Acta Oeconomica Pragensia 2008, 16(1):117-130 | DOI: 10.18267/j.aop.26

Distant patron: Prince Albert and the Development of the Coburg-Gotha Economy

Oliver Walton
Dr. Oliver Walton; Navy Records Society, London (oliverwalton1975@yahoo.co.uk).

When Prince Albert of Sachsen-Coburg-Gotha married Queen Victoria of Great Britain, he was separated from the place of his birth by geography and British political expediency. Hitherto neglected by historians, Albert's surprisingly close and ongoing connections with the duchy have recently been uncovered. This article focuses upon his efforts to support and promote the economic development of the Coburg-Gotha. It shows how he was able to bridge the distance by employing local representatives, and outlines his investments in logistics and new technology, and his efforts to change society and culture in order to further economic development. It places these efforts in the context of his position as a prince of Coburg-Gotha, and his desire to reaffirm himself as a 'distant patron'.

Keywords: Prince Albert, Coburg, Gotha, economy, society

Published: February 1, 2008  Show citation

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Walton, O. (2008). Distant patron: Prince Albert and the Development of the Coburg-Gotha Economy. Acta Oeconomica Pragensia16(1), 117-130. doi: 10.18267/j.aop.26
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References

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  9. For further discussion of Albert's income from the dynastic estates, see Walton, O. (2007): "Follow the money": die finanziellen Beziehungen zwischen dem britischen Königshaus und dem Herzogtum Coburg-Gotha. In. Bosbach, F. - Davis, J. eds.: Windsor - Coburg. Geteilter Nachlass - Gemeinsames Erbe: Eine Dynastie und ihre Sammlungen/Divided Estate - Common Heritage: the Collections of a Dynasty. Munich, 2007, pp.156-159.
  10. Much of this and the following paragraph is based on the detailed contents of Albert's accounts for the period 1840-1861, inRAVIC AddA/10 83/1-7. Formoreaccessible analysis ofthe data seeWalton, O. (2007): "Follow the money", pp.159-163.
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  24. RA VIC Add A 10/83/7/223, Eduard Fischer to Albert, 11 December 1861.
  25. RA VIC Add A 10/83/7/62, Eduard Fischer to Carl Ruland, Coburg, 2 April 1861.
  26. Muhs, R. (1988): Englische Einflüsse auf die Frühphase der Industrialisierung in Deutschland. In Birke, A. M. -Kettenacker, L. - with Hanisch, M. eds.: Wettlauf in die Moderne: England und Deutschland seit der industriellen Revolution/TheRaceforModernity: Britain and Germanysince thelndustrialRevolution. Munich, 1988, pp.34-36. Go to original source...
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  28. StAC LA A 8406, Eduard Becker to Moritz Briegleb, Buckingham Palace, 16 April 1853; Henry Clayton to Sir Charles Grey, London, 4 May 1853.
  29. StAC LA A 8406 Moritz Briegleb to Landesregierung Coburg, Coburg, 1 June 1853.
  30. StAC LA A 8406 Landesregierung Coburg to Moritz Briegleb, 6 June 1853.
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  32. StAC LA A 8406 Schönberg to Moritz Briegleb, Neuhof, 27 September 1855.
  33. StAC LA A 8406 Moritz Briegleb to Schönberg, Coburg, 29 September 1855.
  34. Eckstein, M. (2007): Die Musterfarm Callenberg. In. Bosbach, F. - Davis, J. R. eds.: Windsor - Coburg. Geteilter Nachlass - Gemeinsames Erbe: Eine Dynastie und ihre Sammlungen/DividedEstate - Common Heritage: the Collections of a Dynasty. Munich, 2007, p.209; StAC LA A 8406 f.17ff. correspondence between Moritz Briegleb and Geith. Go to original source...
  35. RAVIC/R 21/12, William Smith, 'A Few Words on Smith's System of Steam Cultivation'; RAVIC/R 21/17, Carl Ruland to Moritz Briegleb, Osborne, 18 April 1861; RA VIC/R 21/18, Messrs James and Fred Howard to Andrew Toward, Britannia Iron Works, Bedford, 19 April 1861.
  36. RA VIC/R 21/5, Moritz Briegleb to Carl Ruland, 24 February 1861; RA VIC/R 21/6, Herr Dr. Goldstein to Professor Hartstein, Cologne, 20 February 1861; RA VIC/R 21/7, Carl Ruland to Moritz Briegleb, Orsborne, 5 March 1861; RA VIC/R 21/8, Moritz Briegleb to Carl Ruland, Coburg, 9 March 1861; RA VIC/R 21/14.
  37. RA VIC/R 21/22, Herr Goltstein to Carl Ruland, Cologne, 20 April 1861; RA VIC/R 21/26, Andrew Toward to Carl Ruland?, Osborne, 29 April 1861; RA VIC/R 21/28, Mr. A. Hood to Carl Ruland, Cumberland Lodge, 1 May 1861.
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  39. September 1861; RA VIC/R 21/49, Moritz Briegleb to Carl Ruland, Coburg, 8 October 1861; RA VIC/R 21/50, Moritz Briegleb to Carl Ruland, Palin near Nagykanisza, 17 October 1861; RA VIC/R 21/52 herr Goltstein to Moritz Briegleb, Cologne, 12 October 1861.
  40. RA VIC/R 21/47, Moritz Briegleb to Carl Ruland, Wiesbaden, 18 September 1861; RA VIC/R 21/65, Carl Ruland to Herr Goltstein, 11 March 1862; RA VIC/R 21/66, Herr Goltstein to Carl Ruland, Cologne, 20 March 1861.
  41. RA VIC/R 21/69, Moritz Briegleb to Carl Ruland, Coburg, 22 May 1862; RA VIC/R 21/70, Moritz Briegleb to Carl Ruland, Coburg, 4 June 1862.
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  43. Eckstein, M. (2007): Die Musterfarm Callenberg. In. Bosbach, F. - Davis, J. R., eds.: Windsor - Coburg. Geteilter Nachlass - Gemeinsames Erbe: Eine Dynastie und ihre Sammlungen/Divided Estate - Common Heritage: the Collections of a Dynasty. Munich, 2007, pp.207-208. Go to original source...
  44. RAVIC/R 21/38 Moritz Briegleb to Carl Ruland, Coburg, 10 June 1861; RAVIC/R 21/43 CarlRulandto [Eduard Fischer], Osborne, 5 July 1861; RA VIC I 85/35, Herr Francke to Moritz Briegleb, Staatsministerium Coburg, 2 July 1861; RA VIC Add A 10/83/7/223 Eduard Fischer to Albert, 11 December 1861; RA VIC I 85/36: 'Tilgungsplan für Verzinsung und Heimzahlung eines mit 4% verzinslichen Vorschüsses von 60,000 f. zum Bau eines neuen Oekonomiehofes auf Callenberg'.
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  47. RA VIC Add A 10/83/1/188 Florschütz and Albert, audit of Albert's accounts, 3 April 1848; Krauss, Georg (1981): Die Oberfränkische Geschichte. Hof, 1981, p.168.
  48. RA VIC Add A 10/83/7/149, Eduard Fischer to Carl Ruland, Coburg, 11 July 1861.
  49. RA VIC ADD A 10/83/1/87, Dr. Praetorius to the Armencommission in Coburg, Coburg, 9 April 1844; RA VIC ADD A 10/83/1/88, Dr. Praetorius to the Armencommission in Gotha, 9 April 1844; StAC L Reg 4478: correspondence relating to the gift of 500 florins to the town of Neustadt.
  50. StAC Min D 2017.
  51. StAC LA A 8388, A. Stötzer to Eduard Fischer, Gotha, 28 June 1861.
  52. RA VIC Add A 10/83/1/102, Eduard Fischer to Albert, Coburg, 10 November 1844.
  53. RA VIC Add A 10/83/7/165, Fischer to Albert, Coburg, 13 August 1861; RA VIC Add A 10/83/7/167, Johannes Andreas Othberg to Albert, Coburg, 1 August 1861; RA VIC Add A 10/83/7/178, Carl Ruland to Eduard Fischer, Balmoral, 16 September 1861.
  54. RA VIC Add A 10/83/1/98, Dr. Praetorius to Eduard Fischer, Windsor Castle, 11 November 1844.
  55. RA VIC Add A 10/83/1/139, Eduard Fischer to Albert, Coburg, 1 March 1846; RA VIC Add A 10/83/1/187. Full details can be found in Albert's accounts in RA VIC Add A 10/83/1-7.
  56. RA VIC Add A 10/83/2/34, accounts dated 30 June 1851.
  57. RA VIC Add A 10/83/1/147, Gothaische Schulstiftung to Albert, 4 January 1847; RA VIC Add A 10/83/1/152, rules for the Albert Prizes for school teachers in the Duchy of Gotha.
  58. RA VIC Add A 10/83/1/102 Eduard Fischer to Albert, Coburg, 10 November 1844.
  59. RA VIC Add A 10/83/1/163 Eduard Fischer to Albert, Coburg, 8 November 1847.
  60. StAC LR Amt 4938-4941 contain relevant correspondence from the period 1883-1909.
  61. RA VIC Add A 10/83/1/147 Gothaische Schulstiftung to Albert, Gotha, 4 January 1847.
  62. VIC/F 22/24, Gothaische Zeitung, 17 March 1851.
  63. RA VIC Add A 10/83/1/102, Eduard Fischer, memorandum, 10 November 1844.

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