Library news: August 2011
By Tony Cooper
Electronic information resources
Library Notes & Queries lists in each issue of the Newsletter the new books, pamphlets and reports we have acquired since the last issue, and highlights the articles from journals we receive which we think might interest our members. These are all printed paper documents. We also have some digital resources. The latest of these is a database of public houses in St Albans, covering the years 1822-1914. It has been put together by Jon Mein, who has recently joined the Library team. Jon describes it thus: "During this period the number of pubs (on-licensed) grew from 41 in 1830 to 87 in 1887 – one for about every 40 adult males in the city – before heading into decline. Contained in a spreadsheet on the library’s laptop, the database has 7500 entries tracing changes in tenancy for each pub, together with lease and freehold information. Sources used range from the most obvious such as census returns, newspapers, and trade directories to others such as poor rate assessments, vestry minutes and brewery archives. It is mostly complete for the Abbey parish part of the borough, but the absence of key records for St Peter’s and St Michael’s parishes mean the history of some pubs is incomplete".
Other electronic information resources we have acquired in recent years are listed below. All are on CD, and like Jon’s database can be consulted in the Library . It would be helpful to have forewarning of an intended visit so we can ensure the laptop is available.
- Universal British Directory 1791. Scanned images of the original five volumes.
- Names 1451-1500, St Albans, Hertfordshire. Compiled by V.S. White.
- Aerial photographs of St Albans. Undated, and from an unknown source.
- Hertfordshire Quarter Sessions, 1588-1619. Herts Family History Society, 2009. An index compiled from sources at Hertfordshire Archives and Local Studies, containing almost 47,000 entries.
- St Albans Cathedral: the Hudson Library catalogue; the Muniment Room catalogue (main); recent architects’ plans; and engravings.
- Hertfordshire Family History Society: Directory of members’ interests. February 2010.
Enquiries we have dealt with in the last few weeks have been concerned with: the origin of some properties in Abbey Mill Lane; the whereabouts of Francis Bacon’s burial; Henry Hilliard and the Bluecoat School; Romano-British inscriptions; The St Albans Steeplechase; Mogg Bowen and St Albans School; Alan Pickles’ papers; and Verulam House’s role as a maternity hospital from 1939.
Books recently added to stock
Westminster Lodge Leisure Centre, St Albans, Hertfordshire: archaeological excavation report.
Salisbury, Wessex Archaeology, 2010. 32pp, 2009.
Plans, diagrams, photographs.
The monumental brasses of Hertfordshire,
by William Lack, H Martin Stuchfield and Philip Whitemore. Stratford St Mary, Suffolk, The County Series, 2009. 758pp, illus. Lists existing brasses, indents and lost brasses, with illustrations of all figure-brasses pre-dating1700.
An historical atlas of Hertfordshire,
edited by David Short. Introduction by Nigel Goose. Hatfield, Hertfordshire Publication, 2011. 204pp, maps, illus, bibliog., index.
Contains 82 maps on a variety of topics, with descriptive notes on each topic.
Fifty golden gardening years,
by Roger Aylett. Wisbech, Burall Floraprint, for Aylett Nurseries, 2005. 215pp, photos.
An autobiography and history of the nursery business.
Childwickbury ,
by Christine Aitken. The Author, 2011. 212pp, illus, maps, bibliog., index.
Traces the history of the estate, its owners, and those who lived and worked on it, from medieval times to the present day.
Recent journal articles
In Bricket Wood Society Newsletter, June 2011.
Pp 2-3. Congregational worship in Bricket Wood. A brief chronology, based on an undated pamphlet covering the years 1884 to 1944, now in the Bricket Wood Society archive. A photograph of the original chapel in about 1820 in included.
In Herts Past and Present, Spring 2011.
Pp 3-11. The grain crisis of the 1630’s and malting in Hertfordshire, by Alan Thomson. A succession of poor harvests, and increasing demand from a growing population created a crisis in the grain market. One consequence was a ban on malting barley, leading to unemployment and acute poverty.
Pp12-17 The Radcliffes in the Levant: an examination of the Delmé-Radcliffe business papers, (1706-1767), by David Warden. Ralph Radcliffe was the founder of a London merchant house trading in the Middle East. The business papers are held at Herts Archives and Local studies.
Pp18-27 Admiral Henry Killigrew: politics, marriage and family life, by Gerard McSweeney. This paper is concerned with the Admiral’s retirement to St Albans and his political intrigues. His letters, and those of his wife, before and after marriage, provide a sketch of contemporary life.
Pp 28-30 Hertfordshire rail excursions in the nineteenth century, by Nigel Agar. From the middle of the century the railway companies encouraged affordable tourism, and advertised regular excursions.
Journals received
British Archaeology
July/August 2011
Current Archaeology
June, July and August 2011
Hendon and District Archaeological Society Newsletter
May, June and July 2011
Hertfordshire People
June 2011
History Today
May, June and July 2011
London Archaeologist
Summer 2011
Research News (English Heritage)
Spring 2010