Jon Stobart

Professor Jon Stobart is a leading social and economic historian specializing in 18th-century England, focusing on retailing, consumption, and the material culture of elite households. He holds a DPhil in historical geography from Oxford University and is based at Manchester Metropolitan University, where he serves as Professor of Social History.

His research explores the intersection of global trade, domestic spaces, and social hierarchies. Notable projects include studies of English country houses as sites of consumption, clergy lifestyle funded by the Gerda Henkel Stiftung, and collaborative analyses of rural retailing in Germany and England. He has authored seminal works such as Consumption and the Country House (OUP, 2016) and Comfort in the Eighteenth-Century Country House (Routledge, 2021).

Prof Stobart’s academic roles include co-editing the Journal of Retailing and Consumption and serving on the AHRC Peer Review College. His interdisciplinary work bridges historical geography, material culture studies, and heritage interpretation. Recent projects involve analyzing global goods in European country houses and the role of auctions in Caribbean elite consumption.

He has examined over 20 PhD theses across UK institutions and reviewed for top journals including the Economic History Review and Journal of Consumer Culture. His research collaborations span heritage organizations like the National Trust and academic networks across Europe.