The Local Historian Volume 12 Number 5 February 1977

By Roy Worskett

Informal discussion of the issues raised by the conservation movement in the context of historic towns. Themes mentioned include the planning process; amenity and civic societies; the loss of integrity in the urban fabric; museums and their role in interpretation; and the importance of education.

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By Anne Digby

A review of the key themes in current research on the English Poor Law, with a bibliography of recent publications on the subject. The themes discussed include: i) the Speenhamland period 1795-1834, the last phase of the Old Poor Law, with argument about the economics of the system and the relationship between poor relief and the economy of the labouring classes; ii) the impact of the 1834 Act, in the context of the skewed perspective of the 1832 Royal Commission and its reports, and the major impact of local conditions and circumstances on the operation of the Act; iii) the relationship between the laws of settlement and removal and the financing of the Poor Law; iv) the Poor Laws and politics; and v) the principles on which the Poor Laws operated, insofar as they reflected the attitudes to the poor which were expressed by articulate members of society (including the relative importance of the Poor Law in the relief of poverty). The second part of the article is the select bibliography.

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By Della Hooke

Analysis of the nature of ancient (that is, prehistoric and Anglo-Saxon) cross-country routeways and of the forms of documentary and other evidence which may be used to reconstruct their alignment, purpose and character. Hooke makes particular use of early charter evidence, showing how place--names, boundary alignment and other features referred to in such sources frequently relate to routeways, and that these may often be identified on the ground or on maps today. Examples from Worcestershire and Warwickshire are used to illustrate this case, and it is suggested that while some Roman roads fell into disuse in the post-Roman period, others continued to serve local settlements and their alignment was thus preserved. It is however also clear that the networks of routeways, and their detailed alignment, were constantly being altered to suit specific local requirements and that (especially) the location of river crossings and hence the routes which converged on them were frequently modified. Tithe maps and enclosure plans are suggested as important later sources, while the role of fieldwork and archaeological evidence is seen to be crucial.

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By Roy Lowe

Review of the role of local history in schools, suggesting that children can benefit from the study of local themes and subjects but that this may present the teacher with significant problems: notably, it is argued, overall historical interpretation may be lost at the expense of attention to local issues. The study of local communities may prove unwieldy, as the topics may be more complex and time-consuming than at first appears. The problem may be exacerbated by differences between school investigation of local history in urban areas and similar aims in rural schools. Local history, Lowe argues, should be seen as the study of broad problems from local evidence, or of the local community in its national context, rather than something valid in its own right. It is suggested that exploitation of local material may help pupils to learn about historical techniques and methods, but that the learning should be related to broader themes and problems.

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By J.H. Bettey and D.S. Wilde

This article follows the account by the same authors (11 03 129-133) of a project for computer analysis of the inventories of Dorset farmers in the period 1573-1670. The present article discusses some of the main findings of the research project, which produced a 'mass of statistics'. Themes covered include: i) the evidence for the rising wealth of farmers in the county over this period, and particularly that of the yeomen with their well-stocked farms; ii) the indications that farmers had higher living standards, as evidenced by the growing proportion of inventory wealth which is in the form of household goods, furnishings and clothes; iii) evidence for variations between the three main divisions of the county - the chalklands, the heaths and the clay vales - in terms of types of farming, livestock holdings, crops grown and equipment; iii) in particular, analysis of the different levels of sheep-farming; iv) evidence for the by-employments in farming communities, such as rope- and twine-making, leather crafts, spinning, quarrying and clay-working; v) the borrowing and lending of money; vi) analysis of the competence and efficiency of the appraisers of inventories (for example, with listing poultry and types of household goods); and vii) bee-keeping.

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By Stuart Davies

An introduction to the major documentary sources which are available to those researching the vernacular architecture of a region (rather than, for example, the history of an individual property). The article discusses the reliability and value of probate inventories, which are considered to be relatively unhelpful despite the information which they may give about the number and types of rooms - it is suggested that as large a number as possible should be studied. Glebe terriers and faculty papers describe parsonage houses, which some have classified as a separate type of building but which Davies feels are not significantly different from other building types. Estate collections may give very valuable evidence, particularly about building history and the introduction of new architectural styles or tenurial arrangements, and rentals may also be helpful. Other material considered includes manorial records, taxation records, the descriptions of contemporary commentators, and maps, which are noted very briefly at the end of the article.

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By Peter S. Richards

A methodology which combines extensive fieldwork and the use of maps with other approaches such as writing to, and sending questionnaires to, the owners or managers of industrial concerns, and using oral history for the identification of businesses and trades which had disappeared. Richards suggests that local historians in seeking to establish why particular industries or businesses were located in certain areas, might investigate industrial plans and drawings, census notes (including, for example, comments on population changes occasioned by industrial development), newspaper reports and the records of companies themselves.