The letters of Richard Ford, 1797-1858

In Short

This volume collects the correspondence of Richard Ford, an English connoisseur, artist, and author who spent years traveling Spain and the Continent. Writing to close friends and political figures, Ford chronicles his domestic life in Seville and Granada, his arduous journeys by horse and carriage, the tense political upheavals of 1830s Spain, and his subsequent literary career in Devonshire. The book has endured because it provides an uncommonly frank, humorous, and detailed look at early nineteenth-century Spanish culture, art, and daily life, written by a master of prose who preferred genuine local experience to sterile guidebook summaries.

The Story

The arc of the collection begins with Richard Ford’s arrival in Spain during the early 1830s. Seeking a favorable climate for his wife’s health and driven by a deep curiosity for Spanish culture, art, and architecture, Ford settles his household in Seville. From this base, he immerses himself in local life: attending carnival pageants, exploring medieval arcades, visiting bookstalls, studying religious processions during Holy Week, and observing the mechanics of bull-fighting.

As his residence continues, Ford embarks on extensive, often grueling travels across the Spanish landscape. Accompanied by local guides, escorts of armed Miquelites, and his family riding mules, he journeys over rugged mountain passes to Granada, Valencia, Alicante, and Zaragoza. In Granada, he secures quarters directly inside the Alhambra, marveling at its architecture while watching the political unrest of the period unfold around him. Spain is gripped by factional instability; violent executions take place, military coups loom, and the threat of political crackdowns remains constant. Through all this, Ford maintains a brisk diplomatic and personal correspondence, keeping tabs on local authorities, British consuls, and political maneuvers across the border in Portugal.

Following his return to England, the narrative shifts toward his settled life at Heavitree, near Exeter in Devon. Ford spends his time landscaping his garden, expanding his home into an architectural centerpiece, and arranging his vast collections of art, rare books, and local delicacies like Montanches hams. Yet Spain never leaves his thoughts. Encouraged by friends and publishers, he translates his years of meticulous field notes, sketches, and historical research into landmark literary works, most notably his famous Handbook for Spain and articles for the Edinburgh Review and Quarterly Review.

In his later years, Ford acts as a literary mentor and critic, urging figures like George Borrow to write their memoirs, while commenting on English social shifts, Oxford religious controversies, and parliamentary politics. Though illness eventually forces him to step back from public duties—such as a Royal Commission on the National Gallery—he remains mentally agile and deeply invested in the diplomatic career of his son, closing his life surrounded by art, literature, and enduring friendships.

How It Unfolds

Settling in Seville Ford establishes a residence in Seville, taking advantage of low costs to rent grand quarters, attend local theater, and immerse himself in the architecture, art collections, and religious ceremonies of Andalucia.

Mountain treks to Granada The family undertakes an arduous twenty-three-hour carriage journey across seventeen mountain leagues, arriving in Granada to take up temporary residence inside the historic walls of the Alhambra.

Political execution and unrest While in Granada, Ford records the grim reality of Spanish political tension, including the shock surrounding the public execution of a young widow found with a Constitutional flag.

Riding through Valencia and Xativa Traveling on horseback along precipitous defiles and mountain roads, Ford explores Xativa and Valencia, sketching local flora and architecture while occasionally clashing with regional officials over his drawing.

Refuge in Exeter Returning home to Devon, Ford spends his time building an idyllic estate at Heavitree, cultivating his garden, and writing articles on subjects ranging from Spanish architecture to local cob walls.

Laboring over the Handbook Ford undertakes the massive task of compiling his travel notes into a comprehensive manual for travelers, struggling to condense reams of history, art criticism, and local lore into a single usable volume.

Final years and legacy In his declining years, Ford takes pride in his son’s diplomatic achievements and writes his final critical essays, maintaining a warm, humorous correspondence until poor health limits his public activities.

The People

• Richard Ford: The central letter-writer; a passionate collector, artist, and scholar who wants to absorb every detail of Spanish life, culture, and art. Over time, he transitions from an energetic traveler dodging bandits and cholera to a contented Devonshire country gentleman and influential literary critic.
• Henry Unwin Addington: A British diplomat and Ford’s primary correspondent. Ford relies on him for political gossip, diplomatic favors, and intellectual companionship, continually encouraging Addington to balance his public career with domestic ease.
• Harriet Ford: Ford’s wife, who travels with him through difficult mountain terrain and harsh weather while enduring fragile health, childbirth, and domestic isolation far from home.
• Mr. Mark: The zealous British Consul at Malaga who strives to establish a proper Protestant cemetery in Spain, earning Ford’s dry amusement for his persistent obsession with securing burial grounds.
• George Borrow: An eccentric author and acquaintance whom Ford encourages to write his life story, admiring his unique character despite his oddities.

In Its Own Voice

"The scenery to delight any son of Adam with or without a Mac, full of torrents, rivers, rocks, precipices, goats, vines, figs, lights and shades, etc., but wanting in good accommodation for man or beast."

— Writing on the arduous mountain road leading toward the city of Granada.

"I left Dionysia in great force, and Don José much delighted at the honour of your Excellency’s visit."

— Recounting his interactions with local acquaintances while lingering in Valencia.

"Handbook is done--that is, I have done my own hobby, and have covered a haycock of reams with the past and present of Spain: antiquities, art, history, manners, scenery, battles, and what not."

— Describing the exhausting completion of his comprehensive written guide to Spain.

What It's Really About

At its core, the book explores the art of keen observation and the delight of stepping outside one's native culture. Ford is fascinated by the contrast between a rapidly modernizing industrial Britain and a traditional, turbulent Spain rich in visual beauty, historical memory, and stark political violence. The letters reflect an effort to bridge these worlds—translating Spanish art, architecture, and daily custom for an English audience that knew little of the Peninsula beyond wartime dispatches. Underneath the humor and travel details runs a persistent inquiry into what makes a good life: whether it lies in diplomatic ambition, artistic pursuit, or simply cultivating a quiet garden in one's home country.

Why Read It Today

Readers who appreciate classic travel writing, historical correspondence, and vivid descriptions of foreign landscapes will find much to admire in these letters. Ford writes with an easy, unpretentious vitality that instantly transports the reader into the crowded markets of Seville, the quiet courtyards of the Alhambra, or the misty hills of Devon. His prose feels surprisingly modern in its quick wit, sharp character sketches, and absolute refusal to engage in dry academic posturing.

The collection does present minor hurdles for modern readers. Ford frequently sprinkles his sentences with untranslated Spanish, French, and Latin phrases, along with casual references to long-forgotten nineteenth-century political figures. Furthermore, his unedited period attitudes and partisan political commentary reflect the strict Tory biases of his era. Yet these rough edges only underscore the authenticity of the text. What remains with the reader is the companionable voice of a man who lived with his eyes wide open, endlessly fascinated by the variety of the human world.