The Earls of Yarborough and the Lincolnshire landscape. Dr Charles Rawding, Edge Hill University The origins of this lecture lie in my own doctoral research of a long time ago (awarded 1989) which looked specifically at the North Lincolnshire Wolds in the middle years of the nineteenth century. That work was then extended to result in the book The Lincolnshire Wolds in the nineteenth century published by SLHA in 2001. By way of an apology, those of you that have read the book won’t be hearing anything new – I moved to work in Lancashire 15 years ago and have done very little work on Lincolnshire since. So let’s start by putting things in context.

During the 18th and 19th century, rural landowners had a significant impact on the landscape. Their place at the very apex of society was largely unquestioned, and they exercised influence across the entire social, economic and political spectrum.

The Earl of Yarborough's estate of 56,795 acres centred on Brocklesby: (which made him the 14th largest owner of land in Great Britain by acreage and the 7th largest by income in 1883) illustrates well how the artificial creation of an aristocratic landscape from the late eighteenth century enhanced the position of the family and emphasised their power domination throughout the nineteenth century.  

The Earl of Yarborough's seat - Brocklesby (19th c The Earl of Yarborough's seat - Brocklesby (19th c. print) The house is red brick with stone dressings. The present house was built in 1710 with the Picture Gallery added in 1807. It incorporates a very much earlier house dating from the 16th century. In 1827 a west wing was built similar to the original house joining the Picture Gallery. In 1858, William Burns added two storeys above the picture gallery. In 1898 a serious fire completely burnt out the East Wing. It was rebuilt by Sir Reginald Blomfield to an exact reproduction of the original eighteenth century design. In 1956 the 6th Earl of Yarborough decided to reduce the house and return it to its original early Georgian design but keeping the Picture Gallery (which had been converted into a hall by Blomfield).

Wyatville's proposed mansion at Brocklesby Need Wyatville’s proposed mansion here Interestingly, in the early 1820s, the second Lord Yarborough commissioned Wyattville, a very fashionable architect of the time, to design him a new house. The house would have exceeded the sixth Duke of Devonshire's Chatsworth in size. The grand design was never built, presumably on the grounds of expense, but instead another wing was added to the west of the existing house connected by a gallery.   Wyatville's proposed mansion at Brocklesby  

Brocklesby Park : a design for a new mansion. Source: Linstrum,D. (1972) Sir Jeffry Wyatville: architect to the king. Oxford, Clarendon, p123. Source: Linstrum,(1972).

Source: Linstrum,(1972). Source: Linstrum,D. (1972) Sir Jeffry Wyatville: architect to the king. Oxford, Clarendon, p124.

If we now turn our attention to the landscape around the house, we can see how the aristocracy from the mid eighteenth century used a range of devices to create what are now termed ‘aristocratic landscapes’. The map shows the landscape around Brocklesby House. The park itself was laid out by Capability Brown in 1771-2, From 1787 onwards, extensive areas of woodland were planted in a ten-mile arc. The total cost of the work completed by Brown was £2,800, whilst the mausoleum, cost £20,000 a colossal amount of money by any criteria. In the 1790s, Repton followed Brown to Brocklesby to carry out further work. Pelham’s Pillar and the Mausoleum are in direct line with Brocklesby Hall, effectively creating an axis of power along a line from the top of the Lincolnshire Wolds. The Memorial Arch marks the entrance to the core of the estate from the west, while Newsham Lodge marks the approach from the north (railway station). These landscape 'improvements' emphasised the importance of the House as the centre of power. Discuss this landscape more fully.

The Pelham Mausoleum at the end of a two-mile 'ride' from the House stands the magnificent Mausoleum. Its green-tinged copper dome today peeps out through the mature trees of the Mausoleum Woods. The building designed as a memorial to the young wife of the first baronet was completed in 1792. On a raised mound, with woodland on three sides, but an open vista towards the Hall. An extremely impressive (and expensive) piece of architecture reflecting the wealth and power of the family at the time.

The building designed as a memorial to the young wife of the first baronet was completed in 1792.   Source: http://www.countrylifeimages.co.uk/ResizedImages/VeryLarge/955622.jpg

Pelham’s Pillar In 1849 Pelham's Pillar was built at a prominent point on the wolds above Caistor, in direct line with the Mausoleum and Brocklesby House, to commemorate the planting of 12 million trees on the Yarborough Estate between 1787 and 1823. Built at the highest point on the ridge of the Wolds, overlooking the estate to the north (the estate does continue to the south of the pillar). Built initially as a hunting tower – the building comprises a simple spiral staircase to a viewing gallery at the top from which spectacular views of the surrounding landscape are achieved. The pillar must have been even more impressive when first constructed while the trees around it were smaller.  

As befitting a major landowner, the second earl was a director of the Manchester, Sheffield and Lincolnshire Railway. As a result, the newly laid railway line between Grimsby and Sheffield swept in a gentle arc avoiding Brocklesby Park, rather than taking a more direct route.

Brocklesby railway station The earl arranged for Brocklesby Park Station to be built in the architectural style of the estate – note the chimneys, while using the red brick of the railway company. A waiting room specifically for the earl was built (the left hand bay window) as part of as very grand station for what is effectively a (now disused) country halt.  

The station was then linked directly to the House with an impressive approach through Newsham Lodge – something which is not quite so obvious today with the realignment of the road.

Newsham Lodge Built in 1815, again to a design by Wyatville, it marked the approach to the core of the estate from the north and subsequently became of greater symbolic significance with the building of the railway and the station about half a mile away.

The Memorial Arch On the other key approach to the centre of the estate is the memorial arch, at the parish boundary between Brocklesby and Kirmington , which added further to the grandeur and glory of the Brocklesby estate, effectively producing a triumphal arch on one of the principal approaches to the house. It was 'built in memory of the 2nd Earl of Yarborough at a cost of over £2000 - paid for by "tenants and friends"  

Property on the Heneage estate, Hainton. Having a distinctive architectural style was also a feature of aristocratic building during the nineteenth century, the photo shows properties built by the Heneage family at Hainton in the mid-nineteenth century – Heneage property can still be readily identified by the red paint used in the villages of Hainton and Sixhills. In the case of the Yarborough estate … Property on the Heneage estate, Hainton.

The architectural style of the Brocklesby estate. There was a clear style incorporating very distinctive barge-boarding etc …. It was common for properties to also have the Pelham Buckle motif in the centre of their principal wall. Housing close to Brocklesby Park was much more elaborately constructed than estate cottages in more distant villages. The gatekeeper’s cottage

Property close to Brocklesby Hall

Yarborough property in Swallow Cottages at greater distances (pic shows Swallow – 7 miles away) were much less ornate. The distant parts of the estate had an equal economic significance, but a much reduced social significance. It was important for the prestige and social standing of the landowner that properties near the hall were seen to be high quality and in good condition. In addition to landscape changes, the estate also stamped its mark on the built environment. By the 1830s, there were 5 brickyards on the estate producing bricks and drainage tiles exclusively for the use of the estate farmers and for the landlord's improvement schemes and to create the distinctive architectural style associated with the estate:   Yarborough property in Swallow

(Commenting on the area around Brocklesby: Mr Parkinson,1852) 'Not any part of the Estate is more improvable. Deep underdraining for which there is a good outfall, and good management would cause these lands to be productive and to become of greater value to the Occupiers that then have heretofore been. Their contiguity to the Mansion is another great reason why they should be in a superior state of management.‘ Source: LAO: YARB 5/1/20 A survey of the Yarborough estates in 1852 provides further evidence of the spatial importance of the country house, and the need to maintain an impressive presence in the landscape. The surveyor, Mr Parkinson criticised the area around Brocklesby:   'Not any part of the Estate is more improvable. Deep underdraining for which there is a good outfall, and good management would cause these lands to be productive and to become of greater value to the Occupiers that then have heretofore been. Their contiguity to the Mansion is another great reason why they should be in a superior state of management.' Clearly it was felt that the area around the house needed to be a model of good husbandry if it was to reflect well on the estate. Thus we have seen that in an area where one man or one family had almost total dominance and control, the landscape was fashioned in their image to reflect and enhance their position and status.

Servants resident at Brocklesby House. 1851 1881 Land Agent House steward Land Agent's Clerk Valet Usher of the Hall Footmen (3) Under Usher of the Hall Under-waiter Fish keeper House keeper Housemaid Cook Under housemaid Ladies maids (2) Still room maid Housemaids (2) Kitchen maid Head man servants Head woman servant Domestic housemaid Scullery maid Still room maid Nursemaid Kitchen maid Laundry maid (4) Note. In 1851 Lord Yarborough was absent at the time of the Census, in 1881 he was in residence. Apart from the impact on the physical landscape, the presence of a large landowner was likely to be the principal employer, directly or indirectly, and the occupation structure of the parish would be moulded around his requirements for labour. For instance, in the 1830s at Brocklesby alone, Yarborough employed about 20 men full-time in the kitchen garden and flower garden alone.  

Such employment structures seem alien to modern eyes, but in fact they were highly structured – such that Mrs Beeton was able to provide advice about how many servants etc someone should have according to income etc (discuss a few of the details).

Thos Smith, huntsman of the Brocklesby Hounds and his father Thos Smith, former huntsman with the hound Wonder: (George Stubbs. 1768) Landscape ‘improvements’ were only a part of the overall picture of the aristocracy at the time. In 1777, Charles Anderson Pelham (who became first Lord Yarborough in 1794) commissioned Stubbs to paint his favourite pony posing against a backdrop of Brocklesby House and the newly landscaped park. Stubbs was also commissioned to paint two generations of Brocklesby huntsmen;   Thos Smith , huntsman of the Brocklesby hounds and his father Thos Smith, former huntsman with the hound Wonder. George Stubbs 1768. Tom Smith I and Tom Smith II, who between them kept the Brocklesby Hounds for more than 50 years.

places visited, Nov 1843-Jan 1844. The Brocklesby Hunt: places visited, Nov 1843-Jan 1844. The hunt was itself a significant element in the social landscape –reflecting the glory of the family across a wide swathe of north Lincolnshire. Source: Diary of Charles Nainby. Milligan-Manby papers.

The landowner was also a key figure underpinning the social structures of rural society – in this case as patron of the local agricultural society.

Or in providing charitable provision of a range of types – in this case for his own school – built in the estate architectural style on the edge of the village of Great Limber.

In summing up: the period from about 1750 – 1880 was a time when the aristocracy enjoyed a position of power in the land which was reflected in their own houses, their estates and their landscapes. In this the Yarboroughs were no exception, and their impact on north Lincolnshire can still be seen today (not least in the course of the county boundary with what was Humberside).