Series 4 > Papers on Scottish electoral politics, 1832-1854

1839-1845 lyi
Sir John Hope to the Duke of Buccleuch
Private Pinkie House, 13 April 1845
I have just received your letter about our member who I yet hope
may be persuaded to delay his retiring. My own personal feeling for
mentioning myself or Archy is in the first place there is a chance of
one of us carrying the county-and I am certain there is no chance of
Lord A [berdour] gaining a vote in the West part of the county. Lord
M [orton] either does not meddle with, or does not understand the
fair mode of managing, his tenantry and the farming upon the Estate
has not changed nor improved since I have known it, 1802, and if
you ask the neighbours they say how can it be otherwise-there is a
constant change of tenants and all rouped out1 and no one will go
there but those who cannot get ground elsewhere. And I am grieved
to say that Lord Aberdour has begun the same system on the Watson
property where they are already discontented. Such being the case
someone else must be looked out. But to tell the truth-I Have no
intention of giving up what I think is due to me or to my family
after 43 years work in the county-and if Ramsay does resign I shall
certainly try my chance or that of my son if I can manage the money
part of it; or if I find I am not to be supported I shall most certainly
withdraw from taking any share or vote upon the matter. I have
spent a long life in trying to be useful to my native county, and have
long worked hard and been at expence for others during the period
I have mentioned, and I think the general feeling of the county will
bear me out-and I am induced to come to this resolution-that if I
do not follow this opinion out-I do not do my duty to my family.
I may not succeed in assisting my family but if I fail I will have the
satisfaction of Knowing I Have done my best-and I will be no worse
off than I Have been-having never received any Kindness or favour
from a party I Have so uniformly and zealously supported-while
every one with far less claims are pushed forward.
... I do not think Callander would go down with the County in
general. He does attend to County matters in some degree [and]2
he is anxious for our cause and is liberal in his contributions for our
enrolling and Election Expences-/dr very far above the family of
1 A tenant unable to pay his rent would be turned off the land and his effects sold at a
public roup to pay the arrears.
2 The original has ‘but’.