COBDEN’S OLD HOME

Greymouth Evening Star, 9 October 1928, Page 11

COBDEN’S OLD HOME

PRESERVATION MOVEMENT.

The movement to preserve Dunford House, Richard Cobden’s home and birthplace, on the Sussex Downs, as, a memorial to his great work in the interests of world peace, was launched officially at a luncheon at the National Liberal Club in London a few weeks a»o. It was announced that of the £25,000 needed over £3OOO had been subscribed. Subscribers included': The Carnegie Endowment for International Peace, New York; Mr Philip Bright the son of Cobden’s great friend and colleague, John Bright, Mr Henry Neville Gladstone, the Hon. Airs R. Greville, Mr R. Cobden Sanderson, and Mr and Mrs Francis W. Hirst. Mr Phillip Bright presided, others present being Sir John Simon, Sir Donald Maclean, and Airs Cobden Unwm, the surviving daughter of Cobden. She was described by Air Francis Hirst as the real heroine of the mqvement. ” It was at her generous wish that Dunford House, with its beautiful garden and had been presented to the

nation. White-haired, and with her famous father’s gift for happy phrasing, Mrs Cobden Unwin made a touching reference to her childhood days with her father. “I recall his passionate desire for the betterment of the conditions of the agricultural labourers,” she said. “I recall, too, his love for birds and dogs, and then I remember the very last time I saw him alive. He spent the last winter at Dunford, in an endeavour to recover from a bronchial attack that he had taken while speaking at a meeting in the North of England. , . “But the Government of the day had brought forward a measure by which it was proposed to spend £50,000 on the fortifications of Quebec. My father determined to journey to London to vote against it. On Alarch 23, 1865, I dioie with him to Alidhurst station, and Hmt was the last time I saw him On reaching London he was unable to proceed to the House of Commons, and he died on April 2.” Sir John Simon, who referred with pride to his place at the table, that was between, a daughter of Cobden and a son of John Bright, paid eloquent tribute to thK great work Cobden had accomplished. Cobden, he said, was a man who applied to public affairs a real political philosophy.