 Son and Servant of Shropshire: The Life of Archdeacon Joseph (Plymley) Corbett, 1759-1838 by Douglas Grounds 262 pages, 26 colour and 15 black and white illustrations ISBN 978 1 906663 13 1 (paperback) £13.95; 978 1 906663 14 8 (hardback) £18.50 Born in 1759 to an apothecary father who had married into the Corbett family, Joseph Plymley was destined for the Church at an early age. In 1792 he became Archdeacon of Salop (in the Hereford diocese), his abilities and enthusiasm leading to much restoration and repair of church buildings as well as the invigoration of local clergy. He was keen to use existing laws and charities to improve the conditions of the rural poor, and would take others to task if they failed to do what he saw as their Christian duty. He took this attitude into his work as a magistrate, also using the powers conferred upon him to help improve the county’s infrastructure of roads and bridges. He also became actively involved in elections for the county and Shrewsbury and, in later years, promoting the work of the local Bible Society. Plymley came to national prominence as a key supporter of the anti-slave trade movement in the late 1700s, becoming a friend of William Wilberforce and a close associate of Thomas Clarkson. Partly as a result of his proven administrative expertise in this capacity, but also because of his deep commitment to Shropshire and its inhabitants, he was asked by the Board of Agriculture to produce a report on the state of agriculture in Shropshire. His report, which included contributions from those with specialist knowledge, led to Plymley becoming the principal link between a number of scientists and intellectuals in what has become termed ‘The Shropshire Enlightenment’. (It was in this atmosphere of scientific inquiry that the young Charles Darwin grew up.) In 1804 he changed his name as a condition of receiving the Corbett inheritance, a bequest that led to a protracted legal battle. He was married twice, his first wife dying young, and produced a large family with whom he had a close relationship. This book, relying in large part on his own writings and a diary kept by his sister, Katherine, not only records the events of his life, but also describes his character and evaluates his contributions to tackling social issues and the development of the county. Douglas Grounds was an Open Scholar in Modern History at Worcester College, Oxford, and took a research degree in the History of Education at Sheffield. He taught History in grammar and comprehensive schools in several parts of the country before becoming head of a large inner-city Church of England Comprehensive School. He first became aware of Archdeacon Joseph (Plymley) Corbett when writing A History of the Church of St Laurence, Church Stretton, published by Logaston Press in 2002. Further research revealed that the Archdeacon had been the leader of the anti-slave trade movement in Shropshire and beyond, and his sister’s journals, held at Shropshire Archives, provided such a detailed picture of his life and activities that a biography beckoned.  by Madge Moran and Henry Hand 32 pages, 34 black and white illustrations, drawings and maps ISBN: 978 1 906663 11 7 Price: £4.95 This booklet, as its name suggests, considers the ‘Market Hall’ in Bishop’s Castle. Inverted commas are required because the purpose of the building, the significance of which was only appreciated after an extensive fire in 2000, is still unclear. From the subsequent research carried out it seems most likely that this was indeed the purpose of the building, located between School Lane and the High Street, but with some additional storage space. The text starts with a consideration of the architecture of the building, using a number of reconstructional drawings to help illustrate how the building might have looked. The results of the archaeological excavation carried out in 2007 are then given, along with the results of dendrochonological sampling of the remaining timbers to ascertain their felling date. The history of the manor and market is then detailed, comparisons made with other market halls along the borders, its function debated and some conclusions drawn. Madge Moran is well known for her investigations into the vernacular buildings of Shropshire, and Henry Hand for his general archaeological research and drawings of buildings in particular.  by David Lloyd and Karen Johnson 168 pages with over 60 colour and 100 black and white illustrations Paperback ISBN 978 1 906663 15 5 Price: £12.95 Books could be written on ‘baronial Ludlow’, ‘manufacturing Ludlow’, ‘political Ludlow’ and on many other kinds of Ludlow. Such books – as some already do – would record topics such as conquest, wealth creation, poverty and destitution. But Festival Ludlow is principally about happiness – not the total experience of happiness, but that happiness which comes from creating and enjoying various forms of art – writing, acting, making music, carving, and painting. Since Roger Mortimer heard the tale of the Fitzwarine Romance in Ludlow Castle in the 12th century, and medieval patrons like John Parys commissioned the stained glass windows in St Laurence’s church, Ludlow has been the setting for an extraordinary range and richness of artistic achievement and entertainment. In the town’s period of greatest national influence, when it was the base for the Council in the Marches, an eminent literary and artistic circle, led by the Sidney and Herbert families, gathered around the Council. There is strong evidence that Shakespeare himself performed in Ludlow, but the crowning glory of the period was the first performance of Milton’s Comus at the castle in 1634. There have been many glories since. This book recounts the intriguing history of the arts in Ludlow, covering theatre and dramatic spectacle, music, poetry, literature and intellectual life, and the visual arts, all which have continued to thrive in the town. Many performances still take place in the ancient venues of the castle and the church, and are at the heart of Ludlow Festival. The book’s publication coincides with the 50th anniversary of the Festival, and its final two chapters chart its origins in the 1934 Ludlow Pageant (itself a commemoration of the 300th anniversary of Comus) and its development over the years, from the excitement of the first festival in 1960 and the year-round work to create and present the Shakespeare production in the castle for which the festival is renowned, to its full flowering as a joyous celebration of all the arts. Dr David Lloyd, M.B.E., was born and brought up in Ludlow, though his later career was in education elsewhere, his involvement with the Festival and its predecessors began in 1953, during his final term at Ludlow Grammar School, when he was one of a group of amateurs in Comus’s rabble rout: ‘an unforgettable experience’. Upon returning to Ludlow in retirement, among his many contributions to the life of the town, he was actively involved with the Festival in a number of ways, while his historical tours and lectures became regular features of the Festival programme. Karen Johnson’s love of theatre and literature (which perhaps began when at the age of 10 she was taken to Stratford to see Romeo and Juliet) led her to read English at Cambridge, and she continues to find inspiration in art of all kinds. She has edited books on many subjects, including one on Buddhism and the arts, and produces books on local history as co-proprietor of Logaston Press. The Lead, Copper & Barytes Mines of Shropshire by Michael Shaw 320 pages with over 200 black and white photographs, drawings and plans ISBN: 978 906663 09 4 Price: £12.95 Evidence suggests that mining was almost certainly undertaken in Shropshire in the Bronze and Iron Ages, but it is with the Romans that the county’s mining history can be truly said to have begun. The lead mines continued to be worked in the Middle Ages, producing lead for roofing, pipes and water tanks. But it was the period from the late 1700s to the mid-1900s that saw the busiest period of mining, and in this period Shropshire became famous for its lead mines, most notably Snailbeach and the adjacent Tankerville mines on the western slopes of the Stiperstones. In their heyday (the 1870s and 1880s), these two mines each produced around a quarter to a half of the county’s lead ore, itself some 9 to 12% of the country’s total output. Whilst lead was the product most often found, a quantity of zinc was obtained as well as small amounts of copper and silver and various earthy minerals, and even smaller quantities of cobalt, vanadium and manganese. In later years calcite and especially barytes (now barite) were mined, this latter mineral being used in the chemical industry and as an inert filler (in paints, for example) due to its density — for which reason it was also used to provide a shield around the Windscale Nuclear Reactor after the famous ‘incident’. The first few chapters in this book cover the early history of Shropshire’s mines, then look at the products and what they were used for, and how the mines were financed and worked — tales of boom and bust are numerous. Some of the main players involved are described and the geology of the area is considered. The following chapters then give an account of each mine in some detail, mines being grouped together by area. For some mines there is little evidence on the ground and even less in records; for others there is still a wealth of standing and underground remains, together with copious records. Michael Shaw has scoured the hillsides of Shropshire, spent years researching records and books, and talked to surviving miners and members of the Shropshire Caving and Mining Club who have investigated many of the shafts and levels. The result is this extensively researched book, copiously illustrated with photographs, maps and plans, which gives an informative and often lively history of the Lead, Copper and Barytes Mines of Shropshire, including the associated railways, ropeways, mills and smelters. Michael Shaw has always been interested in industrial history, notably that of the railways which served factories, mines and quarries. It was this interest that led him to research the tramway at Cothercott mine and thence to investigating the mines themselves. In so doing he gained a Master of Philosophy degree from Birmingham University having written a thesis on the Shropshire barytes industry. He has lived in Shrewsbury for the last quarter of a century and had a career as a building surveyor.  English Architecture to 1900 : The Shropshire Experience by Eric Mercer Paperback, 400 pages, with over 300 b/w photos and plans ISBN 978 1 904396 08 6 £20 This comprehensive guide to Shropshire’s architecture covers church and secular buildings from Anglo-Saxon times to 1900: Anglican, Catholic and Non-Conformist churches, manor houses and country mansions, the houses of the gentry and yeomanry, town houses, semis and working-class terraces as well as railway stations, banks, factories and shops. Throughout, the intention is to show whether and where Shropshire architecture was in advance of or behind national trends and what distinctive local styles developed, linked to social aspirations and political ambitions. A Matter of Life and Death: The Secrets of Shrewsbury Cemetery by Peter Francis Paperback, 144 pages with 64 illustrations ISBN 978 1 904396 58 1 £9.95 Shrewsbury Cemetery is a delightful space in which to wander and discover the graves of many who played a role ‘for better or worse’ in the history of the town, and sometimes on a much broader stage. Here are many of Shrewsbury’s mayors, victims of the two world wars including German and Italian PoWs who died in local camps, and even, from an earlier generation, two old soldiers who fought in the Charge of the Heavy Brigade in the Crimean War. Some of those buried in the cemetery drowned in the River Severn, others were killed in rail crashes, fires or simply as a result of being in the wrong place at the wrong time. Those commemorated include the locally well known, such as Arthur Rowley, Mary Webb and Hilda Murrell, and many whose stories and achievements are long forgotten. The Folklore of Shropshire by Roy Palmer Paperback, 352 pages, over 250 illustrations ISBN: 978 1 904396 16 1 £12.95 Shropshire’s folklore is presented in a series of themed chapters that encompass landscape, buildings, beliefs, work, seasons, people, music and drama. In the eleven chapters the county’s rich store of folklore unfolds in a way that allows you to dip into what most intrigues, or to read from start to finish. Roy Palmer is nationally known for his researches into folklore, and has written accounts of the folklore of several counties on both sides of the southern Welsh border, along with various anthologies. Some Shropshire Gardens Revisited by Barbara & Alan Palmer Paperback, 128 pages, 130 colour illustrations ISBN 978 1 904396 34 5 £9.95 Written and researched by two dedicated plant and garden lovers, the book describes 50 gardens scattered across Shropshire, most of which are open to the public at various times during the year. The book is crammed with information, observation and pictures that includes: the history and development of each garden; what there is to see; unusual plants and trees; practical advice on the care of certain plants; ideas for garden design and planting tips. Alan and Barbara Palmer have lived in Shropshire most of their lives making and nurturing three gardens. The Pubs of Ludlow and neighbouring villages by Tony Hobbs Paperback, many illustrations ISBN 978 1 873827 83 3 £9.95 This book details the history surrounding the many drinking houses that have existed in Ludlow over the years, not just those that remain in existence today. It is full of stories of buildings, landlords, customers, ghosts, a beer-drinking jackdaw, brewing, mulling, and activities arranged by inns—or the Licensed Victuallers of Ludlow themselves, such as a ’Miraculous Menagerie with flying rabbits; transformation of vegetables into lozenges; and enchanted fruit’. Next |