The class consists of a course of ten
sessions held on alternate Thursdays from September until March.
The aim of the class is to develop knowledge
of both the subject and research techniques, thus enabling each course
member to undertake a piece of original research at the conclusion of
the course.
Members of the class can also meet informally
on the Thursdays between the course sessions to discuss their work with
the tutor and other course members. There is also the opportunity to work
on research projects in collaboration with other course members.
The course tutor is Mary Fewster. Mary
taught history for twenty-seven years at the Hewett School, Norwich,
the last fifteen as head of the department. Brought up at Aldeburgh, she developed a strong
interest in local history from an early age. In 2004 she completed her
Ph.D. on East Anglian Goldsmiths 1500-1750 for the UEA School of History,
having previously gained an M.Phil for her work on the Yarmouth Herring
Industry. Since retirement she has taught courses for the School
of Continuing Education and the Summer Academy at UEA.
The course title for 2011/12 is ‘Country Life 1700-1900' - a study of country life, making use of primary sources and individual research in developing an understanding of rural life in East Anglia in a time of great economic and social change. The fee for this year is £95.
The course session titles are listed
below:
2011
29th September
'The lie of the land': rural landscapes and settlement patterns in the early 18th century, with emphasis on maps, plans, terriers, etc., plus information from written and pictorial sources.
13th October
Peopling the landscape: wills and inventories, diaries and letters, church records, etc. showing the lifestyles of different social groups in rural East Anglia in the 18th century.
3rd November
The changing scene c.1760-1840: enclosure and its significance, the role of the great estates and 'industrial farming', plus information from poetry, literature and art.
17th November
The labouring poor: the lives of agricultural labourers and those living in small village settlements during the period 1760 and 1840; the effects of enclosure and the industrial revolution on work and living standards, with reference to poor law and census records etc..
1st December
The study of farm buildings as an insight into farming history: a guest lecture by Susanna Wade Martins.
2012
12th January
The squire and the parson: the social hierarchy in rural East Anglia and the influence of changing social and religious attitudes.
26th January
Rural unrest: from early 19th century riots and the Swing Riots of the 1830s to attempts to form unions and labourers' involvement in politics at the end of the century, plus information from observers on rural conditions.
9th February
'The Rural Idyll'? Poverty and improvement in the second half of the 19th century: farming depression and diversification; the growth of villages and the changing infrastructure.
23rd February
New opportunities: a study of the effects of railway development in North Norfolk: a guest lecture by Adrian Vaughan.
15th March
Short discussion on members' research.
Previous courses include:
Childhood, from the fifteenth century
to the twentieth century
Passing the time: Sport, Leisure and Pastimes from the Middle Ages to the 20th Century
Keeping the Faith: Christian belief and practices, and the concerns and activities of churches in their
communities
.
If you would like further details please Contact Us.
