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Topic: Autobiographies of Working People 1820-1920 - perhaps one of yours? (Read 2416 times)
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Biker
RootsChat Honorary
RootsChat Marquessate
Posts: 4625
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Hello
I recently dug up a fascinating book Useful Toil edited by John Burnett - I think it's out of print but available here and there.
A rarity, it has edited versions of autobiographies of ordinary working people, some in diary form, some in narrative form about their everyday lives. Some of the excerpts are short, some long and quite detailed. An introductory section for each autobiography gives a bit of family history of the individual and some context to the writings.
I thought I might list them here should it help anyone is their researches, but if not it's a great piece of social history and an interesting read.
Anonymous Navvy - b. abt 1820
Tom Mullins - Farm Labourer, b. 1863 nr Macclesfield bur. 1950s Rushton Spencer
Lucy Luck - Straw Plait Worker, b. 1848 Tring, Hertfordshire
John Ward (O'Neil) - Weaver, b. Carlisle 1810, worked in Clitheroe, d. 1876.
William Luby - Sweet Boiler, b. Hulme nr. Manchester 1883
Thomas Jordan - Coal Miner, b Birtley, Durham 1892
B. L. Coombes - Coal Miner, b. c1894 Herefordshire, worked in South Wales
Winifred Griffiths - Shop Assistant, b. 1895 Overton nr Basingstoke, Hampshire
Rosina Whyatt - Munitions Factory Worker, b. 1888 Somerset
William Tayler - Footman, b. Grafton Oxfordshire 1807 worked in Oxon and London
William Lanceley - House Steward, b. 1854 worked at the Curragh and elsewhere
Gabriel Tschumi - Chef, b. nr Lausanne Switzerland 1882 worked in the London Royal Households
John Robinson - Butler
Edward Humphries - Page Boy, b. Totnes Devon 1889
Lilian Westall - House Maid, b. Mortlake 1893, father a cricket bat maker
Lavinia Swainbank - House Maid, b. Newcastle-upon-Tyne 1906 daughter of a Blacksmith Striker
Winifred Foley - General Maid, b. 1914 Brierley, Forest of Dean, Father a Miner
Jean Rennie - Scullery Maid, Kitchen Maid and Cook Housekeeper, b. 1906 Greenock Scotland, daughter of a Clydesdale rivetter, worked in Argylleshire, Ripon, Kelso, Surrey, London
Charles Newnham - Carpenter and Builder, b. Rochester Kent 1799, father a Freeman, worked in London esp on Millbank Penitentiary
Emanuel Lovekin - Mining Butty, b. Tunstall Staffs 1820, father a furnaceman.
An Old Potter (Anonymous) - Potter, b. Tunstall, Potteries 1832
Thomas Wood - Engineer, b. Bingley Yorkshire 1822, son of a handloom weaver
Henry Broadhurst - Stonemason, b. Littlemore nr Oxford 1840, son of a stonemason
George Sturt - Wheelright, owned wheelright shop Farnham Surrey 1880s-1920.
Paul Evett - Compositor, b. St Peters Jersey 1886, son of a battery sargeant major in the Royal Artillery. Moved to Dukinfield Cheshire.
Arthur Gill - Gold Beater and Ticket Writer, b. Claro Place Leeds 1887, father a boot/shoe repairer
T.R. Dennis - Cabinet Maker, b. Preston Lancs 1910
Cheers 
Biker
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Gadget
RootsChat Marquessate
Posts: 24457
Holy Island - Pilgrims' Path
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Hi Biker
This was in the list of refs that you gave me a few weeks ago. I checked Amazon and found quite a few second hand copies there - price varying from about £2 to £22. As I was going on holiday, I didn't order then but have this morning and have been notified that I should get it by 24th May - not bad eh?
I was also wondering if it might be useful to have a pegged list of such general references for those of us who are 'into' the social history side of our family history. I realise that many might be area/occupational specific but a list of general ones would be a useful resource.
Gadget
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Biker
RootsChat Honorary
RootsChat Marquessate
Posts: 4625
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Hi Gaget
Glad you ordered the book. I finally found mine again after being reminded of it when you posted the question and have now re-read it. Think you'll find it quite informative. Apart from the autobiographies there are quite good sections which put them in context (e.g. wages, conditions, events etc).
It would be nice to have a list of basic reference books on social history for those who are interested, but I wonder ... where would it end as there are so many
Most of my books are London oriented but have some others. I've been thinking of doing one for London but it's quite a task so will do it when time permits ... and will answer posts as the come up in the meantime.
Are you volunteering to compile a general one? 
Enjoy the book!
Cheers
Biker
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MarieC
RootsChat Marquessate
Posts: 3300
In Queensland, Oz
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I couldn't agree more that we need a list of books on social history.
There are some threads on Rootschat, but they aren't stickied so it is a bit hard to find them again.
Please can we have, in one place, stickied, a resource of social history that people can access?
MarieC
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Martins in London and Wales, Lockwoods in Yorkshire, Hartleys in London, Lichfield and Brighton, Hubands and Smiths in Ireland, Bentleys in London and Yorkshire, Denhams in Somerset, Scoles in London, Meyers in London, Cooks in Northumberland
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Keith Bateman
RootsChat Marquessate
Posts: 3824
.....The Cheshire Cat
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Hi Biker,
That sounds like a great book - and the general idea as well.
Always nice to find out about the old occupations of your ancestors - I think I know more about Papermaking than PC's!!
Cheers
Keith
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Gadget
RootsChat Marquessate
Posts: 24457
Holy Island - Pilgrims' Path
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Alright then, if you send me a bottle of something nice. Just come in for a coffee.
I'll get started tonight with the refs that I acquired on the other thread and some I know of and then other people can add their twopenn'orth.
Novels are also useful.
Gadget
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d.weaving
RootsChat Senior
Posts: 265
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My father wrote his autobiography on his working life before he died,my brother reckons he sent it off to be publshed,but we have never found it,
I would have been interested to know how much personal detail he wrote,
he certainly had a sad and tragic life,thats a story in itself.
Derek.
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d.weaving
RootsChat Senior
Posts: 265
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Hello jinks.
My brother tried all the usual channels with no luck,then there was this magazine my father subscribed to,no luck there either,like I said,it would
have been interesting to see if my father had wrote about his personal
life,there was a really tragic tale to tell there,I thought of putting the details
on the Saddest death in the family thread but me having sort of flashbacks
about it and finding the words is something else.
Take care.
Derek.
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MarieC
RootsChat Marquessate
Posts: 3300
In Queensland, Oz
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Hi Derek
If you ever want to share your father's story, I know that Rootschatters would listen respectfully and supportively. At some stage (perhaps not now) it might be useful for you to do that...
Take care,
Best wishes,
MarieC
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Martins in London and Wales, Lockwoods in Yorkshire, Hartleys in London, Lichfield and Brighton, Hubands and Smiths in Ireland, Bentleys in London and Yorkshire, Denhams in Somerset, Scoles in London, Meyers in London, Cooks in Northumberland
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d.weaving
RootsChat Senior
Posts: 265
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Good morning MarieC.
They are a kinded hearted bunch are'nt they,as for telling the story,I'm not so sure,I've got no hang ups about it,its just the bitterness,hate and jealousy involved which is something I can't relate to which makes it harder for me to write about,I'll have a think about it to see if its time to shed the load so to speak.
Takle care.
Derek. 
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failsafe
RootsChat Senior
Posts: 439
Census information Crown Copyright, from www.nationalarchives.gov.uk
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As a social historian myself I think it is a great idea to have its own 'little spot' in RootsChat.
What must be remembered is that social historians, generally speaking, specialise in a
particular field, e.g. class structure, trade unions, social movements etc. or a specific period, e.g. 18c/19c/20century and so on. Whats more they either tend to look at events from top-down or down-top. in other words the latter would concentrate on the
role of the working class in history, whilst the former looks at the the aristocracy within society.
whichever, there are a plethora of books (mostly academic) and far to numerous to provide a definitive list.
Whilst genealogy does have its place within the social structure and patterns of society in general any questions asked of a social historian will be based upon his/her ideological viewpoint and thus may become a reflection as to how they see it which may not correspond with the outlook of the question. Always remember that whatever the specialism of a social historian, politics will play a major feature.
Sorry for this being so long.
Have a great 2009
failsafe
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Social History.
Labour & Trade Union History.
Whittaker's - Manchester.
Take care to get what you like or you will be forced to like what you get.
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silvery
RootsChat Aristocrat
Posts: 2285
information Crown Copyright, from www.nation
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Liza Picard has written social history books about London and how people lived. She deals with everything from the paupers to the aristocracy, what they ate, earned, the houses, plumbing, drains, clothes, education - everything. They are lovely to read and although they are specific to London, lots of information in them could quite easily be imagined as relating to any city, and to later times (as lifestyles change to reflect London ways and innovations started there.)
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Liza_Picard
http://www.guardian.co.uk/books/2001/aug/04/historybooks.johncunningham
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