Yeovil, despite its antiquity and Saxon roots, remained a small market town until the late 18th century, when industry began to produce expansion--at first through cloth making and then by a surge in its long established craft of glove making. By the 19th century the ancient borough became incorporated and then developed further in the present century with the manufacture of oil engines, followed by aircraft production, with helicopters finally becoming the staple industry, replacing the entirely defunct glove trade.
This book skilfully illustrates the changes brought about by those developments with a superb selection of old photographs from the fine collection of the Museum of South Somerset, most of which have not been published previously. The are was well served by early photographers and each picture has been carefully researched and fully captioned to add great visual impact to the author's narrative account.
Residents and visitors alike will delight in the fascinating glimpses of the town and its people as they once were, besides being entertained by the author's descriptions of Yeovil's now vanished lifestyle in this informative and evocative new book.
Contents:
Acknowledgements
From the Curator; Museum of South Somerset
Introduction
The Town That Was
Civic Government and Public Service
Getting About
Living Quarters
Industry
Before Supermarkets
Spiritual Needs
Health and Welfare
Red-Letter Days
Social Occasions
Select Bibliography
