Social/Domestic History Sources - 19th century

[Gadget]

Thanks for all the refs. Would love the refs you're refering to Biker - need lots of reading matter up here in the gales, etc. Well that's my excuse if i really need one.

II have masses on Scottish stuff and quite a bit of local history on my Welsh borders area but I wanted to really try to get into my ancestors lives.

Love Mrs Gaskell and that genre but I've never liked Dickens. Very strange 

Anyway, thanks everyone.

Gadget

[PassionPlay]

This is a simply fantastic website Gadget - you can spend hours here - if you haven't seen it, do have a look!

http://www.victorianlondon.org/

Veron 

I'm a big fan of this site too and if you sign up for the newsletter you get loads of other interesting site links and it's an occasional mailing, you don't get inundated with spam!

There is a full transcription of Mrs Beeton's Household Management (1861) in here too, fascinating even if your ancestors do not fit the 'household' mould   

THE BOOK OF HOUSEHOLD MANAGEMENT;
    Comprising Information for the
    MISTRESS, HOUSEKEEPER, COOK, KITCHEN-MAID, BUTLER, FOOTMAN, COACHMAN, VALET, UPPER AND UNDER HOUSE-MAIDS, LADY'S-MAID, MAID-OF-ALL-WORK, LAUNDRY-MAID, NURSE AND NURSE-MAID, MONTHLY, WET, AND SICK NURSES, ETC. ETC.
    ALSO, SANITARY, MEDICAL, & LEGAL MEMORANDA;
    WITH A HISTORY OF THE ORIGIN, PROPERTIES, AND USES OF ALL THINGS CONNECTED WITH HOME LIFE AND COMFORT.
    BY MRS. ISABELLA BEETON.

Steph.

[liverpool annie]

Hi Gadget !

If somebody mentions something interesting - check there first!!

http://www.gutenberg.org/

choose whatever you want - for free!! - the catalogue is endless!!

Annie 

 

[Gadget]

That looks one amazing site Annie, for lots of books not just History.

I'm slowly going through all the sites mentioned - the Victorian stuff is great - i'm sure I've used it before for graveyards    but hadn't bookmarked it. They are all now book marked.

Thanks

Gadget - off to do more reading 

[Biker]

Ye Olde Greye Cells are working a bit and remembered the book of autobiographies/diaries,  it's called "Useful Toil" by J Burnett

Here's an Amazon listing with a bit of synopsis and has one of those cool Search Inside features ...
http://www.rootschat.com/links/0fc/ 

p.s. it's my birthday coming up shortly if you want to get a whip-round going LOL

Regards
Biker

[Gadget]

That's a not too bad a price Biker - I'll order it. Thanks ever so 

Gadget

(Here's a £5 to start the whip round )

[tony h]

Hi Gadget,
This is probably a bit below your 'radar' with you being an Aristocrat and all that   but i got a fascinating book at Xmas from a relative, Readers's Digest: The Story of Where You Live:  ISBN 0 276 42959 1. As i say more for the beginners but still has lots of refs and links.

Best wishes
Tony

[Gadget]

Going for my temporary crown tomorrow Tony 

Thanks for the ref - what places does it cover?

Gadget

[Biker]

Gadget, just noticed that www.abebooks.co.uk (great online bookshop) has them for less money by the looks of it.

Let us know what you think of it.

Biker