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Books > History > History of specific subjects > Local history
Finally Fyreback settles into a proper job. Bringing rough justice
to all who are oppressed in these troubled times, and the Law such
as it is, has no legal jurisdiction. He learns a few extra skills
on the way, diplomacy doesna t seem to be one of them, but be sure
his Cleaver plays ita s part. Will this be the wind down to a
stable married life and family. Again who can say, now possessing a
Wife and Child with another to yet be born, peace and quiet will
return to the Border with a new Monarch to rule both Scotland and
England under one Crown, but that is still a few years ahead.
Local prosecution associations were a method of controlling crime
which was devised in the second half of the eighteenth century,
fifty years before the introduction of police forces. They were a
national phenomenon, and it is estimated that by the end of the
1700s around 4000 of them existed in England, but this book tells
the story of one particular society: the Hathersage Association for
the Prosecution of Felons and Other Offenders. Hathersage is a Peak
District village which recently came top in a Country Living poll
to determine the '20 best hidden gems in the UK'. The tourists who
now visit the village in their thousands each year come as walkers,
climbers, and cyclists. Its grimy history of wire and needle
manufacturing is almost forgotten. In addition to telling the story
of its ancient prosecution organisation, this book seeks to
illuminate some of the less conspicuous aspects of Hathersage's
social history by shining a light from the unusual direction of
minor crime and antisocial behaviour. It also describes the lives
of some of the residents of the village: minor gentry;
industrialists; clergy; and farmers, in addition to the mill
workers and labourers. With access to hand-written records going
back to 1784 which had never been studied before, the author has
drawn on contemporary newspaper articles and census returns to
assemble a montage which depicts the life of the village,
particularly during the 19th century. Many of these original
records have been reproduced in order to offer reader an
opportunity to interpret the old documents themselves. While
striving for historical accuracy throughout, the author has
produced a book which is both entertaining and informative. Any
profits from the sale of this book will go to the Hathersage
Association and will, in turn, be donated to the local charities
which the Association supports. Those charities include Edale
Mountain Rescue, the Air Ambulance, Helen's Trust, Bakewell &
Eyam Community Transport, and Cardiac Risk in the Young.
By day Percy Monkman (1892 to 1986) worked in the same Bradford
bank for 40 years, ending up as chief cashier. Everything else
about Percy was totally unconventional. By night, at weekends, on
holidays he transformed himself into an entertainer, actor, artist
and cartoonist whose work was regularly acclaimed by the public and
held in great respect by colleagues. Percy was highly creative,
talented and energetic, a man who achieved high standards in all
his artistic activities. The eldest of five boys, he was born into
a humble working-class family and attended school until he was
nearly 14. After a couple of office jobs, at 16 he passed a banking
examination and started to work at Becketts Bank (later acquired by
the Westminster Bank). Unexpectedly, the First World War gave Percy
an opportunity for a new life that he grasped firmly with both
hands. He spent much of the war as a comedian in an entertainment
troupe that ran concert party shows for soldiers just behind the
front line. Back in civilian life he continued his entertainment
career with great success throughout the interwar years. In the
Second World War he was back at entertaining the troops, this time
groups of returning servicemen across Yorkshire. In 1935 Percy
joined the Bradford Civic Playhouse and became a fixture in the
cast for over 20 years. Here, in one of the best amateur theatres
in the country, he played in many diverse productions, usually in
comic roles. Alongside entertaining and acting, Percy developed his
third creative passion of watercolour painting. He took advantage
of every opportunity to paint, usually landscapes of the Yorkshire
Dales. When he retired from the bank in 1952, he was able to devote
all his time to this passion, which he described as 'fanatic,
dedicated and impulsive'. Largely self-taught, he believed strongly
in being part of a community of like-minded painters so that he
could learn from them. The Bradford Arts Club gave him this network
for all his adult life. He exhibited widely and sold most of his
paintings. When the mood took him, he was also a talented
cartoonist whose works were sometimes published. A committed family
man, Percy also built a large number of life-long friends, who were
a fascinating mixture of people from all walks of life, with
similar passions for entertaining, acting and painting, often
eccentrics and sometimes very well connected in Bradford society.
His most significant friendship was with JB Priestley, his exact
contemporary and England's most famous man of letters in the 20th
century. Percy's extraordinary life of achievement is a unique
record of social history, reflecting life in 20th century Bradford.
Sadly, this is now largely a lost world. This affectionate and
comprehensive biography by his grandson, illustrated with over 90
images, is both a visual delight and a joy to read, including high
quality reproductions of some of Percy's most famous paintings.
In May 2022 Bradford was awarded the honour of being UK City of
Culture 2025. Bradford is one of the most fascinating places in the
country. This history provides a unique reference of what Bradford
has already achieved and how it can now build on that foundation.
It grew in the 19th century from a small market town to one of the
UK's largest cities. It built its new wealth on factory production
of woollen goods, a classic case study of the Industrial
Revolution. This book is no conventional narrative of Bradford's
history. It celebrates each day in the year with some important
story from 1212 to 2020 - the impact of a strong-minded or talented
individual, a critical event of success or disaster, or an
important moment in the development of the city, its buildings or
its institutions. Bradford has experienced good and bad times,
periods of growth, decline and regeneration, and several waves of
immigration. Often rising above adversity and strife, many
individuals have made outstanding contributions to the city and the
nation. They feature businessmen such as Sir Titus Salt and Samuel
Lister, who made large fortunes through hard work and innovation,
and creative giants with international reputations such as JB
Priestley and David Hockney. Many mill-owners became very wealthy,
but many more workers suffered from poverty and ill-health. Not for
nothing did Friedrich Engels describe Bradford as a 'stinking hole'
or TS Eliot refer to silk hats on Bradford millionaires in his most
famous poem. The stories cover a wide range of topics - industry,
commerce, politics, arts, leisure, sport, education, health etc.
They include social issues such as the extreme poverty and squalor
in the 19th century and women's rights and multi-culturalism in the
20th. The accent, however, is on the positive - the unusual, the
brave, the eccentric and the amazing. Never before have such
stories about everyday life in and around Bradford across the
centuries been brought together in one volume. Martin Greenwood has
built a remarkable kaleidoscope of life in his home city from
medieval times to the current day.
By day Percy Monkman (1892 to 1986) worked in the same Bradford
bank for 40 years, ending up as chief cashier. Everything else
about Percy was totally unconventional. By night, at weekends, on
holidays he transformed himself into an entertainer, actor, artist
and cartoonist whose work was regularly acclaimed by the public and
held in great respect by colleagues. Percy was highly creative,
talented and energetic, a man who achieved high standards in all
his artistic activities. The eldest of five boys, he was born into
a humble working-class family and attended school until he was
nearly 14. After a couple of office jobs, at 16 he passed a banking
examination and started to work at Becketts Bank (later acquired by
the Westminster Bank). Unexpectedly, the First World War gave Percy
an opportunity for a new life that he grasped firmly with both
hands. He spent much of the war as a comedian in an entertainment
troupe that ran concert party shows for soldiers just behind the
front line. Back in civilian life he continued his entertainment
career with great success throughout the interwar years. In the
Second World War he was back at entertaining the troops, this time
groups of returning servicemen across Yorkshire. In 1935 Percy
joined the Bradford Civic Playhouse and became a fixture in the
cast for over 20 years. Here, in one of the best amateur theatres
in the country, he played in many diverse productions, usually in
comic roles. Alongside entertaining and acting, Percy developed his
third creative passion of watercolour painting. He took advantage
of every opportunity to paint, usually landscapes of the Yorkshire
Dales. When he retired from the bank in 1952, he was able to devote
all his time to this passion, which he described as 'fanatic,
dedicated and impulsive'. Largely self-taught, he believed strongly
in being part of a community of like-minded painters so that he
could learn from them. The Bradford Arts Club gave him this network
for all his adult life. He exhibited widely and sold most of his
paintings. When the mood took him, he was also a talented
cartoonist whose works were sometimes published. A committed family
man, Percy also built a large number of life-long friends, who were
a fascinating mixture of people from all walks of life, with
similar passions for entertaining, acting and painting, often
eccentrics and sometimes very well connected in Bradford society.
His most significant friendship was with JB Priestley, his exact
contemporary and England's most famous man of letters in the 20th
century. Percy's extraordinary life of achievement is a unique
record of social history, reflecting life in 20th century Bradford.
Sadly, this is now largely a lost world. This affectionate and
comprehensive biography by his grandson, illustrated with over 90
images, is both a visual delight and a joy to read, including high
quality reproductions of some of Percy's most famous paintings.
In May 2022 Bradford was awarded the honour of being UK City of
Culture 2025. Bradford is one of the most fascinating places in the
country. This history provides a unique reference of what Bradford
has already achieved and how it can now build on that foundation.
It grew in the 19th century from a small market town to one of the
UK's largest cities. It built its new wealth on factory production
of woollen goods, a classic case study of the Industrial
Revolution. This book is no conventional narrative of Bradford's
history. It celebrates each day in the year with some important
story from 1212 to 2020 - the impact of a strong-minded or talented
individual, a critical event of success or disaster, or an
important moment in the development of the city, its buildings or
its institutions. Bradford has experienced good and bad times,
periods of growth, decline and regeneration, and several waves of
immigration. Often rising above adversity and strife, many
individuals have made outstanding contributions to the city and the
nation. They feature businessmen such as Sir Titus Salt and Samuel
Lister, who made large fortunes through hard work and innovation,
and creative giants with international reputations such as JB
Priestley and David Hockney. Many mill-owners became very wealthy,
but many more workers suffered from poverty and ill-health. Not for
nothing did Friedrich Engels describe Bradford as a 'stinking hole'
or TS Eliot refer to silk hats on Bradford millionaires in his most
famous poem. The stories cover a wide range of topics - industry,
commerce, politics, arts, leisure, sport, education, health etc.
They include social issues such as the extreme poverty and squalor
in the 19th century and women's rights and multi-culturalism in the
20th. The accent, however, is on the positive - the unusual, the
brave, the eccentric and the amazing. Never before have such
stories about everyday life in and around Bradford across the
centuries been brought together in one volume. Martin Greenwood has
built a remarkable kaleidoscope of life in his home city from
medieval times to the current day.
The year is 1973 and changes are afoot in Great Yarmouth and
Brokencliff-on-Sea as the New Year comes in with bang! Return to a
simpler time when family holidays at the seaside were still fun and
electronic devices had never been heard of. The only sound that was
heard was the gentle lapping of the waves, the gulls circling
above, and the trot of the horse's hooves along the promenade and
music from the funfairs.
This is a book that takes the reader on a detailed tour of many of
the shores of Britain and Ireland and explains the reasons for
their remarkably different scenery. Why, for example, do the rocky
coastlines of Western Scotland and Ireland contrast so markedly
with the sandy beaches of East Anglia? It describes how the complex
coastline of North Wales evolved over some seven million years and
also traces the ways in which the human impact has changed all our
coastlines from prehistoric times to the present day. Crumbling
cliffs, stark headlands, coral beaches, shingle spits, sand dunes
and salt marshes - all are here, as are stories of Gaelic speakers,
fisherman's tales, saints and shipwrecks. One of the book's most
distinctive features tells how the author took part in one of the
National Trust's most successful initiatives, termed Enterprise
Neptune; how it was conceived and how it has led to the acquisition
of more than 775 miles of shoreline to be conserved for the nation
in perpetuity. The book also explores how famous artists, writers,
poets and composers have been inspired by coastal scenery to
produce some of their most important works. And what does the
future hold? What changes can we expect along our shores? The
concluding chapters examine the escalating threats resulting from
increasing human occupation and development and from the impact of
climate change. They outline some of the ways in which the National
Trust is responding to these challenges and how it is planning to
manage our coastal environment for many years to come.
A quest is never what you expect it to be.
Elizabeth Madeline Martin spends her days in a retirement home in
Cape Town, watching the pigeons and squirrels on the branch of a
tree outside her window. Bedridden, her memory fading, she can
recall her early childhood spent in a small wood-and-iron house in
Blackridge on the outskirts of Pietermaritzburg. Though she
remembers the place in detail – dogs, a mango tree, a stream – she
has no idea of where exactly it is. ‘My memory is full of blotches,’
she tells her daughter Julia, ‘like ink left about and knocked over.’
Julia resolves to find the Blackridge house: with her mother lonely
and confused, would this, perhaps, bring some measure of closure?
A journey begins that traverses family history, forgotten documents,
old photographs, and the maps that stake out a country’s troubled
past – maps whose boundaries nature remains determined to resist.
Kind strangers, willing to assist in the search, lead to unexpected
discoveries of ancestors and wars and lullabies. Folded into this
quest are the tender conversations between a daughter and a
mother who does not have long to live.
Taken as one, The Blackridge
House is a meditation on belonging, of the stories we tell of home
and family, of the precarious footprint of life.
New edition of the late Stephen Ellis' meticulously researched book that penetrates the secrecy of the ANC in exile for the first time.
After the ANC was banned by the apartheid government in 1960, many of its leaders and members were forced to leave the country. During the next three decades, it had to operate in exile and underground. Yet the real history of this period remains shrouded in mystery.
Some events, such as the Rhodesian campaign of 1967–1968 and the Kabwe conference of 1985, are well known, but lesser known are the intense factional struggles within the organisation, recurring pro-democracy protests and the creation of a security apparatus that inspired widespread fear. Some networks within the exiled ANC became heavily involved in corruption, even colluding with elements of the apartheid security police and secret services.
External Mission aims to provide a full account of the ANC’s years in exile, penetrating the secrecy the organisation erected around itself and testing the myths that emerged from that period. It is based on an exceptionally wide range of sources, including the ANC’s own archives and foreign archives such as those in East Germany, where the movement’s security personnel were trained.
Incisive and revealing, External Mission is key to understanding South Africa today.
A Collection of Oundle Families tells of their journey through the
census years. Many had lived in Oundle since the 18th century and
some even before. Several stories are individualised with newspaper
reports which show the ups and downs in their lives. A great
reference source for family historians.
Carved out of the wilderness in the 1680s, Springfield Township was
formed as Quaker families seeking religious freedom settled the
area. In a region roughly bounded by Darby Creek to the east and
Crum Creek to the west, the early settlers shared forests with the
native Lenni Lenape tribe. Just nine miles west of the port of
Philadelphia, Springfield harnessed tumbling creeks with mills
during the industrial revolution and provided the growing
commonwealth with edge tools from Beatty Ax Works and fabric from
Victoria Plush Mill. Builders used abundant stone quarries to
construct grand homes, including that of the Pennsylvania
Railroad's first chief engineer, J. Edgar Thomson, who laid out the
famous Horseshoe Curve and Main Line to Pittsburgh. The
construction of the Media Shortline Trolley helped Springfield
grow, as did the Saxon Avenue Shops and unique developments such as
Windsor Circle and Rolling Road. Springfield Township documents the
area's transformation into a modern town rich with amenities and
community organizations.
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