Description of 23-B Bramham Park building work and payments
1. A list of payments made to various named people in the years 1698 to 1725 together with a discussion dated 1958 endeavouring to establish who each individual was and the part he played in construction of the house and layout of the park around the time that building commenced. It speculates that the whole concept was that of the owner Benson himself.
2. & 3. A letter dated 1982 from Andore Gomme giving the background on some of the architectural and building activities of some of the people named in item 1 in the 1700 - 1730 period, also supporting the belief that Benson had a direct involvement.
4. - 8. A Country Life article dated 20 Feb. 1958 reports that Robert Benson, later to become Lord Bingley, built the house on a virgin site between 1700 and 1710, saying that he seems to have acted as his own architect. It gives details of Robert Benson's origins, education and political and commercial activities.
9. & 10. Headed "Interesting Extracts fro Old Account Books" these two pages list some expenditures in the period 1832 to 1878.
11. & 12. Headed "Extracts from the first Lord Bingley's Letterbook October 1727 to September 1728" these give details of contacts with staff about day to day problems of garden maintenance, rent collection, wages, discipline, catering, entertainment etc.
13. A letter written by Lady Wentworth to her son describing Robert Benson in enthusiastic terms.
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