The Southwold Diary Of James Maggs 1848 1876

When François de la Rochefoucauld, and his brother Alexandre visited Suffolk in 1784, the events which were to lead to the French Revolution in 1789 were already in train. François' father, the duc de Liancourt, Grand Master of the Wardrobe at Louis XVI's court, was well placed to appreciate the dangers of the situation in France, and it must have been with anxious hopefulness that he sent his sons (François was then 18) to England for a year to appreciate the ordering of these things in a country which had experienced a revolution over a century earlier. Such reflections are never far below the surface of this otherwise cheerful book, which gives a vivid picture of English provincial life in a good year. François' observations range over such diverse subjects as English customs and manners and methods of agriculture and stockbreeding, and include a lively account of a general election. The spirited translation is complemented by numerous illustrations.

This book traces the decline of landed power in England between 1815 and 1939, primarily in political, but also in economic and social terms. The essays, by leading authors in the field, examine different aspects of the decline of landed power.

Focusing on the words and experiences of the poor themselves, this book rewrites our understanding of English social policy for the period from the 1750s to 1830s.

Six medieval texts transcribed in full form the core of this book. They cover the Bigod, Brotherton and Howard eras and include a survey of Framlingham made in the late 13th century, an account of household expenses (mostly food and drink) compiled by the steward of the castle for the year 1385-6, and a large and detailed inventory of Framlingham castle drawn up (in English) in 1524. These documents illuminate the social and economic life of Framlingham within and without the castle walls during a period when the power and wealth of the lords of Framlingham castle greatly influenced the outcome of both regional and national events. Short descriptions of each text have been provided, which include translations of some of the most interesting items. John Ridgard's book begins with a short history of Framlingham in the middle ages. In addition to the historical material contained in the six transcribed texts, he has drawn widely on other documentary sources of the period, such as the recently rediscovered Survey of Framlingham made in 1547 and owned by Pembroke College, Cambridge. Short studies of four aspects of Framlingham's medieval history for which there is particularly interesting documentary evidence - hunting, milling, the provision of wine and spices, and the market - have been included in this volume as appendices.

Brought up amid the lively coaching business, Elizabeth Cotton became the wife of a Suffolk tenant farmer twenty years her senior. The diaries she kept between 1854-1869 give accounts of her everyday activities, a busy social life, which included holiday travel around the country and to France, as well as a wide range of current fashions and events. Sheila Hardy has taken this information to expand our knowledge of life for a mid-Victorian middle class woman.