The Right Hon. Sir Harry Verney, Bart. 
J85 
Indian friend. At luncheon he expressed his doubts as to whether 
a certain road on the estate (six miles off) was being re-metalled in a 
satisfactory manner, and intimated his intention of riding over in 
the afternoon to see how it was progressing. He sat his horse well, 1 
and the woodcut on page 181, after an excellent photograph by 
Mr. Payne, of Aylesbury, gives a good idea of his appearance on 
horseback. At tea-time Sir Harry was back, full of information 
about the road ; and after dinner he discoursed without flagging on 
subjects of special interest to him — archaeology, social reform, Parlia- 
ment, small holdings, and many more. 
During Sir Harry’s life the greater part of the Claydon estate 
has been drained, and in almost every case at his own expense. 
New farm-buildings and improvements occupied a large share of 
his attention, and he was particularly happy in his choice of site and 
situation, with a view to secure the health and comfort of the tenants 
and their farm-stock. The new cottages that have been built in his 
time — and particularly those of recent years — are a vast improve- 
ment on those which he inherited ; but even the old cottages have 
undergone enlargement and improvement to meet modern require- 
ments. He planted a quantity of tine timber in all parts of the 
estate, and the specimens of oak and elm are hardly to be surpassed 
anywhere. 
Both he and Lady Yerney were greatly interested in the subject 
of small holdings — which, indeed, was engaging his attention at the 
time of his lamented death. The subjoined letter is interesting, not 
only as being one of the very last which Sir Harry wrote before 
his fatal illness, but from several other points of view. It evidences 
an active mind ever busy for the welfare of his tenantry and agri- 
culturists generally, a punctilious regard for the engagements and 
convenience of others, and a confident looking forward to a con- 
tinuance of useful work — as witness the mention of his engagements 
on February 7 and 12, and his prospective visit to London at the 
end of March : none of them, alas ! destined to be fulfilled. 
Claydon House, Winslow, Bucks : Jan. 2(5, 1894. 
My dear Mr. Ernest Clarke, — I am very anxious to persuade you to 
spend a day or two with me here. I am desirous that by some means the 
condition of tenant-farmers in this part of the country should be raised. I 
think that what may be understood by l< the farm labourers treading on the 
heels of the farmers ” should be avoided. I think that there is danger of it 
in this neighbourhood, and that no one is so able as yourself to give an 
opinion on the subject. 
I shall also ask your opinion as to dividing a considerable portion of 
an estate into small holdings. I have heard that Lord Tollemache has 
divided a large portion of his estate near Chester in that manner. My land 
is almost entirely grass, some of it very good grass-land. I should think 
that better is hardly to be found anywhere. 
If you are so good as to accept my invitation, might I suggest next week, 
or the week following, or the week after that, for your visit, or at a later 
time ? 
1 Up to the last few days of his life Sir Harry took regular exercise on 
horseback, and he was in the saddle only four days before bis death- 
