This book was first published in 1932. This study, which was completed under the direction of the Department of Economics of Cornell University, explores the depression in English agriculture following the Napoleonic Wars.

While there is an extensive historiography which explores English agriculture in the nineteenth century, there has been less attention paid to individual estates and in particular the role of the land agent within their management, administration and participation in rural community relationships. Nowhere is this more obvious in the lack of research into the financial history of the landed estate, even though in the early nineteenth century these were some of the largest businesses in England. The Castleman letters are a rich source which detail the intricate working, financial, social and political relationships which constituted the foundation of the landed estate. The vouchers of which more than 10,000 have survived alongside the rental accounts have rarely been examined. On their own they illustrate, for example: the sums paid out on maintenance, the interest payments on mortgages, charitable expenditure, spending on property repairs and one-off payments for a wide and diverse range of items. Together with the diurnal correspondence all three aspects of the archive detail the daily financial undertakings and form the foundation of a new financial history of the estate. This book will show that estate management was underpinned by an inherent understanding of the financial decisions which needed to be taken, and will be of interest to academics and researchers of financial history.

First Published in 1983. Routledge is an imprint of Taylor & Francis, an informa company.

In this book, first published in 1980, the author draws a vivid picture of what country life was like for the vast majority of English villagers – agricultural labourers, craftsmen and small farmers – during a period of rapid agricultural development. This study analyses the influence of the enclosure movement on farming methods and on the structure of village life, and examines the devastating effects of the Napoleonic wars on English society. The Rural World is based on a wide range of sources, including parliamentary papers, contemporary letters, diaries and account books, and official records such as those relating to the Poor Law and the courts. It provides a fascinating overview of all aspects of rural life – from employment to home conditions, education, charity, crime, the role of religion and the influence of politics – during a critical period in English history.