Burnell's grocers shop, Rugeley

Description:J. Burnell & Son Ltd.'s grocers shop on Market Square showing its original Georgian shop windows.

Joseph Burnell advertised his business in 1862: J.Burnell (late Hattersley) 'The Tea & Colonial Warehouse', Rugeley, Wholesale, Retail Wine & Spirits Merchants". He seems to have taken over from the recently widowed Ann Hattersley who was living in Market Square and listed as having 'retired from trade', aged 35, in the 1861 census. Together with her late husband, they were running a wine and spirits merchants in Market Street by 1851. Joseph died in Devon in 1892 but is buried at Rugeley. His son George Joseph Burnell ran the grocery business until his death in 1925 when it was reported that he had worked in the shop from the age of 11 on coming to Rugeley from Cambridge, standing on a box to serve customers. This would give a date of around 1859. George married one of the Hattersley daughters, Harriet Louisa, in 1874.