IN this centenary anniversary year of the great Bedford Estate of 1911, whilst reading a report in your newspaper about the talk given on this subject at Tavistock and District Local History Society, I was given pause for thought.

Certainly, the sale initiated by the 11th Duke of Bedford, Herbrand Arthur Russell was a response to the decline in the local agricultural economy, the decline in the estate's revenue from the Devon Great Consuls mines, and the raised income tax and death duties introduced by the Liberal Chancellor Lloyd George in the so-called 'People's Budget' of 1909.

However, the sale of 1911 which in effect led to the severance of the Russell family's influence in Tavistock after a period of 372 years also had a political foundation to its 'hidden agenda'. The political dimension must be considered in order to fully elucidate why the 11th Duke made a decision which came as such an unexpected shock to Tavistokians at that time.

The 1972 Reform Act introduced the secret ballot which over time was to lead to the demise of the old 'Pocket Boroughs'. No longer could an economically and politically dominant interest exert absolute authority in parliamentary election, because after 1872 the ballot took place in secret rather than voters having to give a public declaration of their political allegiance.

Tavistock in the late 19th century had become for historians a case study exemplifying the decline of 'Pocket Boroughs'. At the 1892 General Election the Liberal candidate, Hugh Luttrell, was elected as MP for Tavistock (albeit with a slender majority of 2.5% of the vote) rather than the Conservative candidate whom the Russells favoured.

This signalled the impending end of the Russells' absolute political authority in Tavistock. The 1909 Budget was the final straw for the Russell family which is ultimately why they made their announcement of the sale in 1910 with 'no reasons given'. By this time the Russells were becoming economically out of pocket, but also more significantly they had already become politically out of pocket.

It is worth reflecting upon a couple of pertinent questions. If it had not been for the 1872 Reform Act would we now have the fine local government-owned public buildings such as the town hall and the Wharf which many residents and visitors enjoy and esteem?

If not for the 1872 Reform Act would the letters page of this newspaper be the open forum for opinion and debate that it is today? I believe that we should raise at least two cheers for democracy.

Incidentally, 59 West Street, 'Stonepost' (sic) was Lot 478 of the 627 lots in the sale of Bedford Estate properties conducted by Ward and Chowen over a period of eleven days between June 26 and July 6, 1911.

B V Hicks

West Street, Tavistock