Differing Responses to an Industrialising Economy - eTheses ...

dramatically. By 1846 nine turnpike gates together were auctioned for only £1050. 232
In
the 1840s and 1850s carriers and coachmen busied themselves with linking the town to
the nearest railheads; their journeys were shorter but more frequent.
Marketing, dealing, retailing and food and drink
The network of market centres generally evolved rationally to avoid market day
clashes between neighbouring towns. However, Alcester’s market day, Tuesday, was
shared with various local towns. 233
This competition no doubt limited Alcester’s
importance as a market, although Camden had stated that it was ‘noted for all sorts of
grain’. 234
Nevertheless, in Restoration Alcester market day was a busy time, when, in
addition to animals and agricultural produce, manufactured items were also sold. Indeed,
Alcester market was an important outlet for the produce of many craftsmen who lived in
remote hamlets with few customers on hand and little passing trade.
Ever since its inception in medieval times Alcester’s market was under the control
of the court leet. In the mid-seventeenth century the value of the tolls suggests a busy
market, but the court leet’s grip on the market was already declining at this period and
continued to do so later. 235
To supplement its weekly market Alcester also held several
fairs throughout the year for the sale of animals, the hiring of servants and other
purposes. 236
The influx of farming folk and craftsmen on a Tuesday was not only a
232 G. E. Saville, ‘Roads of the Alcester Area’, ADLHS, OP8, (1978), p. 8.
233 Bromsgrove, Kineton, Pershore and Moreton-in-Marsh. The county town, Warwick, also held one if
its two markets on a Tuesday. See Appendix 12 and 12a.
234 Camden, Britannia, p. 505.
235 Saville, ‘The story of Alcester market’, pp. 8-9. As markets throughout the country lost their monopoly
on dealing, independent dealers and factors became both more numerous and more important. However,
we have to wait until later periods for specific references to dealers.
236 See Appendix 13: Fairs.
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