The Local Historian Volume 17 Number 3 August 1986

By Stephen A. Royle and Maura E. Pringle

The authors criticise the general standard of the maps which appear in local history articles and other publications, arguing that the poor quality of the cartography lets down the overall standard of the work. They use as a specific example the map which appeared in Patricia Giles' article on the Polbathic Recreation Rooms (The Local Historian 16 05 supp). The discussion considers the following major elements in the composition and drawing of a map: i) the frame and its relationship with the content; ii) positioning of title, scale, key, north point and other features; iii) the quality of the lines drawn on the map; iv) the practical requirements of the paper quality, pen and ink and other equipment; v) shading; vi) location and alignment of names; and vii) further reading.

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By T.V. Jackson

The policy registers of the Sun Fire Office (in the Guildhall Library, London) run continuously from 1710 onwards and are a source of outstanding importance for local and urban historians. The article begins with a description of their scope and the existence of other insurance records from rival companies. There is then a description of the standard format which is followed for most entries in the registers (the degree of standardisation representing a significant advantage for the researcher). The author used this source to investigate aspects of the industrial and urban development of Warrington, Lancashire, and notes the practical procedures for research - shortcuts such as identification of the agent's name are suggested, as is the existence of indexes, though it is noted that progress will be slow because of the sheer numbers of policies to be checked. The second half of the paper illustrates, using Warrington examples, the types of detailed information which may be derived from the policy documents, and also considers ways in which these may be analysed, including suggested potential for cross-referencing with, for example, probate records. The importance for industrial and commercial history, investigation of the contents of houses, workshops and industrial premises, research into fires, and analysis of the value of trade and business premises, is highlighted.

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By Angela V. John

Bibliographical review of the rapidly-growing corpus of published works on women's history, which is described as 'one of the fastest expanding areas of historical research'. The article begins with consideration of works which attempt to define women's history and to place it in the context of wider theories of historical research and of the women's movement. There is then a discussion of work on women in the early modern period and of republished and newly-available contemporary texts. Documentary collections of primary sources are reviewed and this is followed by a lengthy analysis of recent work on women's employment and education, leading into consideration of women and class (especially working class) and women in the Celtic countries of the British Isles. The final section deals with the role of women in domestic and business life and the importance of gender studies which seek to include women and men in their analysis, rather than simply replacing one-sided studies of men with similarly lop-sided studies of women. There is a comprehensive bibliography of all the works referred to in the article.

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By Shani D'Cruze

The article investigates the hitherto underemphasised role of women in public spheres of business in the second half of the 18th century, using the case-study example of Colchester. Here, it is apparent, women acted as business proprietors in a wide range of activities, including saddlery, china merchants, and brewing, generally as young widows who had to support a family. Independent careers were often ended by remarriage but a significant number continued to trade independently for many years. Other women were left in control of businesses by husbands still living, and there is abundant evidence that in reality (and contrary to some established wisdom) it was socially respectable for this to be so. About 24% of small traders identified in the town in the period 1750-1800 were women, but in some sectors, such as clothing, the proportion was very much higher. This aspect of women's trading is analysed in detail, in the context of the growth of consumerism and the development of new specialisms within the clothing trade - millinery is given particular attention, with discussion of the range of trade, the types of goods produced (milliners sold not only hats but many other specialised items of women's clothing), advertising and business networks, and the social categories from which milliners came. It is argued that, since only one male milliner is recorded (died 1758) this was an exclusively female occupation which had identified and filled a 'niche' market created by changing fashion.

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By Mike Greet

Biographical article about Isaac Bell (c.1801-?) who from 1825 until at least the mid-1840s lived in Cheltenham and worked as a gardener. During this time he wrote quantities of verse and poetry, on a very great range of subjects (among many others, gardening, politics, current events, humorous themes, landscape, his employers, and cruelty to animals). Examples of his writings are quoted and there is a summary of what relatively little is known of the facts about his life.