V1J1 



PREFACE. 



an enterprising career of agricultural improvements. The 

 year's receipts were neatly folded up, docketed, and 

 tied together in a bundle. They had evidently not 

 been touched since, for as they were opened the sand iMl 

 over the table, and it was frequently necessary when tran- 

 scribing them to sweep the table or blotting-pad more than 

 once in an evening. Francis Cholmeley 's son and grand- 

 son had shown the same care in preserving their receipts, 

 though the payments of the latter had often been made 

 by an attorney. Among the papers were found the 

 accounts of a friend of the family, Sir Charles Buck, 

 who had built a house at Wharram, in the East Riding. 

 A reference in one of the receipts led me to suppose that 

 similar documents might be found at Castle Howard, and 

 by the kindness of the Earl and Countess of Carlisle 

 I was able to spend a week in transcribing the more 

 interesting accounts of that family that belonged to the 

 'iirlit'-'-ntli rrntury. Th-y aiv, limvever, not noarlv so 

 complete or useful as those of the Cholmeley family. 

 From these sources several thousand entries were made, 

 which not only supplied much information that was 

 missing, but also threw additional light on the quota- 

 tions already collected in a manner not unworthy, as 

 I hope, of the great work into which I have been per- 

 mitted to insert them. 



The history of the house of Howard is well known. 

 For some three centuries they have occupied a prominent 

 and honourable place in the history of their country; 

 and during the period under review, one Lord 

 Carlisle held office as Viceroy of Ireland. But this 

 very feet renders their history less interesting on this 

 occasion, and we can learn but little of their daily life 

 from their accounts. With the Cholmeley family, on 



