Record Of Money Received By John Carr From Ralph Carr While In Italy, 1791 – 1794

This is a note written by John Carr listing the money provided by his father, Ralph Carr, to fund the Grand Tour of John and his sister, Harriet.

Ralph Carr was a Newcastle based merchant with interests in banking, the import and export of goods to Europe and America, landholding, ship owning and underwriting. Ralph’s financial success had allowed the family to move from merchant to gentry status. Ralph was financially astute and was able to increase the family wealth considerably. When Ralph died in 1806 the value of his estate was about £200,000.

The note records a total expenditure of £2910 over the entire period of the trip – August 1791-September 1794. The Bank of England Inflation Calculator suggests that this sum equates to about £412,000 today. The National Archives Currency Calculator suggests that £2910 was equal to 19400 days of skilled tradesmens’ labour in 1790.

Bill Purdue, in his article John and Harriet Carr: A Brother and Sister From The North-East On The Grand Tour (Northern History vol. 30, no. 1, 1994) suggests that £2910 was a relatively modest sum for a three year Grand Tour for two people and their servants.

It was dangerous to carry cash whilst on the Grand Tour – there was a risk of robbery. Instead, tourists relied on letters of credit drawn on London banks. These were agreements that allowed the tourist to draw monies from the bank’s agents in the major tourist centres. In the note John Carr makes reference to Messrs. Orsi, a bank in Florence. We know from other correspondence in the Carr-Ellison collection, for example, ZCE/F/1/1/1/132, that the Carr family was using the services of a London bank, Sir Robert Herries & Co. Ralph Carr, John and Harriet’s father had his own banking interests. Around 1755 he and three partners set up the Old Bank in Newcastle, the first provincial bank in England. It seems likely that Ralph used his banking connections to ensure the transfer of funds for John and Harriet’s tour. John Carr was on friendly terms with Sir Robert Herries. We know that he dined with him in London before setting off for Europe.

The Carr-Ellison papers do not include a detailed breakdown of expenditure on the tour. The major costs of the Tour were accommodation, food, and transport. John and Harriet travelled in a family carriage but removed the coat of arms that decorated the carriage prior to travel as a precautionary measure. This arrangement avoided the purchase of a carriage on the mainland. Accommodation was required for four people – John, Harriet and their servants, Dolly and Stephen. Travel costs included the hire of a postilion or guide who was familiar with the route and stabling and food costs for horses. Tourists also spent money on clothing and entertainment. If the Tour was a long one, replacement clothing may be required, and tourists were expected to dress well with some being keen to follow local fashions. Entertainment, for example, theatre and opera, were generally inexpensive.