Social relations in the Victorian countryside : hiring fairs and their critics in the East Riding of Yorkshire, c. 1840-1880
This thesis builds upon research undertaken for a Masters' degree dissertation entitled: 'Farm Servants Hiring Fairs and Moral Reform: York and East Yorkshire c. 1850-1880'. Although limited in its scope and tentative in its conclusions this dissertation has provided the framework for this study. The central focus of this investigation is a campaign of moral reform and abolition conducted by Church of England clergymen against hiring fairs in the East Riding of Yorkshire during the years 1850-1880. In this respect the thesis offers a contribution to the study of nineteenth-century rural popular culture and the nature and course of attempts to reshape that culture during the mid-Victorian period. Hiring fairs were significant as rural festivals but they were also important as labour markets for farm servants. Although often regarded as a pre-modern and pre-industrial institutions both farm service and hiring fairs remained common in northern England throughout the nineteenth century. Both were, however, reshaped within the context of economic and social change. This study locates, therefore, both hiring fairs and the campaign that was conducted against them within the context of changes that had taken place
Moses, Gary William
Rural festivals; farm servants; Labour markets
Social relations in the Victorian countryside : hiring fairs and their critics in the East Riding of Yorkshire, c. 1840-1880. This thesis builds upon research undertaken for a Masters' degree dissertation entitled: 'Farm Servants Hiring Fairs and Moral Reform: York and East Yorkshire c. 1850-1880'. Although limited in its scope and tentative in its conclusions this dissertation has provided the framework for this study. The central focus of this investigation is a campaign of moral reform and abolition conducted by Church of England clergymen against hiring fairs in the East Riding of Yorkshire during the years 1850-1880. In this respect the thesis offers a contribution to the study of nineteenth-century rural popular culture and the nature and course of attempts to reshape that culture during the mid-Victorian period. Hiring fairs were significant as rural festivals but they were also important as labour markets for farm servants. Although often regarded as a pre-modern and pre-industrial institutions both farm service and hiring fairs remained common in northern England throughout the nineteenth century. Both were, however, reshaped within the context of economic and social change. This study locates, therefore, both hiring fairs and the campaign that was conducted against them within the context of changes that had taken place
social_relation victorian countryside fair critic east riding yorkshire build_upon undertaken masters degree entitle farm servants moral reform york east_yorkshire although limited scope tentative conclusion provide_framework study central_focus investigation campaign moral reform abolition conduct church_england clergyman hire east riding yorkshire year respect offer study nineteenth_century rural popular_culture nature course attempt reshape culture mid_victorian period fair significant rural festival also_important labour_market farm servant although_often regarded pre_modern pre_industrial institution farm service hire fair remain common northern_england throughout however reshape within_context economic_social change study locates therefore hire fair campaign conduct_within context change_take_place