'The surviving notebooks of eighteenth century magistrates can be used by historians to investigate the extent to which customary culture was constrained and regulated by law. Wood-gathering may have been essential to the economy of the rural poor, but it remained theft in the eyes of the law. Carl Griffin opens the notebook of William Hunt of West Lavington in Wiltshire and finds that it was a crime that kept the magistrate peculiarly busy'.
Tag: Wiltshire
Changing Avebury
In this article, Brian Edwards follow the heritage timeline of Avebury, as well as incorporate the efforts of the heritage authorities to cash in and further popularise the history of Stonehenge and the surrounding area. The timeline stems from John Aubrey introducing Charles II to Avebury in 1663, to the impact that the Five Mile Act had on the surrounding environment.
The Trouble With Local History
Brian Edwards explores the tensions between individual interest and spatial identity, the reluctance of some local historians to engage in historical debate, and their tendency towards antiquarianism. This article argues that antiquarianism endangers the knowledge of history by masking it. In its place, Edwards advocates for an organic history which reflects popular historical consciousness; a history which embraces everything from photographs of dart teams to invented local traditions.
Historians of Mere – Part I
Whilst Mere is mentioned in the various diaries of early travellers, these entries give us little which is reliable by modem standards. In the years 1659-70 Joan Aubrey, the Stuart antiquarian of Kington St. Michael in the north of the county, conceived the idea of a Topographical history of Wiltshire, never completed, the text of which was deposited in the Bodlian Library. It was finally published, with a commentary by the Rev J.E.Jackson, by the Wiltshire Archaeological & Natural History Society in 1862. In this paper, MF Tighe hopes to provide a guide to the historiography of Mere, as well as pointers to future study.
Oral History (Memories – Education, Therapy and Entertainment
This report from the Wiltshire Monthly Intelligencer covers some of Michael Marshman's work on oral history. Marshman’s work took the form of a series of reminiscence sessions entitled 'Do You Remember?'. Whereas with a history talk one turns up, assesses the audience, adjusts a set talk accordingly, delivers it and answers questions, these reminiscence sessions sought to draw memories from local people, producing some very interesting and unique material.