author
George Sturt
1863–1927
Best known for writing as George Bourne, he turned close attention to the working life, speech, and changing customs of rural England. His books have lasted because they feel both observant and deeply lived-in.
2 Audiobooks
Change in the Village
by George Sturt
About the author
Born in Farnham, Surrey, in 1863, George Sturt became known as an English writer on rural crafts and country life, often publishing under the pseudonym George Bourne. Before fully committing to writing, he worked as a schoolmaster.
A major turn in his life came after his father's death in 1894, when he took over the family wheelwright business in Farnham. That hands-on experience shaped much of his best-known work, giving him an unusually direct view of traditional village labor, craftsmanship, and the social changes affecting rural communities.
Sturt wrote both fiction and nonfiction, but he is especially remembered for books rooted in everyday country life and work, including The Wheelwright's Shop and The Bettesworth Book. He died in 1927, and his writing is still valued for its clear, humane record of a disappearing rural world.