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Darwin Correspondence Project

From John Higgins   27 July 1852

Alford

27th. July 1852

Dear Sir,

I have availed myself fully of your kind permission to answer your Letter of the 19th. Ulto at leisure; for during the last month I have done little else than attend to our County Election, and I have at last had the satisfaction of seeing my friend Mr. Christopher returned at the head of the Poll.—1

As regards your enquiry about the Rent of your own, and Miss Darwin’s2 Estates in Lincolnshire; I must beg your attention to the Dates, and particular circumstances, under which both Farms were purchased; as compared with the present time—from which it will appear that a smaller return than 15 per cent will not be just towards the Tenants, nor ultimately advantageous to the Landlord; inasmuch as the system of high management, and good farming which is now pursued by both the Tenants, would be changed for a more deteriorating course of Husbandry, with a more limited outlay of Capital in artificial manures, and other Improvements.3

Beesby was purchased in 1845; and was let to pay a clear 314 per cent on the purchase money—4 The average price of wheat was that year 50s/10d per Quarter; and according to the Tithe averages 58s/8d per Quarter— The fair proportion of Wheat to be grown annually upon that Farm would be 60 acres, at an average yield of 4 Qrs. per acre, or a total quantity of 240 Qrs.; say

240 Quarters Wheat at 50s/10d in 1845— £610—

240 Qrs. Do in 1852 (and the three preceding years) at 30s/– 456—

Loss or deficiency in the Wheat crop alone — £154

The loss also in rearing or breeding Cattle for which the Farm is best adapted, cannot be stated at less than £60, a year Sir Robt Peel’s Tariff having caused a reduction of full 25 per cent upon Home bred Cattle;5 Thus we have an actual diminution of Profits of upwards of £210 on the Farm to meet which the Tenant gains his allowance of 15 per cent out of his rent or £65—

And the reduction of wages of four Labourers from 12s/– to 10s/– per week for 52 weeks 20.16.0

All other Items of Expenditure have undergone no perceptible change, and it is quite clear your Beesby Tenant realizes a smaller amount of Profit by full £100 a year now, with your liberal return of 15 per cent, than he did under legislative protection;6 paying the full Rent!—

The Claythorpe Estate was purchased in 1840, the average price of wheat being then 66s/4d Pr. quarter and the Rental was based upon a return of 312 per cent, on the purchase money—which places the Tenant’s claims to a reduction of Rent in a stronger light than Beesby; altho’ both Tenants are satisfied to be treated the same; and both alike are first-rate managers.—7

My own experience also (from the circumstance of my son’s farming upwards of 500 acres)8 of Land has I am sorry to say afforded me too clear evidence of the truth of this statement; for with the best and most economical management, we cannot make farming remunerative, much less profitable.—

Under these circumstances, I advise you and Miss Darwin to continue the allowance of 15 per cent; which I should most certainly do myself if the Estates were my own.—

I remain, Dear Sir | Your faithful servant | (signed) John Higgins

C. R. Darwin Esqre.

Footnotes

See Correspondence vol. 5, letter to John Higgins, 19 June [1852]. Robert Adam Christopher was MP for North Lincolnshire.
CD’s sister Susan Elizabeth Darwin had estates at Claythorpe in Lincolnshire (Worsley 2017, p. 14).
CD and Susan had agreed to a rent reduction of fifteen per cent for their tenant farmers (Correspondence vol. 5, letter to John Higgins, 19 June [1852]). CD’s tenant at Beesby was Francis Hardy; Susan’s tenant at Claythorpe was Joseph Gilbert.
CD’s father, Robert Waring Darwin (1766–1848), had bought the Beesby farm for CD for £12,400 (Worsley 2017, p. 104).
In 1842, Robert Peel had reduced an number of import tariffs, including that on cattle (ODNB; Hansard Parliamentary Debates 3d ser. vol. 61 (1842) cols. 938–9).
Legislative protection: the Corn Laws, which imposed high tariffs on imported corn in order to protect the price of domestic corn, were abolished in 1849.
In 1840, Robert Waring Darwin bought, for £8000, an estate at Claythorpe in addition to the one he had inherited there. Susan inherited the united estates. (Worsley 2017, pp. 94, 99).
John Higgins (1826–1902). (Census returns of England and Wales 1851 (The National Archives: Public Record Office HO107/2110/302/16).)

Bibliography

Worsley, Peter. 2017. The Darwin farms: the Lincolnshire estates of Charles and Erasmus Darwin and their family. Lichfield: Erasmus Darwin Foundation.

Summary

Explains the effects of the falling prices of wheat and cattle on the rents from CD’s and his sister Susan Elizabeth Darwin’s farms.

Letter details

Letter no.
DCP-LETT-1484F
From
John Higgins
To
Charles Robert Darwin
Sent from
Alford
Source of text
Lincolnshire Archives (HIG/4/2/2/2)
Physical description
C 3pp

Please cite as

Darwin Correspondence Project, “Letter no. 1484F,” accessed on 28 March 2024, https://www.darwinproject.ac.uk/letter/?docId=letters/DCP-LETT-1484F.xml

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