Welsh Journals

THE ECONOMY OF THE LANDED ESTATES OF PEMBROKESHIRE c. 1680-1830* THE eighteenth century was an age when land still formed the foundation of the British economy and shaped the social structure. Although it was not the sole channel of investment, and perhaps not the most profitable, it was nevertheless the most secure. Indeed, those who engaged in trade often bought land, for its possession opened the door to social and political prominence.1 It was an age when a man's public stature was still measured by the extent of his acres. Three fundamental qualifications appeared to be necessary for any family claiming to be among the ranks of the landed gentry in this period. In the first place, there had to be a mansion or family residence, however modest; secondly, there must be a home farm adjoining this residence; and finally, it was necessary that there should be an estate, most of which, again, had to be let out to tenants.2 It was this last feature, in particular, which distinguished the landed gentry, a class of 'rentiers', from the substantial freeholders who worked their lands directly for the market.3 While these qualifications serve to demarcate the landed gentry as a class, within their ranks there were wide gradations of incomes. G. E. Mingay states that the gentry 'formed a numerous and diverse middle class in landed society taking the shape of a social pyramid, fairly narrow at the top, but very broad at the base'.4 In Pembroke- shire towards the close of the eighteenth century, it is possible to divide this class into three broad income groups. At the top of the scale were the greater gentry, who owned estates yielding annual rentals of over £ 3,000. This small group included the Campbells of Stackpole, the Owens of Orielton, the Philippses of Picton and, possibly, the Barlows of Lawrenny.5 Below were the middle, substantial gentry, who owned estates worth between £ 1,000 and I am grateful to Professor David Williams and Professor A. H. John for their valuable criticism and advice in the preparation of this article. G. E. Mingay. English Landed Society in the Eighteenth Century (1963), pp. 3-4. 2 H. M. Vaughan, The South Wales Squires (1926). pp. 2-3. 3 Mingay, op. cit.. p. 8. 4 Ibid., pp. 6-7. 5 For extant rentals of these large estates and for those of the smaller ones. vide the appendix to this article. The discussion of the estates in this article is limited to their properties in Pembrokeshire only.