Richard Cobden 1804-1865
Peace.  Goodwill among Nations  
HELP SAVE DUNFORD HOUSE Grade II Listed THE HOME OF RICHARD COBDEN 
Philippa's Support

Dunford House Our Appeal with Support from Philippa Gregory and Helen Pankhurst.places

A word from Philippa Gregory
"I was very sorry to hear that the YMCA are considering the sale of Dunford House, Heyshott, and I am keen to support the efforts of Nick Cobden Wright and the newly formed Cobden Foundation to secure ownership of the house. If Dunford House is disposed of in any other way it would remove from an unspoiled rural community a powerful centre which both reaches out to the wider world, and brings people in from the wider world to some of the most beautiful countryside in England, I know Dunford House well, because I spent my childhood summers in Heyshott and described the village and the surrounding countryside as the backdrop to my three best-selling novels in the Wideacre series. My aunt who was our family’s host through those long wonderful summers was a lecturer at Dunford and believed strongly that the house had been gifted to the community to continue the work of peace and social justice started by Richard Cobden. Every spring we would go to see the daffodils at the Cobden monument.

I think Dunford House could have a powerful and effective future in the hands of the Cobden Foundation. The future of Dunford House has created an alliance of people with a sense of ownership in the property and a vision as to what can be done with it. These, not property developers, are the people who should have custodianship of the house. They will continue the work of Richard Cobden, and perpetuate the aims of the YMCA with events, conferences, residentials and celebrations. There might even be a literature festival! (I know a bit about them!) Ownership by the Cobden Foundation would enhance the house, the area, and they would be good guardians of the original legacy. More than ever, do we need centres of liberalism, tolerance, and intellectual rigour. Dunford House has always provided this, it was left to the nation to provide this, surely it should continue to do so?

Philippa Gregory"

A word from Helen Pankhurst

The Cobden Foundation which is trying to save Dunford House to renew the original donor intent for it to be a conference centre, during the week of International Women’s Day made contact with Helen Pankhurst as she was fully occupied at rallies and meetings for that great cause. Helen still found time to respond to the appeal for help from our campaign and has agreed to lend her support:
 
Professor Anthony Howe of the University of East Anglia has written for the Cobden Foundation ‘Dunford House should be preserved as it has played a highly significant part in the genesis and development of later Victorian and Edwardian feminism. Two of Richard Cobden's daughters (Jane and Annie) were a leading suffragist and suffragette. Jane in particular was one of the first women members of the London County Council among other causes. The Dunford library contains volumes of books with the nameplate ‘The Daughters of Richard Cobden’ ‘

Helen says
 
The compelling and fascinating story of campaigning across all classes for women's rights should be maintained so future generations can understand how early day feminist activism contributed to the shaping of today's world - and highlights the journey still to carve out.
 
The Dunford House and Estate were gifted to the YMCA in 1952 as a permanent endowment by the Cobden family. The Cobden Foundation charity is in discussions with the YMCA seeking the best way in which between them they can return the House to this charitable trust so they can continue the legacy of their ancestors.
 
I commend the intentions of the Cobden Foundation and join all feminists and historians in wishing the Foundation every success in their crusade to save Dunford House.
 
Helen Pankhurst.

Nick Cobden Wright, Richard Cobden's great, great, great grandson writes ..on behalf of the Cobden family:

"Luck relies on chance, labor on character."
Richard Cobden

Our campaign and story is about saving the home of Richard Cobden - a prominent Victorian, dedicated politician, passionate campaigner, successful law-reformer, revered statesman...a man of the people.

His life and many achievements are noted below but the point of our campaign is to preserve and safeguard his roots, birthplace, heart, inspiration, solace, life, work, family...all represented at his home, Dunford House in Midhurst, West Sussex..

 In 1952, due to growing maintenance costs and an insecure property market, Dunford was entrusted to The National Council and YMCA by the Cobden family.
The National Council and YMCA were chosen for their reputation in promoting wholesome, ethical and Christian values internationally. These were ideals very much aligned with Cobden's lifelong work and dedication to advance international peace, fair trade, education and tolerance.

Dunford House began life as a humble farmhouse for Richard Cobden and his 10 brothers and sisters. They lived there in their childhood years and schooling started in nearby Midhurst.

However, after Richard’s father had to sell Dunford farm due to financial losses, they moved away from the area, although Cobden forever cherished the memory of his times there.

As a young man, he became co-owner of a successful Calico but soon found himself more engaged in politics. His travels had had convinced him of the virtues of free trade (anti-protection) as the key to better international relations.

In 1838, he and John Bright founded the Anti-Corn Law League, aimed at abolishing the unpopular Corn Laws, which protected landowners’ interests by levying taxes on imported wheat, thus raising the price of bread. As a Member of Parliament from 1841, he fought against opposition from the Peel ministry, and abolition was achieved in 1846.

Following the repeal of the Corn Laws, Richard Cobden was now a national hero but was so committed to the cause of free trade that he became bankrupt. 

A public subscription of £80,000 was raised in recognition of his services and in 1847 he used the money to buy back his childhood home and farm at Dunford for £3,500, that his father had been forced to sell.

On his first visit, he picked a leaf from a rose growing against 'the house were I was born'. Today this is preserved between sheets of plastic in the British Library. "We shall shine in roses" he wrote to his wife who was in London awaiting the birth of their third daughter, Jane. 

In time, the growing family decided to live at Dunford full time and by 1854 they were in the splendid Italianate villa, which we know today.

Another free trade initiative was the Cobden-Chevalier Treaty of 1860, promoting closer interdependence between Britain and France. This campaign was conducted in collaboration with John Bright and French economist Michel Chevalier, and succeeded despite Parliament’s endemic mistrust of the French.

For several years Cobden had been suffering severely at intervals from bronchial irritation and a difficulty of breathing. Owing to this he had spent the winter of 1860 in Algeria, and every subsequent winter he had to be very careful and confine himself to the house, especially in damp and foggy weather. On 2 April 1865 he died peacefully at his apartments in London.

On the following day Lord Palmerston said "it was not possible for the House to proceed to business without every member recalling to his mind the great loss which the House and country had sustained by the event which took place yesterday morning." Disraeli said he "was an ornament to the House of Commons and an honour to England."

He was buried at West Lavington church, on April 7 close to his birthplace on the original farm, which he had purchased and where he spent some of the last years of his active and benevolent life.
 
After his death in 1865, his beloved home was kept in our family for many generations while entrusted to respected institutions which continued the Cobdenite causes of free trade, peace and goodwill by turning Dunford House into a conference and education centre for furthering these views. Many successful seminars and events were held at Dunford, with the financial proceeds used to maintain the house and property.

When the Trust deed was set up in 1952 the House, other buildings, land, woods and Cobden family artefacts were donated or transferred to the National Council as a permanent and perpetual endowment in memory of Richard Cobden and his legacy. 

It is Richard Cobden’s legacy we are determined to preserve for future generations to enjoy.

Please help and join us with our mission to save Dunford House from developers.

Thank you for your support.

Contact Chris Boxley at boxley@talktalk.net 
or Nick Cobden Wright at nickcobdenwright@icloud.com 

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