ABSTRACT
The prodigious inherited wealth of the Sutherland family permitted a succession of dukes to live in almost unrivalled grandeur and prestige, dominating metropolitan society in Victorian Britain. The same wealth allowed them to exercise immense power over the lives of thousands of people on their great landed estates. The scale of the family's possessions meant that extended discretion had to be vested in the hands of its professional managers, led by James Loch. Loch's professionalism guaranteed a proper flow of information to his masters. They sought his advice on policy matters, great and small. Yet the reliance placed upon the managerial expertise of James Loch does not diminish the responsibility of the family. They had ample opportunity to examine at first hand the methods and consequences of the uses of their authority. They retained the ultimate control.
