Cheshire is noted for the vigorous pursuit of local history, in which this book’s predecessor played a significant part during the twenty-five years following its first publication in 1971. During that time much has changed in our understanding of the past, while a generation of documentary research and archaeological activity has given us a more complex and more detailed picture of many aspects and periods of Cheshire’s history and pre-history. So much so that further revision of Dorothy Sylvester’s earlier book would not suffice and Dr Alan Crosby has now completely replaced it with this, the first new single-volume of Cheshire for a quarter of a century.
In an eminently readable, clear and very fully-illustrated text, Dr Crosby elegantly summarises the long, rich and complex history of a beautiful and varied county; from prehistoric times to the changing environment of the present day. Dramatic discoveries, such as the bog bodies of Lindow Moss, or of hitherto-unknown Roman camps and forts by aerial photography, have enables archaeology to rewrite much of Cheshire’s earlier history and made old interpretations obsolete, while detailed recent work by many scholars has thrown new light of the Dark Ages and the character of medieval Cheshire’s economy and society.
History is never-ending and the past quarter century has seen changes in the county as dramatic as any in its long history. Old industries have disappeared while new ones have arrives, putting pressures on Cheshire’s countryside with demands for new housing and roads. At the same time, the county has become an important tourist destination and leisure and the heritage industry are now major factors in its development. Even the boundaries have changed with local government reorganisation, though throughout this book the historical boundaries of ’real’ Cheshire are used. Alan Crosby’s new and preceptive account is timely, if not overdue. It will be warmly welcomed by everyone with an interest in Cheshire’s past, whether resident of visitor.
Contents:
List of Illustrations
Acknowledgements
1. Cheshire Before the Norman Conquest
- The Geographical Background
- Prehistory
- Roman Cheshire
- Mercia and the Danes
- Cheshire Under English Rule
2. Medieval Cheshire
- Government and Administration
- Castles
- The Medieval Church
- Agriculture, Forests and Rural Society
- Markets, Boroughs and Towns
- Economy and Industry
3. Cheshire between 1550 and 1750
- Government and Administration
- War and Peace
- Agriculture and the Rural Landscape
- Industry and Transport
- Towns and Trade
- Religion and Education
4. Cheshire 1750-1900: Part 1
- Administration and Government
- Religious Life in 18th and 19th Century Cheshire
- Agriculture and Rural Landscapes
- Transport
5. Cheshire 1750-1900: Part 2
- Industries and their Impact
- Towns and Suburbs
6. Cheshire Since 1900
Bibliography and Further Reading
Index
