Differing Responses to an Industrialising Economy - eTheses ...

Ipsley was described as an oat-mill; it is unknown whether the oatmeal produced was for
equine or human consumption. 352
The ‘loader’, William Mitchell, was probably an
employee in a mill. 353
Throughout the study period bakers were serving the local communities. Perhaps
they catered for the growing number of cottager-craftsmen, who probably did not have
facilities to bake their own bread. Bakers typically indulged in mixed farming and some
obviously grew their own grain. 354
Some farms, such as that of Elizabeth Pretty of
Feckenham, had their own bakehouse (‘backhouse’ or ‘boultinghouse’) as well as their
own dairy. No doubt they supplied bakery and dairy products to neighbours as well as to
their household. 355
As noted elsewhere, bakers often pursued other occupations such as
farmer, maltster or publican. Some specialist bakers were womenfolk although
references to them are not frequent in local records. 356
In Period A the Needle District boasted more butchers than the other rural
subdivisions and also more graziers and drovers, who could fatten up cattle on the lush
pastures of the Arrow valley and the extensive, unenclosed commons ideally situated
near to the Black Country and Birmingham markets. For example, members of the
farming Holyoake family made good money as butchers, graziers and drovers in the
352 Redditch Library, A Description of Redditch 1776, (copy of a MS by Joseph Monk).
353 WaRO, Studley parish register 1720 and 1734. (A reference to a loader at Piddle Mill in Berrow’s
Worcester Journal 30 May 1751 clarifies this meaning.)
354 WoRO, probate of Robert Wright, Coughton, baker, 1689, £370-7-2, and of John Bond, Sambourne,
(Coughton), baker, 1661, £89-2-4, and of Thomas Pearks, Coughton, baker, 1695, £95-8-8. Another reason
for the preponderance of bakers in the parish could be the abundance of gorse, used as fuel for the bakers’
ovens.
355 WoRO, miscellaneous probate (853/2574 and 2578) of Elizabeth Pretty, Feckenham, widow, 1668,
£203-4-0.
356 WoRO, BA2289/2, Beoley churchwardens’ presentments, 1706, fortuitously mentions a female baker,
Elizabeth Church, presented as a reputed papist.
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