Cobbett's Hampshire, 1830

	Old Hampshire Mapped

	Cobbett's Hampshire Transcription (11)
navigation Stratton Park Micheldever Wood West Stratton East Stratton Grange Park Baring Family Northington Swallowfield oak woods suppresion of monasteries Henry VIII Russell Family costume charity park pale	previous Quitting Whitchurch, I went off to the left out of the Winchester-road, got out upon the high-lands, took an 'observation,' as the sailors call it, and off I rode, in a straight line, over hedge and ditch, towards the rising ground between Stratton Park and Micheldever-Wood; but, before I reached this point, I found some wet meadows and some running water in my way in a little valley running up from the turnpike road to a little place called West Stratton. I, therefore, turned to my left, went along by Stratton Park pales down East Stratton-street, and then on towards the Grange Park. Stratton Park is the seat of Sir THOMAS BARING, who has here several thousand of acres of land; who has the living of Micheldever, to which, I think, Northington and Swallowfield are joined. Above all, he has Micheldever Wood, which, they say, contains a thousand acres, and which is one of the finest oak-woods in England. This large and very beautiful estate must have belonged to the Church at the time of Henry the Eighth's 'reformation'. It was, I believe, given by him to the family of Russell; and, it was, by them, sold to Sir Francis Baring about twenty years ago. ... A little girl, of whom I asked my way down into East Stratton, and who was dressed in a camlet gown, white apron and plaid cloak (it was Sunday), and who had a book in her hand, told me that Lady Baring gave her the clothes, and had her taught to read and to sing hymns and spiritual songs.
charity education	As I came through the Strattons I saw not less than a dozen girls clad in this same way. It is impossible not to believe that this is done with a good motive; but, is possible to not to believe that it is productive of good. It must create hypocrites, and hypocrisy is the great sin of the age. Society is in a queer state when the rich think, that they must educate the poor in order to insure their own safety: for this, at bottom, is the great motive now at work in pushing on the education scheme, though in this particular case, perhaps, there may be a little enthusiasm at work. When persons are glutted with riches; when they have their fill of them; when are surfeited of all earthly pursuits, they are very apt to begin to think about the next world; and, the moment they begin to think of that, they begin to look over the account that they shall have to present. Hence the far greater part of what are called 'charities.' But, it is the business of governments to take care that there shall be very little of this glutting with riches, and very little need of 'charities.' next

	Cobbett's Hampshire 1830, contents
	General index (to Old Hampshire Mapped)
	Old Hampshire Mapped

Text HMCMS:B1999.483