William Cowper's Grand Tour, 1729-30

Cole Green House (west Front) – drawing made by John Charnock, c. 1780

For nearly two centuries the Cowper Family was one of the most notable in Hertfordshire. The 1st Earl Cowper invested in a great deal of land in and around Hertford. In about 1715 he had a country house built at Cole Green and he also owned the old manor house of Panshanger.

Panshanger 1790

Reminders of this former grand family are still to be found in our local area. For instance, there is a road in Bengeo called Cowper Crescent and there is the Cowper Memorial School at Tewin. The Cowper shield can be seen on various buildings connected with the family; for example, on houses built for tenants around Tewin Lower Green and on the front wall of the Hall at Hertingfordbury, known as Mayflower Place.

William, the 2nd Earl (1709-1768), was 14 when his father died. At the age of 15 he attended Exeter College, Oxford, where his tutor was the Reverend Dr Joseph Atwell (1695-?). Dr Atwell seems to have become a general friend of the family. In 1729 it was decided that the young Earl should undertake the extensive tour of Europe known as the ”Grand Tour”. Dr Atwell was appointed to be his tutor and mentor on this tour. Neither Dr Atwell nor William’s older sister, Lady Sarah Cowper (1707-1758), was particularly keen for the tour to take place. However, William’s guardians presumably felt the experience would benefit him in many ways.

Throughout the 18th century the Grand Tour remained highly fashionable, serving as a ”Gap Year” (or years) for very rich young men. Many advantages were seen to accrue to these young men from their taking the Grand Tour. They would become well informed about methods of government in other countries. They would acquire fluency in French (the diplomatic language), and gain sufficient social poise and confidence as to take their place at the top of English society on their return from Europe. However, some commentators thought the experience of travel in Europe did more harm than good. Some young men picked up ”objectionable” foreign ways and were liable to be led astray by loose women. Moral hazards in Italy were considered particularly difficult to avoid.

Lady Sarah, who lived at Panshanger, and Dr Atwell corresponded throughout the Tour. Dr Atwell wrote that William was not an enthusiastic tourist: ”he has no opportunity or occasion to ride and his curiosity is not great enough to walk about any place that we come to.” In order to remain in good health, it was thought important to keep up the strength of one’s ”natural fibres”, and William’s health suffered from lack of exercise. He was seriously ill during their stay in Venice. Dr Atwell wrote on2 December 1729 that his charge had been ”seized with a Fever, a violent cold, difficulty of breathing and great pains in all his limbs.” However, he refused to see a Physician for, according to Dr Atwell, William had “almost a hereditary Aversion to Physick”. This left Dr Atwell in a considerable dilemma for, as he told Lady Sarah: ”My skill in Physick is very small” and ”I should be very unwilling to have his Life and Health depend upon my little skill.” He was particularly worried that the illness would affect William’s lungs.

Doctor Atwell and Lady Sarah both wished that William had never started the Tour and they thought he should come home to ”his native air” as soon as possible. However, William fortunately did recover, although he lost a great deal of weight. He decided that they should go on to visit Rome and Naples before returning home via Geneva and Paris. He was rather afraid that if he returned home early, without having seen these famous cities, he might be accused of a lack of courage and stamina. During the Tour William reached his 21st year and Lady Sarah decided that the birthday should be celebrated back home at Panshanger. Her account of the day’s events, plus other extracts from her diary, are set out below.

In November 1730 the young Earl made arrangements for Dr Atwell to receive an annual pension of £200 a year. Two or three years later Dr Atwell became Rector of Exeter College, Oxford, where he had first tutored William. His appointment was probably the result of William’s ”influence” at court. Soon after taking up his new post he gave up his pension.

In January 1731 Sarah noted that: ”My brother took his seat in the House of Lords and opened up his London House in Great George St. near Hanover Square, and took my sister and me to live with him.”

Dr Atwell vowed that he would never undertake to be ”in loco parentis” for any other young men in Europe. Jokingly, he said that he would accompany Lady Sarah if she wanted to travel. He thought that young women would be easier to look after when they were abroad than young men. He knew from his own experience that many of the tutors on the Grand Tour were liable to be given a very hard time by their young aristocratic charges.

The 2nd Earl Cowper seems often to have felt unwell throughout his life. He certainly does not seem to have felt robust enough to be lured into the dreadful temptations that foreign travel can offer to the young and rich and single! Dr Atwell knew that he had been let off lightly while Lady Sarah could breathe a sigh of relief. Their worst fears for William on his Grand Tour had not been realized!