Estates In England Research Articles

“Will doe all in her power”: the role of women in the contested will of Henry Cavendish

ABSTRACT When the 2nd Duke of Newcastle-upon-Tyne, Henry Cavendish died in 1691, he left behind one of the wealthiest estates in England. Having no male heir, he chose to leave his fortune to his favourite daughter Margaret. This decision was not well received by other family members, leading to a lengthy conflict culminating in court proceedings that attempted to contest the will. Utilising both judicial sources as well as personal correspondence, this paper examines the role and influence of the women within the Cavendish family in this process. It explores the methods by which they were able to participate both in and outside of court, and how they utilised both practical and emotional tactics to achieve their aims. This paper argues that the idealised roles of wife, mother and widow offered women a role of influence, lending credibility to their testimonies as well as enabling them to effectively manage family discord.

Prison-based democratic therapeutic communities, medication, and the power to exclude.

In 1962, the first custodial Democratic Therapeutic Community (DTC) was established in the English prison estate at HMP Grendon. Today, the Category B male prison estate in England and Wales has three DTCs and three 'TC+' units for prisoners with learning disabilities. There is one DTC in the female estate at HMP Send. The services fall under the remit of the Offender Personality Disorder Pathway, a jointly commissioned initiative that aims to provide a pathway of psychologically informed services for a highly complex and challenging group of prisoners who are likely to have a severe personality disorder. Several of these units make clear that prisoners prescribed psychotropic medicines are specifically excluded from entry and participation in the available therapy. This analysis paper explores whether an evidence-based rationale exists for this practice and examines the impact on those whose care pathways may comprise hospitals and prisons.

An Investigation Into the Impact of Dementia Knowledge and Attitudes on Individuals’ Confidence in Practice: A Survey of Non-Healthcare Staff Inside the Prison Estate in England and Wales

AimsWhilst the majority of age groups are seeing a decline in numbers in prison custody, the older male population continues to rise year on year. This unexpected trend has led researchers to investigate the needs of this particular cohort in more detail and start to question if the prison estate is able to care for the specific needs of the ageing population. This primary research specifically, looks to investigate what relationship, if any knowledge and attitudes to dementia have on how the confidence in practice levels of non-healthcare prison staffMethodsThis research, in a specific, applied context considers the relationship between attitudes toward the prison estate alongside knowledge and attitudes toward dementia in general and the potential relationship these may have on confidence levels. To do this, the research scored individuals’ responses against the dementia knowledge assessment scale, attitudes to the prison estate and general attitudes toward dementia. These three independent variables were measured both overall and individually against individual confidence in practices scores. 50 individuals participated with differing roles and length of service in the prison estateResultsThe results of the study found that the overall model was significant. Of the three independent variables, it was found that positive attitudes to dementia were the most influential predictor of confidence. Knowledge of the condition and attitudes to the prison estate, the second and third independent variable however were not significant predictors of confidence in practice levels. Overall, the results indicate that there is a relationship between knowledge, attitudes, and confidence in delivery of dementia care in the prison estate as an overall model.ConclusionThe main objective of this study was to determine the knowledge and attitudes to dementia of non-healthcare prison staff and if that knowledge and those attitudes had an impact on confidence in practice levels. It could be argued that this research has fulfilled its primary aim, reporting that knowledge about and attitudes toward dementia scores are a significant predictor of knowledge of the condition in non-healthcare-based staff.

(Mal-)practices of Auctioneering on the English Property Market During the 19th Century

Abstract In the 19th century, auctions became a widespread form of transaction for real estate in England. Contemporaries viewed auctioning as an effective method for the transaction of land, in terms of price determination and transparency. Contrary to these theoretical assumptions, the article shows that in practice it was not economic efficiency but group interests that played a decisive role in the establishment of the auction mechanism. The article provides an analysis of the formal and informal rules of the auction trade for real estate and argues that 19th century real estate auctions did not always lead to optimal results in terms of valuation and allocation because power structures played a greater role in them than auction theory assumes.

Far from Privatopia: Private Residential Estates in England and Wales

Far from Privatopia: Private Residential Estates in England and Wales

PROPERTY RELATIONS IN ENGLAND: THE LEGAL REGULATION OF RESPONSIBILITY FOR CRIMES IN THE SPHERE OF REAL ESTATE

The article presents the results of the study of property relations in the field of real estate, which allowed us to reveal the features of the typology and classification of real estate in England, shared ownership and ownership, the procedure for making transactions with real estate. The article considers the legislative regulation of relations in the field of real estate in England and Wales, where there are laws that differ for historical reasons from the laws of Scotland and Northern Ireland, and provides examples of criminal encroachments on property. The content of the presented material is informative, is of a certain scientific interest, since only authentic sources are used in writing the article, and also has signs of practical significance and novelty.

Trust, efficacy and ethicacy when testing prisoners for COVID-19

PurposeThe outbreak of the severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 virus and subsequent COVID-19 illness has had a major impact on all levels of society internationally. The extent of the impact of COVID-19 on prison staff and prisoners in England and Wales is unknown. Testing for COVID-19 both asymptomatic and symptomatic, as well as for antibodies, to date, has been minimal. The purpose of this paper is to explore the widespread testing of COVID-19 in prisons poses philosophical and ethical questions around trust, efficacy and ethicacy.Design/methodology/approachThis paper is both descriptive, providing an overview of the widespread testing of COVID-19 in prisoners in England and Wales, and conceptual in that it discusses and argues the issues associated with large-scale testing. This paper provides a discussion, using comparative studies, of the issues associated with large-scale testing of prisoners across the prison estate in England and Wales (120 prisons). The issues identified in this paper are contextualised through the lens of COVID-19, but they are equally transferrable to epidemiological studies of any pandemic. Given the prevalence of COVID-19 globally and the lack of information about its spread in prisons, at the time of writing this paper, there is a programme of asymptomatic testing of prisoners. However, there remains a paucity of data on the spread of COVID-19 in prisons because of the progress with the ongoing testing programme.FindingsThe authors argue that the widespread testing of prisoners requires careful consideration of the details regarding who is included in testing, how consent is gained and how tests are administered. This paper outlines and argues the importance of considering the complex nuance of power relationships within the prison system, among prisoner officers, medical staff and prisoners and the detrimental consequences.Practical implicationsThe widespread testing of COVID-19 presents ethical and practical challenges. Careful planning is required when considering the ethics of who should be included in COVID-19 testing, how consent will be gained, who and how tests will be administered and very practical challenges around the recording and assigning of COVID-19 test kits inside the prison. The current system for the general population requires scanning of barcodes and registration using a mobile number; these facilities are not permitted inside a prison.Originality/valueThis paper looks at the issues associated with mass testing of prisoners for COVID-19. According to the authors’ knowledge, there has not been any research that looks at the issues of testing either in the UK or internationally. The literature available details countries’ responses to the pandemic rather and scientific papers on the development of vaccines. Therefore, this paper is an original review of some of the practicalities that need to be addressed to ensure that testing can be as successful as possible.

William Penn's Holy Experiment: Quaker Truth in Pennsylvania, 1682–1781

William Penn's Holy Experiment: Quaker Truth in Pennsylvania, 1682–1781

Dan Shen's Theory of Dual Narrative Dynamics Linked to Ian McEwan's <em>Atonement</em>

Dan Shen's Theory of Dual Narrative Dynamics Linked to Ian McEwan's <em>Atonement</em>

Developing gender-specific evidence-based standards to improve the health and wellbeing of women in prison in England: a literature review and modified eDelphi survey

PurposeThere are significant health inequalities experienced by women in prison. They face distinct challenges and have particular and complex needs, specifically with regard to their physical and mental health. The purpose of this paper is to describe the approach taken to develop a set of health and wellbeing standards for the women’s prison estate in England, which can be applied elsewhere.Design/methodology/approachA structured literature review of standard healthcare databases and grey literature was used to inform development of suggested standards. A multidisciplinary expert panel provided consensus on the standards through an online survey and women with a history of contact with the criminal justice system were consulted through consensus groups.FindingsA total of 549 papers were included in the final review. From this, 127 standards were identified for inclusion in the Delphi process. Consensus was achieved on all standards; this, combined with the analysis of qualitative feedback provided by both the survey and the consensus groups, resulted in the development of 6 overarching principles and 122 standards, across ten topic areas.Originality/valueThese standards are the most extensive that are known to exist for health and wellbeing of women in prison and the first to be developed in England. The process used ensures the standards have high validity, acceptability and feasibility and can be used to support those developing similar methodologies. There are few papers which document the development of standards to improve health and to the authors knowledge, only one other paper has been published detailing the development of health standards in prison settings specifically.

Rethinking mental health provision in the secure estate for children and young people: a framework for integrated care (SECURE STAIRS)

PurposeThe purpose of this paper is to outline the challenges to achieving positive outcomes for young people within the secure estate in England, and introduces a psychologically informed framework, SECURE STAIRS (SS), aimed at improving outcomes.Design/methodology/approachThe paper argues that there is a need for a fundamental shift in the way care and intervention for young people within the secure estate is delivered. It gives an overview of current challenges and needs and summarises the theoretical concepts and evidence base which can guide practice and form the foundations of the SS framework.FindingsThe framework recommends that intervention shift from focussing primarily on individual assessment and treatment to a greater emphasis on supporting the work of the wider system of care. Recommendations include promoting trauma-informed care, a focus on the system dynamics within institutions and how these impact on the care young people receive, and on the collaborative development with residential staff and young people of formulation-led care plans that include a focus on issues of sustainability after leaving the secure estate.Practical implicationsThese include the establishment of discrete residential groupings with truly integrated and trauma-informed work across residential, mental health, education and criminal justice agencies. This involves addressing governance issues around shared record keeping, and challenges to sustainability and the accompanying need for local implementation plans for each establishment alongside central support at a strategic level.Originality/valueThis paper describes a new and innovative way of working within secure settings to ensure children and young people’s needs are better met.

The manor houses of the 1st Lord Baltimore in an English Atlantic World

SUMMARY: While much is known about the colonial activities of Sir George Calvert, 1st Lord Baltimore in Newfoundland and Maryland during the 1620s and early 1630s, less is known about his efforts to develop a settlement in one of the plantation schemes that was implemented in Ireland. At the time, he contemporaneously managed his various estates in England, Ireland and Newfoundland, which included the patronage of elite residences in Kiplin Hall in North Yorkshire; Clohamon, Co. Wexford, in Ireland; and Ferryland on the Avalon Peninsula in Newfoundland. This article will trace the development of these manor houses in their differing geographical and cultural contexts. Differences in the form and layout of these buildings reflected the challenges and opportunities posed in developing settlements in the various regions, and offers insights into the commonalities and divergences experienced in the English colonization of the Atlantic world in the early 17th century.

Wacquant, urban marginality, territorial stigmatization and social work

Loic Wacquant is currently Professor of Sociology at the University of California, Berkeley. He has written extensively on issues related to urban poverty, race and the expansion of imprisonment. Wacquant is heavily influenced by the work of the late Pierre Bourdieu. Specifically, Wacquant employs Bourdieu's theoretical tools of analysis to provide a critique of contemporary neo-liberal social and penal policy. This article considers the potential applications of Wacquant’s scholarship to contemporary social work practice. For the purposes of this analysis, Wacquant’s work is divided into three broad areas: the analysis of neo-liberalism and precarious forms of employment, the development of the penal state and his critical approach to doxa. Bourdieu uses the term doxa to refer to those views or opinions that are taken for granted within any society. They thus create the limits of, or provide a strong framework for, political and policy debates. It is argued that Wacquant’s theorisation provides an explanation of the forces that have led to the concentration of areas of poverty in the midst of relative affluence. In addition to facing long-standing problems of high unemployment, poor housing and a lack of social amenities, these areas - the banlieues in France, housing projects in the USA and estates in England - are stigmatized in public and media discourse. Wacquant’s work can be used to challenge the development of a form of social work that places emphasis on bureaucratic managerialism. In addition, it should encourage social work as a profession to re-engage with criminal justice issues. Finally, the critical approach to doxa provides a model for social work to challenge the limitations of current debates.

The London Auction Mart and the Marketability of Real Estate in England, 1808–1864

AbstractThis article considers the cultural work of commoditization through the example of the London Auction Mart and the market for real estate in early nineteenth-century England. The auctioneers who founded this exchange sought to reconfigure the organization of property sales in an institution that would bring order and transparency to a world of informal institutions, local markets, and private exchange. The Auction Mart made visible the idea of a universal, abstract property market. At the same time, it offered a new social and cultural space in which to negotiate the often contradictory meanings of marketable property. This work of making the property market meaningful is told through institutional archives, published accounts, diaries, and estate correspondence.

The Fate of the Former Templar Estates in England, 1308–1338

The Fate of the Former Templar Estates in England, 1308–1338

“The state has replaced the man”

This article offers an ethnographic analysis of everyday sociality and the welfare state on a council estate in England. Taking the case of means-tested benefits, it investigates how women's encounters with the welfare state come into conflict with their attempts to build and to maintain family homes. It argues that while the current benefit system offers women a minimum safety net, it also comes with a set of expectations about appropriate behavior that is contrary to the fluid and collaborative nature of women's daily lives. Although the article demonstrates that women contest the punitive effects of the policies by subverting the rules of the benefit system, ultimately it suggests that dependence on the benefit system is a deeply coercive experience. Overall, the article not only provides a critical commentary on current policy developments in Britain, but it also contributes more generally to anthropological challenges of normative models of citizenship.

Childhood and Offense-Related Trauma in Young People Imprisoned in England and Wales for Murder and Other Acts of Serious Violence: A Descriptive Study

This study describes the prevalence of traumatic childhood experiences and the extent of trauma-related symptomatology in a group of incarcerated young men within the Young People’s prison estate in England. Semistructured interviews using the Trauma History Interview, the Intrusions and Ruminations Interview, and the Impact of Events Scale–Revised were conducted with 34 young men aged 15 to 17 years who had either murdered or committed serious violence and were serving indeterminate or long-term sentences. Many of the young men had experienced high levels of childhood trauma, and some were still experiencing trauma related to the committal of their offenses approximately 18 months after their offenses had been committed. This is an important finding in relation to the prevalence of unrecognized and untreated traumatized young prisoners.

Grounding accumulation by dispossession in everyday life

Purpose– This paper aims to ground Harvey’s (2003) top-down theory of “accumulation by dispossession” in the everyday lives of people and places with specific focus on the role of law. It does this by drawing upon the lived experiences of residents on a public housing estate in England (UK) undergoing regeneration and gentrification through the Private Finance Initiative (PFI).Design/methodology/approach– Members of the residents association on the Myatts Field North estate, London, were engaged as action research partners, working with the researchers to collect empirical data through surveys of their neighbours, organising community events and being formally interviewed themselves. Their experiential knowledge was supplemented with an extensive review of all associated policy, planning, legal and contractual documentation, some of which was disclosed in response to requests made under the Freedom of Information Act 2000.Findings– Three specific forms of place-based dispossession were identified: the loss of consumer rights, the forcible acquisition of homes and the erasure of place identity through the estate’s rebranding. Layard’s (2010) concept of the “law of place” was shown to be broadly applicable in capturing how legal frameworks assist in enacting accumulation by dispossession in people’s lives. Equally important is the ideological power of law as a discursive practice that ultimately undermines resistance to apparent injustices.Originality/value– This paper develops Harvey’s concept of accumulation by dispossession in conversation with legal geography scholarship. It shows – via the Myatts Field North estate case study – how PFI, as a mechanism of accumulation by dispossession in the abstract, enacts dispossession in the concrete, assisted by the place-making and ideological power of law.

Property institutions for rural land conservation: Towards a post-neoliberal agenda

The delivery of ecosystems services and conservation of biodiversity relies on the control of rural land for the provision of public benefits. Much has been written about the progress of neoliberalisation, typically implying that land management decisions are increasingly being left to market forces. However, less has been made of the areas in which the state has extended its control over land or where freehold rights have been attenuated. At the same time, there are intimations that the neoliberal hegemony may be waning. This paper explores approaches to the governance of rural land beyond the neoliberal agenda, drawing particularly on two cases: the proposals for the privatisation of the Public Forest Estate in England and the subsequent recommendations of an Independent Panel on Forestry, and the emergence of Large Conservation Area initiatives introduced by non-governmental organisations. It is important to recognise that the crafting of institutions determines the mix of private and public values of land and the incentives for management. We focus particularly on three important elements of governance. Institutional blending relates to the ways in which property rights area spread amongst different interested parties. These arrangements identify the residual claimant that bears the risk and final return from land holding. Ultimate oversight of property use requires public trust to be identified. Research is needed on the operation of these institutions in practice. Governments will need to develop approaches to be able to define and promote public values in rural land uses.

The future of public forests: An institutional blending approach to forest governance in England

Early in 2011, the Government initiated a consultation on the potential sale of the Public Forest Estate in England. This proposal leads to vociferous negative public reaction and the consultation was withdrawn and an Independent Panel established. This paper reviews the arguments as to the options and appropriate institutional arrangements for forest management. The Government's proposal reflected a continuing focus on neoliberalisation. However, we argue that discussion of neoliberalism has become excessively broad and contradictory and we set the debate about the PFE in the context of institutional blending. First we consider whether forestry operations might be more efficient if held under private ownership and the role of contracting out forest and recreational activities on the estate. Forest land produces multiple outputs, including both private and public goods. After briefly reviewing the ways in which the state can regulate environmental management of private forest land, we consider alternative types of private ownership and their potential contributions to forest governance. Appropriate institutions will depend on the public objectives and circumstances of particular locations and we briefly outline alternative arrangements suited to particular contexts. Finally we reflect on the outcome of the review and on the role of the Forestry Commission in contemporary circumstances.