New Books
Directory of Local History Internet Sites
Compiled by Jacqueline Fillmore
A new Directory of Local History Internet Sites has been published by the British Association for Local History. This is an up-to-date guide to 353 websites, some national and some local. It points you to sources for local history such as documents, maps, photos, artefacts and archives, museums and memorial inscriptions. You can move from 1881 Pubs to Your Maps Online via Anglo-Saxon Prosopography, Churchplans Online and Hidden Lives Revealed, where you can encounter the young people in the care of The Children’s Society in Victorian Britain. The guide covers the major websites for historical material such as A2A as well as less well-known ones like the Seeley History Library, Cambridge, which includes a monthly online list of all articles in the journals it receives. Some of the websites enable you to trace individuals, some to find recent background information, and others point you to research material. The Directory is indexed by subjects, people and places.
The 2010 Directory is a bargain at £2 plus £1 p&p. You can obtain a copy from Gill Draper at development.balh@btinternet.com or 01732 452575.
Percy Maylam’s The Kent Hooden Horse
Richard Maylam, Mick Lynn & Geoff Doel
The History Press, Stroud.
ISBN 978 0 7524 4997 5.
128pp including index, 27 illustrations.
The authoritative book on the great Kentish custom of the Hooden Horse was written in 1909 by Percy Maylam, as a limited edition of 303 copies. He caught the custom in its last traditional phase. Copies went to academics and universities around the world and they are now generally hard to come by for folklore researchers. The origins of Hoodening are complex, and include pagan fertility rites such as the Green Man, Morris dancing and recognition of the value of the horse to farming communities. Percy Maylam’s great-nephew, Richard Maylam, together with Dr Lynn and Dr Doel of the Tonbridge Hoodening Team, have republished the book. They have unearthed additional unpublished photographs and written a biographical essay on Percy Maylam.
Also included, as a new section in the book, is Percy Maylam’s essay on Gavelkind, abolished just before the First World War.
KAS members can buy the book at the reduced price of £11.00 (normal price £14.99), which includes p&p. Please make cheque payable to Richard Maylam and send, with return address, to Peacock Farm, Emmett Hill Lane, Yalding ME18 6BG. For further enquiries ring Richard Maylam on 01892 730282.
The Lost Powder Mills of Leigh – Part 2
Chris Rowley
The author has donated to the KAS library a copy of Part 2 of his book “The Lost Powder Mills of Leigh”. It is described as a Gazetteer and is (to use his words) the equivalent of a technical appendix. It has 146 A4 pages, most describing the buildings, with numerous colour photos and some plans, including a pull-out plan of the site.
It was paid for by a HLF grant which only allowed him to print a limited number of copies for specialist libraries, so it is not for sale. Any KAS members interested in the subject may wish to know they can consult a copy in our library.
The original work (Part 1) is still available (in its 3rd edition) for £20 + £2.50 p&p from Mr C Rowley, Oak Cottage, The Green, Leigh, Tonbridge, TN11 8QL. It is a general history of the works with 240 pages, 15 maps and 100 illustrations. We do not have a copy in the KAS library - at least not yet!
Herne Bay’s Piers
Harold Gough
Herne Bay Historical Records Society, Past Series No.1
A4 , 42 pages, 44 images.
Three piers have graced Herne Bay’s seafront since 1831, when the first pier served as the catalyst for the development of this coastal resort. Covered within the comprehensive text are details of Thomas Telford’s involvement with the original designs, pier ownership, passenger traffic and the steam ships, pier entertainers and descriptions of the fires of 1928 and 1970.
Books £5.95 each, plus p&p £1.50, from Pierhead Publications Limited, PO Box 145, Herne Bay CT6 8GY. Email: sales@pierheadpublications.co.uk. Also available from Herne Bay Museum and to order from bookshops.
Herne Bay’s Hotels & Public Houses
John Fishpool
Herne Bay Historical Records Society, Past Series No.2
A4, 56 pages, 46 images.
Although the Ship Inn dates from the 18th century, the demand for hotels started with the completion of the first pier in 1831 and the influx of visitors looking for accommodation and refreshment. Together with an overview of the licensed trade, this book includes an alphabetic index of all the known hotels and pubs – many of which have now disappeared – along with their history and numerous period images. Herne Bay’s brewery is also covered in some detail.