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An Illustrated
History of Derby
Maxwell Craven
The Illustrated History of Derby aims to provide
a readable and informative account of the history
of the present city from the earliest time until
the present. It is hoped that it will appeal to residents
of the city and visitors alike and also that it will
remain a useful reference book for many years to
come.
Much new research undertaken by the author and many
others has been included, especially concerning the
early evolution of the settlement from the end of
the Roman Period up until the coming of the Normans
and in the later eighteenth century when the then
Borough spawned an intellectual revolution of considerable
importance. Such men as John Whitehurst, the clockmaker
and scientist, Joseph Wright, the painter, Joseph
Pickford, the architect, William and Joseph Strutt
and Dr Erasmus Darwin have been consistently underrated
over the years, when in fact all deserve national
reputations. It is hoped that The Illustrated History
of Derby will go some way towards setting the record
straight.
Emphasis has been placed on the people of Derby over
the ages, the connections and continuity they enjoyed
and thus how a consistent thread of kinship and ideas
have flowed through the life of the town down the
ages. Thus, a picture develops of a thoroughly modern
city in which live, for example, a family of solicitors
with a descent from a medieval villein and a sixteenth-century
Borough MP, an ex-Mayor of Derby with a strong connection
to the photographic pioneer Fox-Talbot, and several
linked families of humbler folk with surprising links
to some nineteenth century grandees illustrating
the social fluidity which has marked the life of
the city for generations.
The book is profusely illustrated with maps and plans
and include many previously unpublished photographs.
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About the
Author
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