Snapshot 1900: Romsey, Hampshire

This town had formerly a considerable clothing trade; but that business has almost entirely disappeared. Employment is found by some persons here in the making of sackings; there are also paper works, tanneries, and malting concerns. PIGOTS DIRECTORY 1832 There are tan yards, breweries, corn mills, iron works, jam makers’ works and leather board and paper mills. The Berthon Boat Company have extensive works here, and employ a large number of hands. KELLY’S DIRECTORY 1903 Extracts taken from local trade or commercial directories describing Romsey in Hampshire Can you say whether or not Romsey had developed commercially during the 70 years between the two extracts?

This section of a map of Romsey from the 1890s shows the town centre. There are two distinct trade areas shown, can you identify them?. Do you think that those people described as Nobility, Gentry and Clergy (1832) or Private Residents (1903) in the trade directories would have lived here too?

This photograph shows part of Cherville Street, Romsey, with its substantial middle class houses. What do you think defines this as middle class housing?

This photograph shows part of the Market Place, Romsey, about Look above the shop fronts to see the homes of merchants and shopkeepers. Why would they choose to live ‘above the shop’?

Look carefully at this census extract from 1891 which shows people living and working in the Market Place, Romsey. You will see that the head of each household holds either a professional or business occupation which could be described as ‘middle class’. Make a list of these. How typical do you think this list would have been of most market places in England?

Since the 1700s the Purchase family had been principal grocers in Romsey, living at 'Abbotsford House' in the Market Place which is now a Bank. William Overbury Purchase had been Mayor of Romsey several times and was a magistrate. William Purchase on the 1890 census and below in his Mayors robes. Based upon this information discuss whether or not you think William Overbury Purchase may have been considered to have been typically middle class.

The photograph above shows the Baring (left) and Purchase (right) families who were connected through marriage. What if anything distinguishes this group of people as appearing to be respectable or deserving? “Categories such as, ‘respectability’ and ‘deserving’ were often used rather than class labels in describing communities of like- minded individuals”

“Improvement was a key part of middle class culture” William Overbury Purchase’s daughter, Florence, was a leading figure in Romsey’s Temperance movement and her mother had ‘signed the pledge’ to protect her from the influence of alcohol at a very early age, enrolling her as a ‘white ribboner’ or child abstainer. Investigate what the Temperance movement was and from which class its membership was typically drawn.

“Thrift, responsibility and self-reliance were important aspects of Victorian middle class culture.” Look carefully at the dinner programme to commemorate William Overbury Purchase as a former Mayor of Romsey. In what way do you think the occasion and formality reflect middle class values of the time?

William Overbury Purchase died in Above can be seen a copy of his mourning card. As a former Mayor, magistrate and prominent businessman how might his death have affected the people of Romsey?

This photograph shows a civic procession in Romsey at the turn of the last century. Investigate and discuss the concept of civic pride. What did it mean for the Victorians? Does this still exist today?