The brutal clearances which changed the face of much of rural Scotland in the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries are most often associated with the Highlands. However, one of the most dramatic conflicts between tenant and landowner took place on the small Orcadian island of Rousay. When members of the Royal Commission tasked with assessing the conditions of tenant crofters arrived there, the islands owner, General William Frederick Traill-Burroughs, threatened to evict any islander who gave evidence. As tension mounted, a gunboat arrived to keep the peace, and it was only the belated passing of the Crofters Act of 1886 and a special Act of Parliament directed specifically against the general that saved the islands. This is the dramatic story of these events. At the end of it, Burroughs, once lauded as a national hero who had seen military action in Crimea and India, emerges as a much more complex and human figure that history has previously painted him.
Cleethorpes was originally three small farming and fishing hamlets on the Lincolnshire coast, which later combined and eventually developed into a thriving seaside resort. This book examines the early history of the hamlets, and the reader is taken on a journey through their years as a quiet bathing place, when transport posed difficulties to potential holidaymakers.The railway revolutionised Cleethorpes, making it a favourite venue for the inhabitants of nearby manufacturing districts. The railway company became Cleethorpes leading developer, creating a bustling Victorian resort. In the 20th century the Cleethorpes municipal authority superseded the railway company as resort developer, carrying out an enterprising programme of resort expansion.The author describes the resorts attractions, which in its heyday lured multitudes of visitors. In later decades, Cleethorpes trade fluctuated dramatically, but there are promising signs of an up-turn in the resorts prospects as it enters the 21st century. Thoroughly researched and beautifully illustrated, Cleethorpes: The Creation of a Seaside Resort is essential reading for residents and visitors alike.
This book tells the story of the making of Grimsby. It describes how the town grew on the ground and so helps to explain Grimsbys present-day physical character. The story is an intriguing one and includes colourful controversies and conflicts that influenced the towns development.The story begins with the Viking foundation of Grimsby. Then, in the years after the Norman Conquest the town became a successful trading community and port. This was followed by a long period of decline. The towns fortunes were revived with the coming of the railway in 1848 and the constructions of an extensive dock system. There then followed a massive increase in trade, and the foundation of the ports modern fishing industry. In the process, it attracted immigration. This new population needed somewhere to live. Consequently, land was quickly covered with houses.The long-term effect of this period of extensive and intensive building which is described in this book was to determine to a large extent the shape and character of the modern town.
From the pretty villages, rural byways and bustling market towns of Essex come ten of the most dramatic and tragic murder cases in British history. Brutality, passion, jealousy, greed and moments of inexplicable rage have led to violent and horrifying deaths and, sometimes, the killers expiation of the crime on the scaffold.This chilling follow-up to Essex Murders brings together more true cases, dating between 1823 and 1960, that shocked not only the county but also made headline news across the nation. They include the extraordinary events resulting from the obsession of a young farmers daughter with a married man twice her age, the bloody killing of a police sergeant, a murder carried out in the depths of Epping Forest, the Dutch au pair found dead in a ditch, and a case that made criminal history in which the accused said he had strangled the victim while he was asleep. Linda Stratmanns well-illustrated and enthralling text will appeal to everyone interested in true crime and the shadier side of Essexs past.