Change and tradition in rural England : an anthology of writings on country life

Author(s)

Bibliographic Information

Change and tradition in rural England : an anthology of writings on country life

chosen and edited by Denys Thompson

Cambridge University Press, 1980

Available at  / 28 libraries

Search this Book/Journal

Note

Bibliography: p. [285]-288

Includes index

Description and Table of Contents

Description

This 1980 anthology contains of some of the finest and most significant writing on English country life from Cobbett through Jefferies, Sturt, hardy, Hudson and Flora Thompson to Thomas Hennell and Adrian Bell. A good many of the selections are taken from books originally published by Cambridge University Press. None of the authors is nostalgic about country life. They all wanted a better future for country people but their primary aim was to describe what they saw. A survey is offered of the peasant civilisation of England, which, despite widespread poverty and hardship, encouraged people to go on living and produced a wealth of folk song and a wide range of craft-work. The authors go on to record the changes brought about by large-scale farming and the concomitant heavy investment in machinery and chemicals. Denys Thompson anticipates the anthology as a reminder of human achievement and potential, and his substantial general and sectional introductions show how the lessons and values of the past can be used to revitalise an industrial civilisation.

Table of Contents

  • General introduction
  • Part I. A Home-Made Civilisation: 1. Introduction
  • 2. Vestiges George Bourne
  • 3. The peasant system George Bourne
  • 4. The 'Estatesmen' William Wordsworth and Harriet Martineau
  • 5. Peasant survivors Flora Thompson
  • 6. Cottages William Wordsworth
  • 7. English tradition and idiom Adrian Bell
  • 7a. Words Edward Thomas
  • 8. Aspects
  • 8a. The peasant life, tradition, 'good old days'? George Sturt
  • 8b. Attitudes, speech Cecil Torr
  • 8c. Folk tales George Bourne
  • 9. Living evidence Cecil Sharp
  • 10. The impact of enclosures
  • 10a. Sixteenth century Thomas More
  • 10b. Eighteenth century John Byng
  • 10c. Nineteenth century Walter Rose, George Bourne
  • Part II. Masters and Men: The Farming Life: 11. Introduction
  • 12. The farm labourer William Cobbett
  • 13. Childhood
  • 13a. In Scotland, 1820 Alexander Somerville
  • 13b. In the Fens, 1850-1860 Mrs Burrows
  • 13c. In Warwickshire, 1835-1840 Joseph Arch
  • 14. The farm as it was
  • 14a. The carter and the stable, bullock-teams, waggons and carts, sowing, harvesting in the old style, gleaning, stacking and rick-making Thomas Hennell
  • 15. The great barn and the sheep-shearers Thomas Hardy
  • 16. Summer Richard Jefferies
  • 17. Harvesting Richard Jefferies
  • 18. Unemployed Richard Jefferies
  • 19. Work and play M. K. Ashby
  • 20. Cottagers and their homes Flora Thompson
  • 21. Men afield Flora Thompson
  • 22. The vale of the Wylye W. H. Hudson
  • 23. The unconscious art H. J. Massingham
  • 24. The labourer Adrian Bell
  • Part III. Living at Work: Crafts and Skills: 25. Introduction
  • 26. The wheelwrights' way of life
  • 26a. Buying, kindly feeling, waggons, 'jobbing', prices George Sturt
  • 27. Response to need: the carpenter's work: 27a. The shop, work on the farm Walter Rose
  • 28. A shepherd on the downs W. H. Hudson
  • 29. Three characters W. H. Hudson
  • 30. John Brown Richard Jefferies
  • Part IV. The Future: 31. Leisure George Bourne
  • 32. A form of insanity George Sturt
  • 33. The need for guidance George Sturt
  • 34. Civilisation astray George Sturt
  • Conclusion
  • Notes
  • Sources
  • Related reading
  • Index.

by "Nielsen BookData"

Details

Page Top