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Differing Responses to an Industrialising Economy - eTheses ...

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proprie<strong>to</strong>rs, huxters, higglers, horse-keepers, ass-drivers, road-menders <strong>an</strong>d <strong>to</strong>ll-gatekeepers.<br />

Warehouse-men, warehouse-women <strong>an</strong>d warehouse-boys become increasingly<br />

evident, some perhaps employed at needle-fac<strong>to</strong>ries, others at carriers’ depots.<br />

The Birmingham <strong>to</strong> Gloucester Railway, opened in 1840 just <strong>to</strong> the west of the<br />

Needle District, probably employed workmen from this zone during its construction, <strong>an</strong>d<br />

new occupations appear in local records from 1840: brakesm<strong>an</strong>, railroad labourer,<br />

railway carriage-builder, railway gatekeeper <strong>an</strong>d railway secretary. Local road-carriers<br />

were no doubt kept busy tr<strong>an</strong>sporting goods <strong>to</strong> <strong>an</strong>d from c<strong>an</strong>al-wharves <strong>an</strong>d railheads,<br />

while from 1844 a horse-omnibus for passengers linked Redditch with the railway-station<br />

at Barnt Green. 330<br />

Marketing, dealing, retailing <strong>an</strong>d food <strong>an</strong>d drink<br />

As in other zones, these northern parishes held a variety of yearly fairs, <strong>an</strong>d before<br />

1800 Feckenham probably still held its Saturday market, which would have limited<br />

appeal as it competed with bigger markets on the same day. 331<br />

Shopkeepers <strong>an</strong>d<br />

provision-dealers of all sorts were on the increase throughout the study period. After<br />

1800 Redditch was the focal point for retail trade, but shops of various types flourished in<br />

Studley, Feckenham <strong>an</strong>d the growing industrial settlements of Webheath, Astwood B<strong>an</strong>k,<br />

Headless Cross <strong>an</strong>d Crabbs Cross. Redditch was lit by oil-lamps in the 1830s <strong>an</strong>d then<br />

by gas from the 1840s, the latter causing the advent of ‘gas-fitters’, ‘gas-workers’ <strong>an</strong>d the<br />

330 Bradford, Old Redditch, p. 41.<br />

331 VCH of Worcestershire, iii, p. 115. See Appendices 12 <strong>an</strong>d 12a for markets <strong>an</strong>d Appendix 13 for fairs.<br />

People in this zone would also visit markets at Alcester, Bromsgrove, Henley, Birmingham, Solihull,<br />

Worcester <strong>an</strong>d Droitwich. Berrow’s Worcester Journal 13 Aug. 1795 mentions a Feckenham farmer<br />

bringing a sample of new corn <strong>to</strong> Feckenham market on Tues 11 Aug. 1795. In reality he probably <strong>to</strong>ok the<br />

sample <strong>to</strong> Alcester or Bromsgrove market both of which were held on Tuesdays. See Appendix 12.<br />

316

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