The Local Historian Volume 14 Number 7 August 1981

By Victor Skipp

Continuing his previous discussion of possible definitions of the term 'local history', Skipp reviews the aims and objectives of local historians and the often heated debates among them about such issues. He summarises his perceptions of the exchange of views between John Marshall and members of the Leicester School about the philosophy, purpose and methodology of local history and regional history, and explains the main themes which have recently (1981) been attracting attention, such as micro-history, the nature and meaning of 'community', the argument over the 'territorial bases of historical research', the role of amateurs and the survival of antiquarianism, and the recent contribution of the Blake Report (see also 14 06 325-331).

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By E.G. Thomas

A very useful summary of the background to the widespread practice of apprenticing pauper children, which was introduced in the reign of Henry VIII, modified and developed in the late Elizabethan Poor Law legislation, and remained a standard procedure until the 1834 Poor Law Amendment Act. The article reviews the rationale for the apprenticing of paupers and notes the various pieces of legislation which changed the details of procedures. It discusses some of the themes which are potentially important for local studies, including: i) the extent and impact of migration; ii) the extent to which parishes and townships could rely on local industry and crafts to take the apprentices; iii) the drawing-power of London; and iv) in the 18th and 19th centuries, the evidence for children being sent to textile mills in the midlands and north of England. The documentation of the system is considered, though not in specific detail, and the possibilities for cross-referencing with other sources are also suggested in a brief concluding paragraph.

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By John Maynard

Discussion of the nature of language in England in the 17th and 18th centuries, beginning with the theories of communication, the significance of language, and the role of dialect. The articles continues with reflections by contemporary travellers and others on the language or dialect of ordinary people in different parts of England, and upon the language gap between the educated and the uneducated, as it was perceived by the former category in the 19th century.

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By F.G. Emmison

Explanation of the form, content and purpose of this important category of records, which begins with a discussion of the problems in their use and the potential which they offer for local history research. The article lists the major types of information which such documents should give in the post-medieval period, and suggests that although they are often regarded as formulaic and lacking in accurate detail, they may well be more precise than is usually supposed. The highly standardised clauses of the documents are listed, followed by some actual examples where final concord evidence is checked against that from other sources and is shown to be reasonably accurate. There is also a discussion of medieval final concords.

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By Robin Chaplin

Part 2 of the review editor's round-up of some of the very large number and wide range of booklets, pamphlets and journals published by private individuals, small companies and local organisations in 1978-1980. In this section Chaplin discusses - with extensive and detailed critical and analytical comment - these works under the following main headings: homes and families; people; portraits of the artist (painters, musicians, architects, and sculptors); and industrial history. A full listing of the titles reviewed is included (see also 14 04 211-221).