Supplying the kitchens of the earls of devonshire in the mid-17th century

Abstract

The country house has long been seen as a space of luxury consumption. Large houses are characterised as enclaves of London, spending all their money in capital, rather than buying goods locally. They sapped wealth from the local area rather than stimulating economic activity. This paper analyses data from highly detailed account books which record the kitchen expenditure at Chatsworth and Hardwick Hall in the years 1658-1660 to understand how the kitchens of the Earls of Devonshire were supplied. In discussing the ways in which the household sourced foodstuffs and how much they spent doing so, this paper challenges the prevailing idea that houses are economic leeches on the local area. The Devonshires spent a vast sum of money on food locally; helping to create communities of commerce in the local area and to fuel a vibrant and various grocery trade.