The Self-Contained Village?

This stimulating collection of essays on issues raised by the concept of the "self-contained village" is published as the second volume in a new series of mid-length (40K -60K words) monographs on fresh and unusual subjects within local and regional history. The series is published under the auspices of the Centre for English Local History, University of Leicester and the Centre for Regional and Local History, University of Hertfordshire. The village, before industrialization and commuting, was once perceived as having a self-sufficient economy and a population largely separated from the outside world. Historical revisionism has overturned that view, though it persists in the popular imagination. The essays in this book consider whether the idea of the self-contained village has any validity; they examine change over time and also make regional comparisons. Areas touched on include demography, migration, agriculture, inheritance, politics, employment, industry and markets. Amongst the contributors, Ian Whyte looks at Westmorland communities in the late 18th century and the 19th century; H.R
French considers mobility, lineage and identity in English rural communities from 1600 to 1750 and Jane Whittle investigates landholding families in Norfolk from 1440 to 1600. It is illustrated throughout with maps and photographs.