An Open Elite: England 1540-1880

by Lawrence Stone, Jeanne C. Fawtier Stone

An Open Elite? sets out to test the traditional view that for centuries English landed society has been open to new families made rich by business or public office. From a detailed examination of the landed elites of three counties between 1540 and 1880, the authors come to radical new conclusions about the landed classes. They describe the strategies of marriage and inheritance evolved by older families to preserve their position, and establish that the number of newcomers was always relatively small. The resulting work is a major reassessment of the social, economic, and political history of England since the Reformation.

This abridged edition of what was immediately recognized as a major work of historical scholarship was first published in 1986 and is now available in Clarendon Paperback with a new foreword by Lawrence Stone.

Genres: History, British Literature

340 pages, Paperback

First published July 5, 1984

About the author

Lawrence Stone was an English historian of early modern Britain. He is noted for his work on the English Civil War and marriage. Stone was a major advocate of using the methods of the social sciences to study history.

Reviews

[Mindy aka serenity · Rating 2 out of 5]

This book seeks to uncover the truth behind a long-held belief: that the English landed elite were stable and powerful for so long because of an ‘open elite’ policy, allowing self-made men of the merchant classes to ascend into their ranks. The authors take the reader through a dizzying amount of graphs, tables, and analysis to test that theory. But when you step back you cannot help but admire the precision to which they have created this research plan, with air tight conclusions about England’s elite, taking into account the cultural, demographic, social, and political elements that distinguished the ancient elite from the ‘newcomers’ who presumably provided balance and sustainability for them.
The Stones focus on the country elite, distinguished from parish gentry by their greater wealth, higher education, and eligibility for positions of leadership in government. They focus primarily on the three English counties of Hertfordshire, outside of London, Northamptonshire, a middle distance away from large towns, and Northumberland, a far distance to the north. The time period (1540-1880) is chosen due to the fact that in the history of these counties, it was considered the most favorable to the country squires, barons, and lords on which the book focuses. Parish records, letters, family histories, and other original sources are utilized to paint the best picture possible of who the powerful landed elite were and their feelings and attitudes towards their titles and estates, and of newcomers.
We are also given a clear picture of the newcomers, consisting of men who rose to prominence via their own talents. These newcomers rose beginning with the dissolution and subsequent sale of England’s monasteries under Henry VIII, buying their way into prominence. Through the Stones’ research, it was uncovered that many of these newcomers to the elite were more often lawyers, statesmen or politicians, or younger sons of already elite families, given very little to make their way in the world but their education and a small amount of cash. The newcomers are only very rarely members of the merchant class, mainly because these men were often not of the same level of education and gentility as the elite. In fact, the authors note that what was more important in being described as a gentleman was not how much money you had, but instead was your education and mannerisms. This is also a reason why the children of a self-made man entering the country elite were more accepted than he, as they were brought up in ways similar to established elite children.
The issue of inheritance is given a prominent place in this book due to evidence that it was extremely important to the landed elite. According to the authors, the elite would do everything possible to prevent a seat from being divided from their family name and estate. The inheritance could be lost if there were no male heirs, because a female heir would not carry the family name once she married, leaving the name to die out. Several inventive actions to prevent this occurred, including naming male cousins or uncles as heirs, “adopting” an heir outside the family, or demanding that the groom, often a younger son from another elite family, change his last name to his bride’s and become heir. Only as a last resort would these elite families sell their seat. As a result, sales did not happen very often. Most sales were of extra titles that already titled elite had gained through marriage. Only 42 sales in the entire time period were due to financial ruin.
This book mainly focuses on the changes in the social composition of the country elite, discussing their lifestyles, mobility patterns, and their sense of duty to serve their people through public offices such as justice of the Peace. It also includes a thorough description of what a country house looked like and how it changed over time, because the greater the house, the greater the power wielded. It also discusses how newcomers were received and accepted by the elite. In the conclusion we return to the original question: how were the elite so successful for so long? The Stones declare through their research that the open elite theory is untrue. Merchants were not key players in the stability of the elite as was believed. The symbiosis involved here is of land and the professions, exactly as it was in the Continent during this time. The authors put forward a few ideas for true reasons that England’s elite were special, such as the lack of tax breaks. The big difference from the continent though is the perception of what makes a gentleman, creating a homogenized education and upbringing with the rising middle class, which made all sons gentlemen according to elite standards.

[Zandra · Rating 3 out of 5]

There are some fascinating conclusions here, some entertaining case studies, and the writing style is engaging. But I found the central question of the title (there is a question mark on the cover of my version) rather too narrow, boring and academically argued. As Stone himself acknowledges: 'any conclusion drawn about the country elite (ie there there was not much social mobility) may well not apply to the parish gentry.' I ended up feeling society may well have been quite open a little lower down, although it is clear a small number of extremely wealthy and powerful families fought hard, and successfully, over the centuries, to keep their preeminence. Stone uses the methods of social science to examine historical questions, but he also backs up his arguments with many references to famous writers and their works, and I enjoyed this versatility.

[Bryan Batson · Rating 3 out of 5]

A focused study of the landed elite in England during its rise; while usefull as a historical investigation, this book is so scaled and limited by its academic analysis as to lack any broad appluication. I find the one enduring message to be that the appearance of the possibility of upward mobility is a useful way to keep the masses happy, even if such mobility is not truly available to all.