New Books
The Encircling Hop: A History of Hops and Brewing by Margaret Lawrence.
The author has aimed at and succeeded in recording how, for centuries, the lives of Kentish people were encircled by the hop and how the growers and brewers were dependent on each other to meet the demands of the market.
There is ample evidence of original research at the Public Record Office, West Kent Archives Office, the Drapers' Company, and Whitbread papers at their Paddock Wood hop farm, which in total presents much-needed new material for students at all levels as well as for the general reader. The author leaves the two industries facing the many dilemmas resulting from the 1989 Mergers and Monopoly Commission's report on 'The Supply of Beer'. Published by SAWD Publications, Placketts Hole, Bicknor, Sittingbourne, Kent. Price £7.95 from bookshops throughout the country.
ON HASTED'S HEELS!
The following information about the progress of the new history of Kent has been provided by Nigel Yates, following a promise made at a recent Council meeting that K.A.S. members should be fully apprised of the present position.
"The Kent Archives Service has, with the approval of the County Council, commissioned a new history of Kent, which will be the first authoritative history of the County since Hasted's History was published at the end of the Eighteenth Century. The new history will be part of the Kent History Project under the direction of the County Archivist, Nigel Yates.
The main history will consist of eight volumes. (Names of Editors in brackets).
1. Kentish Society before 800 (Alec Detsicas)
2. Early Medieval Kent 800-1200 (Richard Eales)
3. Late Medieval Kent 1200-1540 (Nigel Ramsay)
4. Early Modern Kent 1540-1640 (Michael Zell)
5. The Government of Kent 1640-1914 (Fred Lansberry)
6. The Economy of Kent 1640-1914 (Alan Armstrong)
7. Religion and Society in Kent 1640-1914 (Nigel Yates)
8. Kent since 1914 (Alan Armstrong and Nigel Yates)
Most volumes will include a number of other contributors in addition to the editor, and the project will involve all those historians currently working on Kentish topics. In addition, the project will include two specialist volumes of essays.
1. A History of Rochester Bridge.
2. A History of Rochester Cathedral.
It is likely that these two specialist volumes will appear first, hopefully in 1992-3, but the main volumes should appear at regular intervals from 1994.
The project is being supervised by an editorial board that reports to the County Council. It will be funded by the Archives Service with financial support from other bodies, and negotiations are proceeding with a reputable academic publisher for the production of volumes."