Life in the British countryside seems primarily divided between two types of people. On the one hand, you have the well-to-do country folks - the country squire, or the folks who spend part of the year in London and the rest in grand country houses. On the other hand are the working people of the country - the villagers, the farmers, the tradespeople, etc. Most Victorian magazines seem to assume that their readership lies among the former, and often portray the lives of the latter in articles along the lines of "how other folks live." As the 19th century drew to a close, however, a third type of country resident began to appear: the well-bred, but not well-to-do, gentlewoman who couldn't afford life in London, and turned instead to a small cottage or villa in a village or small town. This type of countrywoman was part of the general magazine readership, and many articles began to explain how to live in the country on a budget, or how to adapt to country life.

The First Fire of the Season (Illustrated London Almanack, 1847)

Traditionally, the first fire of the season is lit on October (a custom still observed by British hotel-keepers who refuse to turn on the heat until that time!)

Country Scenes,by Thomas Miller (Illustrated London Almanack, 1848)

Nature and farm notes for each month of the year.

July: Sheep-Shearing Feast, by Thomas Miller (Illustrated London Almanack, 1849)

(See the Seasonal Holidays section for the rest of this series.)

August: Harvest Home, by Thomas Miller (Illustrated London Almanack, 1849)

(See the Seasonal Holidays section for the rest of this series.)

Rural Economy (Illustrated London Almanack, 1850)

Tips on managing a rural household on a budget.

Country Notes [Monthly], by Thomas Miller (1851)

Country customs, farm practices and rural entertainments.

Fireside Life (Illustrated London Almanack, 1855)

Village Life (Illustrated London Almanack, 1855)

More accurately, "Village life for the London visitor."

Summer in the Country (Cassell's Family Paper, 1860)

The Village Shop (Leisure Hour, 1860)

In many a pleasant village, this article tells us, "the grand business of shopping has all to be transacted under a single roof" -- whether you need a chemist, a hosier, a butcher, or a post office.

Village Clubs and Reading Rooms (Leisure Hour, 1868)

The English Farmer Boy (Illustrated London Almanack, 1871)

A look at the duties of a farm boy, including "bird scaring" - swinging a rattle to scare the crows from the crops.

Gathering Mushrooms and Fungi (Illustrated London Almanack, 1873)

Information on mushrooms and mushroom-gathering in England.

January (Demorest, 1879)

A short look at the month of January in the country, with tips on keeping the snow-birds fed.

July (Demorest, 1880)

July in the country and on the farm.

Winter Entertainments in Villages, by Gentianella (Girl's Own Paper, 1883)

Some Vanishing Rural Types (Cassell's Family Magazine, 1884)

Cottage Meetings, by Alice King (Girl's Own Paper, 1885)

Cottage Bible studies.

Village Bands, by Alice King (Girl's Own Paper, 1885)

Village Night Schools, by Dora Hope (Girl's Own Paper, 1885)

Will It Rain Tomorrow? (Cassell's Family Magazine, 1886)

A mist at evening means no; smoke descending to the ground means (probably) yes.

An English Deer Park, by Richard Jefferies (Century, 1888)

A delightful article on the flora and fauna of an English parkland.

Village Life in the Olden Time, by Frederick Gale (English Illustrated Magazine, 1892)

Remiscences about country life in the early 19th century.

An Independent Gentlewoman, by Maud Morrison (Girl's Own Paper, 1893)

A peek into the life of a self-supporting country gentlewoman.

Our Life in a Country Village: An Actual Experience (Girl's Own Paper, 1893)

Village Children's Games (Cassell's Family Magazine, 1893)

Drop the Handkerchief, Milk-Cans, and Cat and Mouse...

How Two Sisters Live in the Country on a Pound a Week, by Barbara Marsh (Girl's Own Paper, 1894)

Notes from Our Village Green, by Barbara Marsh (Girl's Own Paper, 1895)

Country vs. Town Life for Small Incomes, by Mary G. Dallington (Girl's Own Paper, 1896)

Village Homes for Ladies, by H.B.M. Buchanan (Girl's Own Paper, 1898)

"I have also noticed... the large number of ladies, with little or nothing to do, who become submerged in flats, boarding-houses and hotels in London. As I watch them, lost in London, with little aim in life, of no importance, position, and in many cases, of little or no value to anyone, I imagine how different their lives might be, and how much happier they might be, if, by living in the country, they tried to bring amusement, culture and life into the villages."

How Landowners Are Made, by Arthur Goodrich (Windsor Magazine, 1900)

Land speculation and lavishly named property developments aren't just a modern invention!

An Agricultural Village, by Mary Skene (Girl's Own Paper, 1901)

How one village set up a program of hot lunches for schoolchildren.

What Co-Operation Did in Our Village, by Lucy Yates (Girl's Own Paper, 1901)

How a village set up several cooperative agricultural businesses, including jam-making and flower-growing.

See also:

• Rural Life in America

• Farming & Agriculture