After reading the document, Victoria (age 10) and mother had a discussion. It is Victoria\'s opinion that regardless of position and privilege, her ancestor was \"interested in making sure everyone was ok.\" The prices of grain was high, the supply was low, the fields were fallow, and the manufacturers and land owners were reaping huge profits from high demand and low supply to the detriment of the lower class. Prices had to be adjusted. \"Great-great-great-grand-father was thinking about what was best for the country. He was not thinking about what was good for only the upper class people or the new manufacturing people.\" It was a turbulent economic time with the industrial revolution and economic rules readjusting, with new classes of people arising and lower classes being further suppressed. \"I would agree with great-great-great grand-father and allow foreign food in the country, \'regulated\' as he said, and then people don\'t have to starve as much.\" I would agree with Victoria, but this article also shows how the upper classes were not so despondent to the lower classes, they did care, they did want to do what was right. This is an excellent example of \'noblesse oblige.\" This document is not necessarily an \'easy read\' unless the reader has some background knowledge of the time and place and circumstances.
Victoria Grant-Suttie Redman and Susan Grant-Suttie’s book reviews