Heritage Project - PAPER TRAIL - Covent Garden Market, Portraits and a Mechanical Tarantula

The life of the sixth Duke of Bedford is revealed through his bills

It was Edward VI who gave the Russell family not only Woburn Abbey in Bedfordshire, but also London’s Covent Garden market. The Abbey is a former monastery, which over generations was transformed into the majestic country seat of the Dukes of Bedford and is still a family home today. One of the most colourful characters was the sixth Duke, John Russell (1766– 1839). His projects included the refurbishment of the Abbey and development of the gardens (for which Humphrey Repton was commissioned) and the rebuilding of Covent Garden. For the past year, volunteers from The Arts Society Woburn have been working under the supervision of the Bedford Estates archive team to electronically list thousands of bills and invoices. They cover the 29 years from 1806, when the Duke was created a privy counsellor and took office as Lord Lieutenant of Ireland in the Ministry of all the Talents. As well as household expenses, every bill has survived for each trip to and from Ireland for the Duke and his entourage – where they stopped either to change horses or for the night; invoices for accommodation, food and wine; and the ferry from Holyhead to Ireland. So far the volunteers have processed over 13,000 documents. The project will continue with the later Dukes, however they were less prolific spenders, so their bill collections will be smaller. “We all find it stimulating and rewarding work, and a privilege to be involved,” says Anne Champion, the volunteers’ organiser. “The bills give a fascinating insight into the lives of the aristocracy at that time – our finds have included a receipt for £45 for two Gainsborough portraits and a bill for a mechanical tarantula.”

Full article and photos in The Arts Society Review Summer 2017