If he had been photographed away from the hay cart, it would have been difficult to guess at his occupation. The walking cane, boutonniere and bowler hat; he has the look of a dandy, not a farmer's son or a butcher. His outfit might not have looked out of place at Tring Park or at one of his Uncle's social events, but it would have attracted more than just a passing glance on Edgware High Street. Though it may be unwise to read too much into the way a person is dressed, there is good reason to examine Henry George's attire; not just the look, but what may have inspired it.

In late 19th century England, primogeniture ~ the custom of the eldest son inheriting the bulk of the family fortune was still observed, even among the middle classes. However many daughters a couple might have, sons were considered of greater value and the eldest son took precedence over all his siblings. Consequently, it was almost a tradition that eldest sons were over-mindful of their own importance and their parents inclined to indulgence. Whether Henry George was 'over-mindful of his importance' we cannot be certain, but that he was indulged. of this there can be little doubt.

Members of Henry George's family were already and without doubt, important members of Edgware and Tring society. They also had frequent contact with those who were from the upper classes. Over the years, they had a number of photographs taken, which seem staged, taken for a purpose. They suggest that the Muddles had social aspirations and wished to impress the citizens of Edgware and beyond; in one photograph, Charles Muddle's connection to the Rothschilds at Tring Park is literally pointed out. Neither can it be discounted that Henry George and his family may have lived in the somewhat grand surroundings of Bury Farmhouse. That alone could have been sufficient to make them wish for a higher social standing.

Henry's George's attire reflects these aspirations, as does the photograph of him in his butchers outfit; he wasn't going up to Oxford, he hadn't gained a commission in the army, so a photograph of him at the start of his career as a butcher, could be considered a little excessive. It was certainly extravagant. Then, on the little finger of his right hand he wears a signet ring, possibly given to him on his 21st birthday, which in English society was often the mark of a man of some significance.

It seems likely that Henry George did aspire to a more rarefied way of life, such as that he had witnessed in Aylesbury and Tring and that his family were also hoping for great things from 'the only son'. Consequently, just dressing the part would not be sufficient; he needed to take up a respectable occupation. As mentioned earlier, the market for hay was in serious decline and in any case, he was probably more attracted to the cosmopolitan, society life of William Smith. But in order to reach the status of Councillor Smith ~ Master Butcher, Henry George would have to do more than practice his trade at home ~ he would need his own establishment, and his family seemed more than ready to help him to achieve that objective.