Eating Together: Commensal Dining in Gentry Houses 1450-1750

This isa collaborative project between Manchester Met University and the National Trust, based at three important Tudor Manor Houses in the North West: Little Moreton Hall, Rufford Old Hall and Speke Hall. Exploring changing ideas and practices of dining in this period, this project draws on the architectural history and material remains at these three houses to explore changing ideas and practises of dining in this period, addressing the social and political aspects of communal eating.

The project will look at the evolution of commensal dining in the period, asking how it altered in light of the Protestant Reformation and the changing dynamics of the family. The project will also explore the importance of hospitality in local and national politics. In addition, the student will examine how trade connections with the Americas and Europe altered patterns of dining over this period, most obviously through the introduction of new commodities. This project is grounded in material history, exploring the physical setting of commensal dining, and also links to a range of archival sources.

The student will work with local collections at Little Moreton Hall, Rufford Old Hall and Speke Hall. As well as manuscripts, including inventories, they will examine the architecture, interiors and dining furniture remaining in these Manor Houses. They will also be expected to use a range of other sources, from household manuals to cookery books, to draw out some of the broader normative developments in dining practices during the period. It is expected that they will also make use of early modern inventories from similar households to set developments in the North West in their broader context.

This project arises from a collaboration between Manchester Met University with the National Trust, addressing the Trust’s 2021 theme of ‘Class and Social Mobility’ by exploring how the importance of communal dining affected the layout and architecture of large houses, and thus social relations within the early-modern household. The project also explores the importance of hospitality in developing political and social relations outside the household.

The student will benefit from the expertise of National Trust colleagues, including guidance on working with the heritage industry. They will also explore the public history element of their research in collaboration with the National Trust, gaining invaluable experience in the process. The student will be based with National Trust staff in the North West, with travel between the Halls and the archives fully funded by the Trust. The student will also receive necessary equipment for their research, including a laptop and workspace. Academic supervision will be provided by MMU staff, drawing on their expertise in early modern history and the heritage industry. The National Trust will also provide a specialist to work as an industry supervisor, as well as providing extensive consultancy and training in heritage work.