ABSTRACT
Was urban life an important focus for the ownership of domestic goods in the pre-industrial era? This chapter reviews the influence of towns by making use of evidence from probate inventories to show distinctions between town and country in the patterns of ownership of key goods between 167 5 and 1725. 1 The chapter argues that mechanisms influencing ownership of movable property in both town and country were complex, but were not as different in town and country (at least for many items) as might be expected. It begins with a broad outline of the differences between town and country using fourteen 'key' items and argues that inventories do give reliable evidence about ownership. Perspectives on similarities and differences are then viewed from three separate points of view; firstly, the other variables determining ownership are examined so that the influence of towns is placed in context. Secondly, domestic behaviour and material culture are described to show what people actually did with their possessions. Thirdly, variation in supply shows that ownership could, in some cases, be closely tied to national trading networks. Finally, the obvious conclusion is that a simple dichotomy between town and country does not adequately explain consumer behaviour.
