his and his brother's ages and birthdays and asks John in 1837 and again in 1838 to look into the family Bible and let him know how old he and his brother are, and also how long it is since their father died. It seems that Ann at length met her 'in laws' in 1839 when she visited Wavendon. "I never spent a more happy fortnight in my life". The journey was made possible by their being able to let both their houses fully for some weeks. They went afterwards to Ann's sisters by train, when remarks on the new experience "I do indeed admire that mode of traveling much".
In 1840, the year of the introduction of the penny post, George and Ann are a little 'put out' because they have not heard from Wavendon 'now the post is so cheap'. The main letters now cease but there is a final short one in 1864 to their nephew George and his wife when they report that they are as well as can be expected 'altho many akes and pains'. They include a few lines to brother John "if we do not meet hear we shall meet in the everlasting kingdom never to part no moore". They also state that their own son George has by then three children - two girls and a boy. In a faint pencilled reply on the dorse of this letter it is said that 'Father' [John] is as quite "strong as can be expected of any one in his eightysixth year", and has been persuaded to spend "two or three days work writing to you". The farmers "notorious for grumbling" have a legitimate cause as owing to the dry season water is short and some people have "to go a mile and some much further for water both for themselves and cattle". Fortunately, "the last two wheat crops have been good which about makes up for the low price"
Apart from the letters there are one or two miscellaneous items and from the se it would appear that John gave up farming in 1844, probably as his father before him had done., in favour of his son George. George was already finding it difficult 'to hold the farm at present rent as times are now'. His father wrote on his behalf to a Hitchin banker in 1833. Asking for an abatement of £25 a year he said with the tithe the rent would still be above 25 shillings per acre "which is as much as he or any other person can afford to give". There is a detailed account of the sale of John's farming live and dead stock on 12th January "on account of Mr Duncombe leaving his farm", and there is also the auctioneer's account of the sale of his household goods at Wavendon on 25th March following. Five later bills for seeds, fertilisers, meat, and sale of sheep show that his son George was still farming between 1886 and 1890