A Noble Thing: The National Trust and Its Benefactors

DuringthetwentiethcenturytherewasanunprecedentedandlargelyunforeseentransferofpropertyinBritainfromprivateownershipintothehandsofasinglecharitableinstitution,theNationalTrust.In1945theTrustowned112,000acresandhadamembershipof7,850.Fiftyyearslater,whencelebratingitscentenary,ithadamembershipof2millionandtheareaoflanditownedhadincreasedmorethanfivefoldOnlyrelativelyrecentlyhasthesignificanceofthistransferbeguntoattracttheseriousinterestofpoliticalandsocialhistorians.TheNationalTrustanditsdonorshavetendedtobediffidentabouttheirgenerosity.Thereasonsforsuchgenerosityprovetobeasvariedastheyaresurprisingandilluminating.MerlinWaterson'snewbook,concentratingontheperiodsince1940,andaccompaniedthroughoutbyrareandunusualillustrations,shedsnewlightonthemotivesofsomeoftheTrust'smostimportantdonors.