Description
Book SynopsisLetters offering a rich insight into eighteenth-century life both in Devon and in LondonIn 1740, at the age of 17, Sir Francis Henry Drake of Buckland and Nutwell in Devon succeeded his father as Baronet and in due course followed him as MP for Bere Alston. This volume presents 320 letters written to Sir Francis between 1740 and 1778 by his Devon overseer, Nicholas Rowe, and by his London agent, William Hudson, who was a well-known apothecary and botanist and author of
Flora Anglica (1762). The early letters from Devon have much to say about elections and related property dealings in the pocket borough of Bere Alston, while the later ones centre on Sir Francis's reshaping of Nutwell Court and its gardens. Health matters are an issue throughout, and the letters from London are a rich source of information on eighteenth-century medical practice in the city as well as in the country. They also informed Sir Francis about London society and parliamentary business during the months he spent in Devon. Taken as a whole, they offer a rich insight into eighteenth-century life both in Devon and in London. CHARITY SCOTT-STOKES (M.A., D.Phil.) is a retired university lecturer, secondary school teacher, free-lance translator and editor. ALAN LUMB (B.A., M.A.) is a retired sociology lecturer and secondary school teacher with special interests in vernacular architecture, plants and gardens.
Trade Reviewa substantial and informative book where the editors have made great efforts to set the letters in context. * DEVON HISTORIAN *
The collection's strength lies in the useful knowledge it offers regarding daily life, politics, and personal health care in rural and urban locales. -- Journal of British Studies
Table of ContentsGeneral Introduction Elections and Infrastructure Buckland Abbey and Nutwell Court: Buildings Nutwell: Planting the Landscape Healthways and Two Eighteenth-Century Devonshire Estates Editorial method The Letters I: From Nicholas Rowe to Sir Francis Henry Drake, 1740-1754 The Letters II: From Nicholas Rowe to Sir Francis Henry Drake, 1754-1775 The Letters III: From William Hudson to Sir Francis Henry Drake, 1767-1778 Bibliography
