Market Days
Another story in the "Your Story Matters" series.
Market day in Totnes 1830s by Flux-1 Kontext
I imagined a visit with my 2nd great-grandaunt Harriet Allery in her modest cottage in Totnes in the 1870s, a widow reflecting on a life of rural devotion. I was curious!
What was it like to marry at seventeen—were you frightened, excited, or both?
How did you manage a household with so little and still raise three children?
When you go to the Totnes market, what do you look forward to most?
Do you remember a moment in your life when you felt truly proud?
What remedies or cures did your mother teach you that still serve your family?
How did you feel when the railway came through—hopeful, or wary of change?
If you could choose one hymn to be sung at your funeral, which would it be?
What do you miss most about the way things were when you were a child?
Has your faith ever been tested? If so, how did you find your way back?
What do you hope your children remember most about you?
Chapter 3: Market Day in Totnes
Quote: “It’s where you hear news, buy sweet buns, and barter with smiles. A good basket and a sharp tongue go far.”
The sights, smells, and encounters that shaped her weekly rhythms.
Saturday mornings had a rhythm all their own. I’d tie my bonnet under my chin, swing the empty basket over my arm, and set off while the mists still clung to the hedgerows. The walk into Totnes was quiet save for birdsong, but by the time I reached the square, it buzzed like a hive. I knew who sold the freshest eggs, who might offer a crust of cheese if you asked kindly, and which stall had the softest wool skeins if you didn’t mind a bit of gossip with your purchase.
Market wasn’t just for goods—it was where stories were traded, marriages announced, and weather predicted with a glance at the sky. I bartered firm but fair, swapped bunches of herbs for apples, and sometimes sold my own salves if someone’s cough had lingered. “Madam Goodman,” they’d call me. I liked that. It made me feel a part of something.
The walk home was always slower, the basket heavier, and my feet a little more tired. But I’d hum as I walked, retelling in my mind what I’d overheard—who’d had a baby, who was courting, whose cow had wandered again. By the time I was slicing turnips for supper, the market still lingered on my skin like coal smoke and cinnamon.
Reflection Prompt: What gathering places shaped the rhythm of your ancestors’ lives? Have you inherited a fondness for markets, community hubs, or shared routines passed down through generations?
Perplexity provided me with a glimpse of market days!
Market Days in Totnes During the 1830s
Totnes, just up the River Dart from Dartmouth, was a bustling market town in the early 19th century—right around the time Harriett Allery married Samuel Goodman in 1834. The town’s market was a vital part of daily life for local families, including those from surrounding villages and towns like Dartmouth.
Weekly Market Traditions
The main market day in Totnes during this era was Saturday. This tradition dates back centuries and continued throughout the 19th century, as described in White’s Devonshire Directory from 1850: “Being in the heart of the fruitful district called the South Hams, or garden of Devonshire, which abounds in rich pastures, meadows, cornfields, and orchards, its weekly market, held every Saturday, is abundantly supplied with provisions.”
The market was held in the town’s central square, a tradition that persists today, although the covered Market Hall that once stood there was only lost in the mid-20th century.
Totnes’ location in a fertile agricultural region meant the market was well-supplied with fresh produce, meats, dairy, and other provisions from the surrounding countryside.
What You’d Find at Market
Stalls were filled with local farm produce: vegetables, fruit, bread, cheese, eggs, and meat.
There were also vendors selling household goods, clothing, and tools, as well as traders offering plants, textiles, and sometimes livestock.
The market was more than just a place to shop—it was a social hub. People came to catch up on news, exchange gossip, and connect with neighbours from across the region.
A brief history of Totnes is provided by visitsouthdevon.co.uk
Reflection Prompt: What gathering places shaped the rhythm of your ancestors’ lives? Have you inherited a fondness for markets, community hubs, or shared routines passed down through generations?