Description of 24-G George Lane Fox, A Country Gentleman and Traditional Society
1. Tributes to George Lane Fox.
The important role of the gentry as a group in the local community.
By mid century almost half the land in England was owned by this group. To be classified as gentry one would have to own at least 1000 acres and have an annual income of £10.000. Land meant economic and political power. George lane Fox owned 21,000acres and in 1853 had an annual income of £11,000
George lane Fox was a man concerned with local agriculture and devoted to fox hunting.
2. The importance of his influence on the community and agriculture.
The Lane Fox family was well established and respected. George Lane Fox played a key role in the Wetherby Agricultural Society and had links with the earl of Harwood. Bramham Park his ancestral home built at the start of the eighteenth century and set in 70 acres of ornamental gardens was destroyed by fire in 1828 and so the family moved into considerable properties in the village-- Bowcliffe Hall and Bramham House. He owned land in Yorkshire and huge acreages in Ireland. He had income from The Aire and Calder Canal Company and Allerton Bywater Colliery. Links to Illus 41, 42 and 43
3. He was the Member of Parliament for Beverley and Pontefract until 1841 , Deputy Lieutenant of the County and known as the Sporting Squire. He had control of the woodland in the parish and so had influence over the landscape. H had inherited huge debts and in order to carry out important agricultural and necessary improvements on Bramham land he sold land from elsewhere. Links to Illus 44. and Fig 17
4. He had a good working relationship with his tenants and urged them to improve their farms. Link to Illus 39.
5. The Golden Age of Fox Hunting
He was master of the Bramham Moor Hunt which had a loyal following in the area. When two sheep had been destroyed by the hounds he paid16 shillings in compensation to the farmer. He employed local labour and supported local shops and trades.
6. Philanthropy
The Lane Fox family were benefactors to the village. They were not just wealthy landowners but part of the community with strong social responsibilities (£12 to the schoolmaster, coals for the poor and pensions for retired workers). Their
influence helped to maintain the traditional, social and political structure of the village
7. Footnotes 1_6
8. Footnotes 7_12
9. Illus 39 Portrait of George Lane Fox by Sir Francis Grant 1856
Illus40 Memorial to George Lane Fox in the Parish Church (Illus in poor
condition)
10. Illus41 View of Bramham Park south front and aerial view of formal garden. Illus (poor condition).
11. Illus 42 Bowcliffe Hall
Illus43 Bramham House (Illus poor condition)
12. Illus 44 The Sporting Squire. G L Fox enjoyed coaching
Illus45 The new kennels Bramham Moor Hunt
13. Fig 17 Notes and Key for and map of woodland and parkland showing land owned by George Lane Fox
14. Map of woodland and parkland (Fig 17)
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