Nat Gould

Letters from Pilsbury Grange

Pilsbury Grange

The following documents were written by or to members of the Gould family of Pilsbury Grange near Hartington in Derbyshire.

They were discovered by Peter and Eileen Bentley in 2009, untouched for a century, in an old bureau formerly belonging to Richard Goodwin Gould 1822–1892 of Longnor in Staffordshire, the great-grandfather of Mrs Eileen Bentley (nee Gould). They have been carefully scanned by Peter Bentley and transcribed by Tom Askey.

The letters date from the nineteenth century. With the exception of the first letter (from the previous generation) they concern the last generation of the Gould family to farm at Pilsbury Grange. During the reign of Queen Victoria, farming began its long decline with the coming of the railways and imported grain from North America, beef from South America, and wool from Australia.

The letters are of great value to descendants of the Gould family.

However they will also be of interest to others in providing a vivid picture of life on a remote Victorian farm in the English Peak District, not untouched by commerce in distant cities.

In date order the they are as follows:-

Letter 1 : 4 November 1806 : Richard Gould to his son John Gould.

Letter 2 : 8 December 1842 : Catherine Cooper to her friend Richard Goodwin Gould.

Letter 3 : 15 July 1843 : Margaret Gould to her son Richard Goodwin Gould.

Letter 4 : 26 July 1843 : Nathaniel Gould to his brother Richard Goodwin Gould.

Letter 5 : 8 August 1843 : Margaret Gould to her son Richard Goodwin Gould.

Letter 6: 16 August 1843 : J.H. Gilbert to his friend Richard Goodwin Gould.

Letter 7 : 16 November 1843 : John H. Gilbert to his friend Richard Goodwin Gould.

Letter 8 : 5 January 1844 : Margaret Gould to her son Richard Goodwin Gould.

Letter 9: 12 July 1844 : Margaret Gould to her son Richard Goodwin Gould.

Letter 10 : 21 July 1844 : Margaret Gould to her son Richard Goodwin Gould.

Letter 11 : 13 December 1846 : William Gould to his brother Richard Goodwin Gould.

Letter 12 : 18 January 1847 : John Gould to his neighbour's sons Richard Goodwin Gould and Nathaniel Gould.

Letter 13 : 7 March 1847 : William Gould to his brother Richard Goodwin Gould.

Letter 14 : 1 September 1847 : William Gould to his brother Richard Goodwin Gould.