Managing for Posterity

Securing the status and long-term survival of the family has always been the principal concern of the English aristocracy and gentry, and central to that ambition, at least until the late nineteenth century, was the successful management of their landed estates. By the late sixteenth century, price inflation had reduced the value of the rents collected by estates and new demands were placed on the landed gentry’s management skills. Failure to perform this somewhat tedious task could spell ruination for the family. The situation in Norfolk of the 1600s provides a perfect illustration of how effective management of the estate came to be so crucial to the aristocracy. By the 1600s estates in the region were changing hands rapidly, as the lethargic and incompetent failed to grapple with the issues while the astute and enterprising capitalized on their misfortunes. When Sir Hamon Le Strange inherited the family’s ancient estate at Hunstanton in 1604 the outlook was bleak. Heavily encumbered and woefully neglected by the Trustees during his minority, within a single generation Sir Hamon and his wife Lady Alice had restored the fortunes of the family through the careful and innovative management of their estates. This study investigates how the Le Stranges managed this feat of revival despite setbacks, including plundering of crops and sheep by Parliamentary forces during the Civil War period, and how they further ensured this prototype knowledge economy was successfully handed down to future generations. A landmark history of an estate in what is largely regarded as the leading sector of the early modern agrarian economy, the study also offers a unique perspective on contemporary concerns, notably the role of women, the relationship with local communities, sustainability in agriculture and the economic value of knowledge and the importance of its dissemination and transfer to future generations.