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Books, Maps & Other Resources Bedfordshire, England Genealogy & History More resources for this county (shire) | More English resources sorted by county/topic BOOK - History of Bedfordshire. (England) By: Joyce Godber 
Bedfordshire's greatest son, John Bunyan, the visionary preacher and author, lived from 1628 to 1688. He, and a great number of people and places, come to life in this new history of Bedfordshire which covers the period 1066-1888. It shows the ordinary people of Bedfordshire through the centuries, not just Bunyan, not merely the lord and the gentleman, but the townsman, the yeoman, and the cottager; the struggle to gain a living, the way they expressed themselves in buildings and in recreation, how they searched for the meaning of life, and how they formed religious institutions. Here one can see the lighterman bringing produce up the Rivers Ouse and Ivel, the lacemaker in West Bedfordshire, the gardener in East Bedfordshire, the witches, the travelling players, the highwayman, the early brickmaker, and the navvy building the railway. The history cites many first hand records from the thousands which have come to light in the last 50 years. Men and women from Bedfordshires past are brought to life in front of the reader, such as Herbert, the 13th century villein from Barton; Patick Irishman, 15th century retainer at Ampthill castle; Robert Long, farmer in the 19th century at Stondon. Here too is the development of the towns; Bedford trying to work out self government; Dunstable with its medieval hour of glory; Luton with its modern leap to power and of course the half dozen smaller market towns. The Epilogue brings us up to date with recent Bedfordshire problems, such as immigration and the great expansion of a population since the war. Detailed footnotes and an exhaustive index are also included. Hard Cover, ISBN 0-907041-272
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