Squire, shopkeeper and staple food: the reciprocal relationship between the country house and the village shop in the late Georgian period

Abstract

Rural communities have historically been viewed as synonymous with agricultural processes and a dependence upon the land. This tendency to filter rural life through the perspective of agricultural interest has obscured the vital role of rural retailers within such communities who have been similarly overlooked in studies of retailing in favour of their urban counterparts. The notion of rural self-sufficiency disguises the role of the village shopkeeper in the provision of necessities, particularly perishable goods like food and drink, the purchase of which is too often presumed and rarely expanded upon or quantified. Therefore very little is known about rural supply networks and, more specifically, the interaction and flow of goods between the country house and the village shop. Drawing on a wealth of evidence on the purchasing habits of a rural lesser gentry family in Bedfordshire, themselves a rather neglected social group, this study aims to reveal the mutually beneficial relationship between the country squire (in the daily process of sustaining a large household) and his village suppliers (eager to fulfil his requirements and retain his patronage) at the end of the Georgian period. The findings shed light on village life and society, providing a valuable insight into the complex, intimate and often mutually beneficial relationships that existed in rural communities.