"During the 1810s and 1820s, the Tory merchant and banker Richard Hart Davis rode high in Bristol electoral politics. Elected as one of the city's two MPs at a bye-election in 1812, he retained his seat at the general election of that year and at subsequent elections in 1818, 1820, 1826 and 1830". John Stevens looks at how Toryism was in the ascendancy, restricting the influence of Whiggism in Bristol.
Tag: Bristol
A Missing Nave and the Development of Private Housing at Bristol Cathedral (PART ONE)
Part 1 of 2 - Joyce Moss looks at the development of the housing around Bristol Cathedral through from the 16th Century, as well as looking at the history of the buildings and whatever events occurred over the years of its construction. Furthermore, the article includes people who were involved with the monastic properties of the city, and what impact they had on proceedings.
The Norman Lords of Bristol
"The early history of Bristol is obscure. Although archaeological excavation is beginning to shed light on the development of the town, the townsmen left no written records to provide a picture of the political framework, within which the town emerged, nor of how power was mediated in the town". Thompson looks at early records of how Bristol was formed, and what events and factors influenced its early development.
The Rise and Fall of ISC Chemicals at Avonmouth: The Impact of the Montreal Protocol on CFCs
In this article, Bingham looks at the implementation of the Montreal protocols, and its efforts to phase out chlorofluorocarbons, a key part of the economics of the chemicals part of the Avonmouth munitions plant site. It also explores the impact of one of the most important factors; the 1987 Montreal Protocol which led to the complete phasing out of chlorofluorocarbons (CFCs), which had by then become an important part of the economics of the chemicals part of the site. Was it inevitable that the site would close, or did other factors contribute to its demise?
Builders of Victorian Bristol
"The phrase 'builders of Victorian Bristol' can be approached at different levels. It can refer to all those who contributed to the growth of the city in the widest sense, embracing its physical, economic, social, political and cultural development in the period 1837-1901". Peter Malpass investigates some important names and how they made a different to Bristol in the Victorian era.
As much afraid of truth as any people I ever met with’: a Nineteenth Century Mormon perspective of Bristolians
"At one time or another, most of us will have encountered Mormon missionaries, often young American men, on the streets of British cities. Few of us, perhaps, know very much about what they believe, or what they are doing here. In fact, Mormons have been spreading the word in Bristol for about 170 years now. But how popular were they when they first arrived? And what sort of people joined the Mormon church in the nineteenth century city? In this article, Chris Ralph goes in search of some answers."
“Our Zoo”: The Relationship between Bristol Zoo Gardens and its neighbours
"In 1835, a site of about twelve acres opposite the Durdham Downs was purchased with a view to opening zoological gardens... This article will look at how the situation of the Zoo in the affluent neighbourhood of Clifton has affected the development of its character over the years, how the Zoo has interacted with its neighbours, and the significance of the Zoo's walls in the delineating and enabling control over the space within them".
Marketing the Poor: Gainsborough and the Circulation of Provisions in Bath
'The Georgian painter, Thomas Gainsborough, spent some of the most productive years of his career making portraits and landscapes from a base in the city of Bath'. Inspired by the 2012 exhibition at the Holburne Museum curated by Susan Sloman, Steve Poole looks at this shift in Gainsborough's focus and how this changed the presentation of the poor.
Heritage and Regeneration: making history at the Stokes Croft Museum
In August 2010, the Stokes Croft Museum opened: an unfunded venture, established to showcase the diversity of life in an area of Bristol renowned for its music and graffiti, but also its problems of crime, addiction and prostitution. Rose Wallis looks at this new 'single-room' heritage attraction, and how it reflects the many identities of the area.
Stolen Paradise: Civilian squatters in military camps in and around postwar Bristol
During the summer of 1946, thousands of British families took the law into their own hands to temporarily solve their housing problems by "requisitioning" empty military camps. Eugene Byrne takes a look at the mass-squatting movement that swept the city and surrounding area, which took up almost all of the country's vacant military sites in two weeks from its ignition.