A Gateway to Bristol’s Past
Local History Resources
for KS1 and KS2 teachers
A Gateway to Bristol’s Past has been produced
by Bristol's Museums, Galleries and Archives,
The Architecture Centre, Bristol Reference Library,
School Library Service and ss Great Britain
Published by Bristol’s Museums, Galleries and Archives
Thanks to: Rebecca, Kerry, James and John
ISBN 0-900199-54-7
Design: HMD
© Bristol’s Museums, Galleries and Archives, 2006
Contents: A Gateway to Bristol’s Past
Contents
Section 1: Bristol’s History
Welcome
Transcript of The Great
1
Case Study Links to
Audit Book – The visit of
Queen Elizabeth I
the National Curriculum
2
The accounts of the
Bristol’s History
3
Entertainment for Queen
Bristol Timeline
5
Elizabeth I
Architectural Timeline
9
Glossary for the accounts
46
of the entertainment for
Biographies of famous
Bristol people
45
Queen Elizabeth I
47
Tombstones investigation
48
Section 2: Investigations
Tombstones case study
49
and Case Studies
Buildings investigation
51
11
Maps investigation
23
Buildings case study
52
Maps case study
24
Diaries investigation
54
Charters investigation
26
Diaries case study
55
Charters case study
28
Transcript of Thomas
Transcript for Baker’s Charter
30
Porter’s diary
57
Paintings investigation
31
Letters Investigation
58
Paintings case study 1
32
Transcript of letter from
Paintings case study 2
34
Captain Claxton to Brunel
59
Letters case study
60
Wills & Inventories
investigation
36
Transcript of the will of
Jane Compane
Transcript of letter from
Edward Towle to Mary
37
Wills and inventories case
62
Character cards and scenarios
for Edward Towle Letter
63
study
38
Photographs investigation
64
Will of Harry May
40
Photographs case study
65
Accounts investigation
42
Newspapers investigation
67
Accounts case study
43
Newspapers case study
68
Contents: A Gateway to Bristol’s Past
Census return investigation
70
Transcript of census return for
Artefacts case study 1:
Celebrating our area
Bitton, Gloucestershire, 1851
72
Artefacts case study 2:
Census return case study
73
Design a Seal for Bristol
A Local Study of
92
94
Artefacts case study 3:
Ashton Gate School
75
How did they do that?
96
School Records Investigation
76
Artefact Information Cards
98
A Study of a Bristol School
77
Artefacts case study 4:
Investigating Medieval Bristol
80
Important Imports
Investigating Medieval Bristol
pre-trail activities
Artefacts case study 5:
81
Investigating Medieval
Bristol Trail
100
Potty about Pottery
102
Artefacts case study 6:
82
Section 3: Discovery Box
Terrible Tobacco
104
Section 4: Contact details
Discovery Box Welcome
84
How to contact us
106
Artefact information
85
Bibliography
109
Artefacts investigation
91
Welcome
Bristol has a rich and fascinating
history that is well documented
through a range of primary sources.
A Gateway to Bristol’s Past is an
evidence-based local history resource
using a wide selection of Bristol’s
primary sources including maps,
letters, diaries, photographs,
paintings and wills.
The primary sources are drawn from
the collections of Bristol’s Museums,
Galleries and Archives, ss Great
Britain, Bristol Reference Library and
the built environment. Each primary
source is supported by a model
investigation and a case study which
will enable you and your class to
undertake comprehensive local
history and cross-curricular studies.
The investigation sheet provides a description of
the resource, an explanation of how it can
support a local history study and a range of
techniques for its analysis. The techniques can be
applied to any similar resource. The investigation
sheet is primarily intended as a guide to analysis
for teachers but the techniques employed can
easily be adapted to provide short activities
which introduce the resource to your class.
The case study is designed as a lesson plan, with
an introduction and plenary, and extends the
analysis of the primary source through a range
of focused activities. Learning outcomes, key
vocabulary, classroom management and
preparation requirements are all included.
The supporting information includes a Bristol
timeline, an architectural timeline, a history of
the city and biographies of famous Bristol people.
Discovery Box
Why use this pack?
A Discovery Box containing a selection of local
history artefacts is also available to accompany
the pack. Supporting information, an artefact
investigation and a range of case studies are
included in the resource pack. Photographs of
each artefact are also available on the CD Rom.
The Discovery Box, and additional copies of the
resource pack, can be hired from the Schools
Library Service.
The resources contained in this pack are
designed to encourage children to engage with
the history of their city and to develop a range
of historical skills. The emphasis is on
independent learning, allowing children to
enquire and draw their own conclusions.
A PDF version of the resource pack will
be available summer 2006 from
www.bristol-city.gov.uk Follow the links to
Leisure and Culture – Museums and Galleries –
Learning at Bristol’s Museums.
How to use this pack
A Gateway to Bristol’s Past is a two-part pack
comprising a CD Rom and a printed set of
resources. The CD Rom contains facsimiles of
each primary source. They can be displayed on
interactive whiteboards or printed, as required.
Linked investigations, case studies and
supporting information are included in the
printed pack.
1
2
●
●
●
●
●
●
●
●
●
●
●
●
●
●
●
●
●
●
●
●
●
●
●
●
●
Tombstones
Buildings
Diaries
Letters
Photographs
Newspapers
Census returns
Local School study
Medieval Bristol trail
Artefacts 1: Celebrating our Area
Artefacts 2: Design a Seal for Bristol
Artefacts 3: How did they do that?
Artefacts 4: Important Imports
Artefacts 5: Potty about Pottery
Artefacts 6: Terrible Tobacco
●
●
●
●
●
●
●
●
●
●
Accounts
●
●
●
●
●
●
●
Wills and inventories
●
●
●
Paintings 2
●
●
Art
●
●
PSHE
Paintings 1
Numeracy
●
Literacy
Charters
●
Geography
●
History
Maps
Case Study
Case Study Links to the National Curriculum
●
●
●
●
●
Design and
Technology
A Brief History of Bristol
When John Cabot sailed down the Avon in
May 1497 to embark on his ‘discovery’ of
Newfoundland in his small three masted caravel
‘Matthew’ he was leaving behind a thriving
medieval port with a population second only to
London and York.
From its early pre-Saxon beginnings as a
crossing point on the Avon, close to its confluence
with the Frome, the town had grown. By 1086
the ‘Barton in Bristow’ was valued at £73 in the
Domesday Book. William II ordered a castle to
be built on the north side of the bridge over the
Avon. This was refortified during the early part
of the 11th century by Robert of Gloucester, the
illegitimate son of Henry I.
13th and 14th centuries
Throughout the 13th and 14th centuries the
town grew and flourished from imports of wine
from France and exports of wool, cloth, and a
particularly smelly soap used in cloth production.
Coal had begun to be dug to the east and lead
exports from the Mendips continued. The
merchants were able to finance churches,
monasteries and other fine buildings, and in
1239, to pay £5000 for a new channel to
re-route the river Frome across the marshes to
St Augustine's Reach, creating a deep water
harbour for bigger overseas trading vessels.
Edward III granted a charter to Bristol in 1373
to become a county in its own right, appoint a
sheriff (there had been elected mayors since
1216), hold assizes (courts) and build a gaol.
15th and 16th centuries
During most of the 15th century Bristol continued
to prosper thanks to income from trade. The
upheavals of the Reformation resulted in religious
houses being closed and their lands sold, as in
other parts of the country, but as the wealth and
influence of the merchants continued it was they
who tended to take over social provision previously
made by the church. Typical of this was the
founding, in 1532, of a school that would give
boys a nautical and commercial education: today
we know it as Bristol Grammar School. In 1552
the ‘Society of Merchant Venturers’ was
founded, another organisation still very active
today in the business and social life of the city.
Queen Elizabeth I visited the city in 1574,
during one of her many ‘progresses’. The visit,
whilst confirming the importance of Bristol, cost
the city dear. Not only was there the usual costs
incurred by a royal visit, but also an impressive
mock naval battle enacted in the river harbour.
This added considerably to the total for the visit
of £1050. Trade suffered as a result of Elizabeth's
disagreements with Spain and Bristol merchants
looked to alternative ways of making money,
including attempts to colonise ‘New England’.
The trade situation wasn't helped by frequent
disruption of trade by pirates and privateers.
17th century
During the Civil War, 1642-5, Bristol, somewhat
reluctantly, found itself on the side of the
Parliamentarians. Fortifications were enhanced,
only to be overcome in a bitter siege by Prince
Rupert in 1643. Two years later Cromwell
attacked, Prince Rupert capitulated, and the city
changed hands again. During the Commonwealth
trade revived and manufacturing, particularly
pottery and glass, increased. Raw sugar was
imported from the newly established plantations
in the West Indies, to be refined in factories set
up in Bristol. Initially the plantations were
worked by indentured ‘servants’, but by the end
of the 17th century these were replaced by slaves
shipped from West Africa.
James Millerd, a local surveyor, produced two
‘perspective’ maps in the 1670s that showed
that the city had not expanded too far from its
origins. By then there were houses on the sites
of the castle and the royal fort, demolished by
Cromwell.
18th century
Queen Anne visited the city in 1702, to name
‘Queen Square’, newly built on land reclaimed
from the marshes between the Avon and the
Frome. The architecture of this period, still visible
today, confirms Bristol’s prosperity and
prominence as Britain’s second city during the
18th century. The energy of so many individuals
at this time contributed to this, from the
notorious privateer Woodes Rogers to the
merchant and MP Edward Colston, all have left
their mark. Demands for leisure activities from
3
A Brief History of Bristol
the moneyed classes saw the establishment of
Hotwells as a summer spa and two theatres
within the city.
Bristol had always been a centre for
shipbuilding, but it was about this time that the
problems created by the huge tidal flow of the
Avon began to make it more difficult to build
and sail the larger ships now required. It would
take another hundred years to resolve the
problem, with the opening of the Floating
Harbour in 1809.
19th century
In 1831 local riots erupted, sparked by the
parliamentary Reform Act and a decline in the
local economy. Buildings in Queen Square were
set alight, Charles Pinney, the mayor, read the
Riot Act and troops were brought in to quell
the uprising.
During the 19th century Bristol established
itself as an industrial city, producing a variety of
manufactured goods, including footware,
chocolate, tobacco, soap, packaging and refined
sugar. Raw materials and the finished goods
were increasingly transported on the new rail
network, as well as by sea.
Bristol benefited from the genius of Isambard
Kingdom Brunel: the Clifton Suspension Bridge
was built, the floating harbour improved, the
Great Western and the Great Britain built as
passenger ships for the transatlantic run and
Bristol was linked to London by the Great
Western Railway.
The city attracted people seeking work in
the factories, who were housed in cramped,
often unhygienic conditions around their places
of work, despite efforts to include schools,
churches, parks and public buildings in the
rebuilding. Local benefactors who had made
money through manufacturing (notably Lewis
Fry and Henry Overton Wills) contributed to
University College, founded in 1876, which
became the University of Bristol in 1909.
20th century
Wide and varied local industries meant that
Bristol suffered less in the depression of the
1930s than other comparable cities. Sir George
White’s factory at Filton, known as the Bristol
4
Aeroplane Company after WWI, prospered in the
build up to WWII but suffered badly in the
German bombing raids of 1940, along with much
of the city, including its medieval heart. The
effect of bombing was to change the face of
Bristol: the Broadmead area was cleared and a
new shopping area was built. The Council House,
begun before the war, was completed and new
housing estates that included ‘comprehensive’
schools were planned on the outskirts of the city.
Post-war employment patterns changed, moving
from manufacturing to finance and service
industries. One victim was the Wills tobacco
factory and the last commercial shipbuilding
firm, Charles Hill & sons, closed in 1969.
The aircraft industry at Filton has continued to
thrive, through European partnerships,
producing Concorde in 1969 and the newly
developed Airbus.
Throughout the 1960s and 70s building
continued on seemingly endless office blocks as
organisations relocated from London. The old
harbour, in the heart of the city, could no longer
compete with the increasing development of
Avonmouth and the opening of a new deep
water dock at Portbury in 1975 sealed its fate.
The old harbour moved first into decline and
then into a phase of regeneration as an area
for leisure and housing.
21st century
So what of the future for Bristol in the 21st
century? The city is vibrant and has become a
popular place to live and work. The city
continues to attract new trade and industry
and, with the regeneration of the harbour, the
traditional heart of the city has a focus once
more, celebrated each year with a weekend
festival.
Bristol Timeline
Events in Bristol
Date
Events beyond Bristol
Earliest mention of Bristol on a coin of
King Ethelred minted at Briggestowe
c.1016
Saxon King Ethelred died
Bristol documented in the Anglo-Saxon
Chronicle
1052
Britain under Saxon rule
1066
Battle of Hastings. Britain comes under
French Norman rule.
Bishop Mowbray begins building the
castle. Bristol documented as Bartonin-Bristow in the Domesday Book
1086
Domesday Book
Bristol sides with Mathilda against
King Stephen during the 1st English
Civil War
1135
1st English Civil War
Robert Fitzharding founds the Abbey
of Augustinian Canons (Canon's Marsh)
1142
King Henry III allows Bristol’s first
mayor, Adam le Page
1216
King Henry III orders the diversion of
the River Frome to create additional
mooring space for ships. A channel
approx. 685.8 metres long was dug
across Canons Marsh
1239
King Edward III grants a charter
allowing Bristol to become a county
The Magna Carta is signed by King John.
1348
Black Death (the Plague)
1373
100 years war between France and England
1471
The Battle of Teweksbury (Wars of the Roses)
1492
Columbus sails to Central America
John Cabot sails to Newfoundland
1497
The Augustinian Abbey becomes
Bristol Catherdal
1534
Queen Elizabeth I visits the city of Bristol
1574
King Henry VIII reforms the monasteries
1588
Spanish Armada
During the English Civil War Bristol
sides with the Parliamentarians, is
'captured' by Royalist Prince Rupert
then re-taken by Oliver Cromwell
1642–1645
English Civil War – a power struggle
between Crown and parliament
Oliver Cromwell orders Bristol Castle to
be demolished
1656
1660
The British monarchy is restored to power.
Charles II becomes king.
5
Events in Bristol
Date
King Charles II and Queen Catherine
visit Bristol
1663
1665
Great Plague
1666
Fire of London
Samuel Pepys visits Bristol
1668
Merchant and philanthropist Edward
Colston builds almshouses
(located on St. Michael’s Hill)
1691
Bristol is granted a charter to become
involved in the transatlantic slave trade
1698
Queen Anne visits the city to open
Queen Square
1702
1707
Bristol is the busiest transatlantic
slave trade port in Britain
1730’s
John Wesley and George Whitefield
build the New Room in Broadmead –
the 1st Methodist Chapel
1739
Poet and social reformer
Hannah More is born
1745
Bristol merchants are against
American independence from Britain
The Floating Harbour and New Cut
are built
The Bristol Riots are sparked by visit of
anti-reformist Charles Wetherell
6
Events beyond Bristol
Act of Union. Scotland joins England,
Wales and Ireland
1750’s
Liverpool overtakes Bristol as the busiest
transatlantic slave trade port
1770
Australia is discovered during Cook’s 1st
voyage in Endeavour
1775–1783
American war of Independence
1789
French Revolution
1805
Battle of Trafalgar
1806
Isambard Kingdon Brunel is born
1807
Abolition of the transatlantic slave trade
in the British Empire
1809
1815
The Battle of Waterloo ends the war with
Napoleon and France
1830
The transatlantic slave trade is ended –
slaves get their freedom in the British Empire
1831
Events in Bristol
Date
Events beyond Bristol
1832
Parliamentary Reform Act passed allowing
more men to have a vote
1833
A Factory Act passed improving conditions
of work for women and children. It limits
hours of work and minimum ages
1834
The Emancipation Act comes into effect.
Slaves in the British Empire will be
formally freed after a 4 year ‘apprenticeship’
Brunel builds the Great Western
paddle Steamer
1837
Victoria becomes queen
The Great Western Railway links
London to Bristol
1840
1842
Beginnings of restrictions for women and
children working in the mines
Brunel’s ss Great Britain is launched
1843
Public cemeteries such as Arnos Vale
are established
1848
First Public Health Act
1851
The Great Exhibition at Crystal Palace
1859
Brunel dies
Clifton Suspension Bridge opens
1864
1874
Bristol University (University College)
is founded
1876
New docks open at Avonmouth
1877
Factory Act – children are not allowed to
work until they are 9 years old
1880
Education Act – schooling becomes
compulsory for children up to the age of 10
1901
Queen Victoria dies
George White founds the British and
Colonial Aircraft Company at Filton
1910
Bristol Commercial Vehicle Company
established
1912
The Titanic sinks
1914–1918
First World War
1917
Russian Revolution
1928
Women allowed to vote in general
elections in Britain
1939–1945
Second World War
1947
India gains independence from Britain.
The Muslim state of Pakistan is created by
partition from India
Heavy bombing of Bristol city centre
and Filton November 1940 to May 1941
7
Events in Bristol
Date
Events beyond Bristol
1948
Britain gets a National Health Service
The ship ‘Windrush’ brings the first
Jamaican immigrants to Britain
Olympic Games held in London
1951
The Festival of Britain
During the 1950’s Jamaican immigrants
are encouraged to come to Bristol
The first tenants start to move into the
newly developed Hartcliffe Estate
1952
Princess Elizabeth becomes Queen
Elizabeth II
Edmund Hillary and Sherpa Tenzing
climb Mount Everest
Queen Elizabeth II opens Chew Valley
Lake Reservoir
1956
Suez crisis – Egyptian Colonel Nasser seized
control of the Suez Canal forcing
shipping to travel via South Africa
Bristol Omnibus Company refuses to
employ black workers prompting
a bus boycott
1963
American president John F Kennedy is
assassinated
The Beatles play at Colston Hall
1964
1966
Work starts on building the
M32 motorway
The great Bristol Flood
1968
Concorde’s first flight
1969
The ss Great Britain comes back to Bristol
1970
Bristol City Docks closes
1970’s
1971
The St. Pauls Riots – an uprising against
heavy handed police tactics triggered
by a police raid on the Black and
White café
8
Neil Armstrong becomes the first man to
walk on the moon
Decimal currency is introduced in Britain
1980
1982
The Falklands war
1989
Berlin Wall demolished
1990
Nelson Mandela released from prison
Galleries shopping centre openes
1992
The Mall, Cribbs Causeway opens
1998
Concorde’s last flight
2003
Wings and undercarriage of the A300
Airbus are made in Bristol
The Harbourside (former City Docks)
continues to be re-developed
England win the World Cup
2004
Iraq war
2005
First flight of the A300 Airbus in France
Architectural Timeline
Roman – 43 – 409 AD
Late Medieval – 1348 – 1484
There was no roman settlement in Bristol
although some remains of Roman Villas have
been discovered at Laurence Weston, Brislington
and Keynsham.
St Peters Church
Saxon – 410 – 1065
Modern Bristol was founded in Anglo-Saxon
times, but there are no real architectural
examples left in the city. Coins minted during
1009 –1016 have been discovered and the town
was mentioned in a 1052 Anglo-Saxon chronicle.
Norman – 1066 – 1215
Castle remains, Castle Park
Bristol came under
Norman control in
1068. The remains of
the Castle Keep in
Castle Park are the
only surviving parts,
and were built around
1120. There are remains
of pennant sandstone
walls, which are 5m thick, a well shaft and a toilet
(privy) pit. The Keep is thought to have been
about 24 m high and covered in a pale limestone.
Middle Ages – 1216 – 1347
St Marks (The Lord Mayors Chapel), College Green
Built around 1220, this
chapel has examples of
early English gothic
architecture, which is
rare in Bristol. The
original chapel was in
the shape of a cross
and had no aisle, but
a south aisle was
added in about 1280. The chapel has undergone
many changes through the ages, with the
addition of a large twelve petalled rose window
and a tower of pink sandstone with limestone
details. It is still the only church in England that
is owned and used for worship by a local council.
This church lies 30m
west of the old
Norman castles west
wall. It used to be in
the heart of the
shopping centre of
the city, until heavy
bombing during WW2
destroyed many of the
surrounding shops and cafes and caused much of
the damage to the church building itself. Only
the exterior walls and spire are left and it is now
a memorial to all the ordinary Bristolians who
were killed during the bombing. The church is
built of pennant sandstone, which used to
quarried just outside of Bristol. The windows are
of an English gothic style called Perpendicular.
Tudors and Stuarts – 1485 – 1713
Llandogger Trow
This building, which
now houses a pub,
used to be made up
of five timber framed
houses until bombing
during the 1940’s
destroyed two. Built
in 1664, the three
remaining buildings
are three stories high with gabled attics and five
high window bays, which lean out over the
street below. This design was common during
Tudor times, when chamber pots were frequently
emptied out of windows. The protrusion of the
windows meant that passers-by under the
building were protected from any unpleasant
material being discarded from the windows
above. Inside the building, two arched chimney
pieces can still be found.
9
Architectural Timeline
Georgian – 1714 – 1836
Early 20th Century – 1901 – 1944
Commercial Rooms, Corn Street
This single storey
building was built in
1809 – 11 by Architect
Charles Busby. It used
to be a club for
wealthy merchants
and is now a bar.
The building has an
impressive porch with
columns either side above which are three stone
sculptures representing Bristol, Commerce and
Navigation. Inside in the Great Sober Room, there
are black marble chimneypieces of an Egyptian
style and at the rear of the building is a top lit
reading room. On the top of the building is a
wind dial, which helped to show the merchants
when their shipping was likely to arrive.
Whiteladies Picture House, Whiteladies Road
This cinema was built
in 1921 by LaTrobe and
Weston and was originally
designed to be an
entertainment complex
with a cinema, dance
hall and restaurant in
one building. It is a
grade two listed building
and when it opened was the ABC’s flagship cinema
in the region. It was the oldest working cinema in
Bristol until it was sold to a developer several years
ago and its future usage is controversial. The
outside of the building is virtually unchanged
from when it was first constructed.
Victorian – 1837 – 1900
The Lloyds Building, Corn Street
This early Victorian
building was built
during 1854-7 by
Gingell and Lysaght
for Lloyds Bank. It is
mostly made of Bath
stone, with Portland
stone used for some
of the sculptural parts.
The design was based on St Marks Library in
Venice, and originally it was made up of 5 bays
with a central door. The sculpture on the ground
floor represents Newport, Bath, Bristol, Exeter
and Cardiff- the main towns where the bank
operated, with images of their rivers, coats of
arms and local products. On the second floor
there are paired, female, sculpted figures which
represent Peace, Plenty, Justice and Integrity.
The building was designed to be fire proof and
is still currently used by Lloyds TSB Bank.
10
Post World War Two – 1945 – 2000
Number One Redcliffe Street
This square fifteen storey
tower block was built in
1960 – 3 by the architects
of Bristol papermakers
E S and A Robinson, and
is often called the
Robinson Building. It is
elegant and simple and a
very good example of a
post war office block. It is an important landmark
on the Bristol skyline with its bronze framed
windows and carrara marble finished walls.
Contemporary – 2000 – present
@t Bristol-Wildwalk and Imax Cinema
Wildwalk is part of
the @t Bristol Science
complex which was
designed by Michael
Hopkins Architects and
completed in 2000. The
Imax cinema is a blank
brick drum shaped
building, which is joined
onto the Wildwalk building. This has a sweeping
tent-like canopy of plastic on metal masts which
houses the greenhouse of plants, insects and birds.
Part of the roof is covered with grass and the dark
tunnel which runs from Wildwalk opens out into
the tall light filled foyer of the Imax cinema.
Biographies of famous Bristol people
Ernest Bevin, 1881 – 1951
Ernest Bevin was born in 1881, at Winsford near
Minehead, the seventh child of the family. He
never knew his father and his mother died when
he was eight. His formal education finished
when he was eleven and he became a farm
labourer. In 1894 he moved to Bristol and lived
with his brothers Jack and Albert in Bishopston.
During this time he took a series of menial jobs
and then became a van driver for a mineral
water firm in St Pauls. He met Florence Anne
Townly, the daughter of a wine taster at a
Bristol wine merchants, with whom he remained
until his death. They had one daughter.
Bevin, through his rural Somerset upbringing
had strong non-conformist beliefs which he
pursued during his time in Bristol along with
a programme of self-improvement common to
other working class young men of his generation.
His involvement with trade unionism, for which
he will be remembered, did not begin until he
was 29, although since 1908 he had been the
unpaid secretary of the Bristol Right-to-Work
Committee. In 1910 he became involved with a
dock strike at Avonmouth, soon after forming
a branch of the Dock, Wharf, Riverside and
General Workers’ Union (known as the Dockers’
Union) and by 1911 had given up van driving to
become a paid union official. He opposed
conscription during WWI and at the TUC in 1915
argued forcibly for the creation of a Ministry of
Labour. In 1916 he was elected to the executive
of the National Transport Workers’ Federation
(NTWF), an influential body of the burgeoning
British labour movement, however he failed in
the general election of 1918 to become MP for
Central Bristol. Still working tirelessly for the
trade union movement he left Bristol for good
in 1920 and moved to London.
In 1922 14 different unions merged to form
the Transport and General Workers Union
(TGWU). Bevin played a leading role in this and
was elected its first general secretary, a post he
held for 19yrs. By 1926 he had been elected to
the general council of the TUC. The unions were
increasingly aligned with the Labour Party, but
Bevin continued his pragmatic and sometimes
unpopular approach to labour issues. He was a
major figure in the general strike of 1926 (the
result of unfulfilled agreements in 1925 by
Stanley Baldwin’s Conservative government)
but recognised that capitalism could only be
changed by modernisation of industrial practises
and approaches to economic issues. Again he
stood unsuccessfully in Gateshead, in the general
election of 1931, but continued to influence
the Labour party through the TUC. He argued
passionately against both communists and
fascists and against the party’s near pacifist
stance in the mid 1930’s culminating in the
leader of the party, George Lansbury’s
resignation in 1935.
By now Bevin, in poor health, was considering
retirement but with the outbreak of war and
Churchill’s formation of a coalition government
in 1940, was made minister of labour and
national service. He won a by-election in 1940
and remained an MP until his death in 1951.
Bevin played a crucial role in the war cabinet:
he realised that it was essential to utilise the
trade unions and set about balancing trade
union freedoms with directed labour essential for
the war effort. His toughness and determination
made him a major force in domestic policy whilst
Churchill concentrated on war policy. He
encouraged women to join the work force by
improving child care facilities, took 10% of all
conscripts to work in coal mines (‘Bevin Boys’)
and generally improved working conditions by
the provision of, for example, canteens.
After Labour’s victory in 1945, Clement Attlee
appointed Bevin as Foreign Secretary. Britain was
nearly bankrupt from the war effort so he had to
balance this (removing troops from India and,
more controversial, from Palestine) against his
own passionate patriotism. He promoted the
Marshall Plan (USA aid to reconstruct Europe),
was instrumental in the creation of NATO in
1949 and supported Britain’s decision to develop
nuclear weapons. He had a profound mistrust of
communism and has been labelled as a key
architect of the cold war.
By 1951 Bevin’s health had deteriorated still
further and he resigned from Attlee’s
government dying of heart failure 4 weeks later.
11
Biographies of famous Bristol people
Isambard Kingdom Brunel, 1806 – 1859
Brunel was born in Portsea, Portsmouth, the
first son of Sir Marc Brunel and Sarah Kingdom,
French royalists who had fled their country at
the time of the Revolution. Sir Marc was a civil
engineer and the young Brunel soon showed
similar talent. After schools in Chelsea and Hove
he was sent to France to learn from Louis Breguet,
the leading clockmaker of his time. In 1822 he
returned to complete his apprenticeship with his
father and soon both were involved in building
the first tunnel under the Thames, from
Rotherhithe to Wapping. Despite an ingenious
new tunnelling mechanism the task was difficult
and water frequently broke through. In 1828
Brunel was nearly killed by such an incursion
and spent some time recovering. During his
period of convalescence he was sent to Clifton,
then a fashionable, newly developed part of the
city. It is from this point that his long association
with Bristol began.
In 1753 a Bristol merchant had left £1000 in
trust with the Society of Merchant Venturers, to
be invested to provide funds to pay for a bridge
across the River Avon. A competition was
launched in 1829 to find the best design for the
bridge and Thomas Telford was appointed judge.
22 designs were submitted, 4 were short-listed
(including Brunel’s). However Telford rejected
them all and was invited to submit his own
design. This was refused on the grounds of cost
and a new competition held. This time Brunel’s
design for the bridge was successful, with a
projected span of 630 ft. and piers to reflect the
fashionable Egyptian style. In fact Brunel never
built the bridge for which he is now famed, the
money ran out and the project was only
completed after his death, as a fitting tribute.
Through the bridge project Brunel had
become involved with an influential group of
Bristol entrepreneurs who recognised his talent
and where it could benefit the flagging fortunes
of the city. In 1832 he successfully improved
Jessop’s Floating Harbour, completed in 1809,
by solving the constant problem of silt. He also
designed a new south lock to take larger vessels
that was begun but eventually abandoned.
Meanwhile in 1833, he was appointed
engineer to the Great Western Railway (GWR)
that planned to create a rail network from
12
Paddington to Bristol and beyond. Brunel set
out to plan the whole system, using a broad
gauge of 7 ft., including bridges, tunnels and
stations all designed with great detail and built
with an imaginative range of materials. The
original Temple Meads station survives today as
a heritage site.
The railway network prompted Brunel to
think how universal travel could be extended.
This was achieved in 1835 when the Great
Western Steamship Company was set up and he
was appointed to design and build the ss Great
Western, a wooden hulled, paddle wheeled ship
powered by steam, launched in Bristol in 1837
to carry passengers between England and New
York. The enterprise was so successful that the
company commissioned a second ship, the ss
Great Britain, for the Atlantic run. Work began
in 1839; this time the ship was to be an iron
hulled, screw propelled steamship. She was
launched in July 1843 but remained in the
Floating Harbour until December 1844,
prevented by her size from being released into
the R. Avon. The ss Great Britain had a long and
distinguished career, mostly spent on the
passenger run to Australia. In 1886 she was
marooned in the Falkland Islands. She was
retrieved in 1970 and returned to Bristol to
become the great attraction she is today. Brunel
built one more, even bigger ship, the ss Great
Eastern, designed to sail to the Far East and
Australia without refuelling. The hull was
wrought iron, largely double skinned and she
had two sets of engines, one to drive paddle
wheels and one to drive a screw. After overcoming
huge problems the ship was eventually launched
in 1858. She was fitted out ready for her maiden
voyage in September 1859. By this time Brunel,
exhausted and suffering from kidney disease,
was dangerously ill and died soon after hearing
of a devastating explosion on board. The ship
survived but was never truly successful due in
part to her advanced technical design.
The evidence of Brunel’s creative engineering
genius remains around us today, especially in
Bristol.
Biographies of famous Bristol people
John Cabot, c.1451 – 1498
In Italian Caboto refers to a coasting seaman
and was a common name throughout the
Mediterranean. It is uncertain in which of the
Adriatic ports John (Giovanni) Cabot was born,
It certainly was not Venice, although his parents,
Giulio and Matteo, were active in property and
commerce there and in 1476 he obtained full
citizenship of the Republic. John was taught
the family’s business from an early age. He was
involved in the Mediterranean spice trade, made
increasingly difficult by the fall of
Constantinople in 1453, and even appears to
have visited. For whatever reason, and by now
married to Mattea, a fellow Venetian, Cabot left
Venice for the long journey east. In 1492 a John
Cabot Montecalunya was commissioned by King
Ferdinand to design improvements for the
harbour at Valencia: evidence points to it being
the same person. With rising costs, the harbour
was abandoned in 1493, the year that Columbus
passed through on his way to report his findings
to the king. It is very likely that the two seamen
met. Cabot came to England with his family
keen to seek the approval of Henry VII, first
Tudor king, for a voyage of exploration
eastwards. Bristol, with its long tradition of
Atlantic voyaging, was the obvious place to settle.
He took an annual lease of £2 on a house in St
Nicholas Street and was soon involved with city
merchants keen to find new fishing grounds
after their political exclusion from Iceland.
On 5th March 1496 Henry VII issued letters
patent to John Cabot and his three sons,
Lodovico, Sebastiano and Sanzio, giving
permission for them to search for new lands to
the east, west and north (Columbus’ voyage had
already claimed land to the south for Spain).
They were to ‘conquer, occupy and possess’ them
by raising the royal banner. Five ships were
permitted, with as many men and equipment as
necessary, paid for by Cabot and his Bristol
backers. One fifth of any trading profit was to go
to the king. That summer there was an
unsuccessful attempt made with one ship.
Cabot’s most renowned voyage began when,
with his son Sebastian and a crew that included
about 16 Bristolians, he set sail from Bristol on
May 20th 1497 in a three masted caravel of
about 60 tons named Matthew. There is little
reliable information about the voyage: even
whether the ship was new or renamed. All
evidence comes from letters written soon after
Cabot’s return on August 6th. The little ship
made good progress, crossing the Atlantic in 35
days. Exact landfall is uncertain but it was
probably Cape Bonavista, Newfoundland. They
found evidence of the local indigenous
population but made no contact with them.
Cabot explored the local coastal area, convinced
he had landed in NE ‘Cathay’. Vast quantities of
cod were found and the sailors retrieved them in
weighted buckets. The days were long, the
climate mild and there was an abundance of
timber and lush vegetation (typical of the
summer weather). One account records they
sailed 300 leagues (about 800 miles) before
setting out on the return trip. First landfall was
the Isle of Ushant off Brittany.
For his efforts Henry VII granted Cabot £10
(worth 100 times more now) and an annual
pension of £20. The pension was paid half yearly
through the Bristol Customs Office, administered
by Richard Ameryke and Arthur Kemeys (giving
rise to the incorrect local assertion for the origin
of the name America).
A further expedition was inevitable. Henry VII
granted letters patent in February 1498 entitling
Cabot to up to six ships (one a ‘king’s ship’, the
rest paid for by London and Bristol merchants).
Cabot spent the winter busily preparing for a
trip that was to last a year. Finally five ships set
sail in June 1498. One ship returned, damaged by
bad weather, in July. The rest disappeared. There
is no firm evidence of John Cabot’s fate, whether
he was drowned at sea or killed by Indians. His
pension was paid for a further year, after which
his widow and children came into the care of the
city authorities.
13
Biographies of famous Bristol people
Mary Carpenter, 1807 – 1877
Mary Carpenter was born in 1807, the eldest
child of Dr Lant Carpenter, who was a leading
Unitarian Minister and founder of a small
school in Bristol that educated boys and girls.
This is where Mary gained practical teaching
experience
Mary had always been concerned for the
poor. She established a domestic mission in
Lewins Mead in 1838 and the Kingswood
Industrial School in 1852. In 1854 Mary set up
the country’s first girls’ reform school, at the
Red Lodge. She promoted the training of women
teachers and campaigned to end prison
sentences for children.
In 1833, Mary had met Rajah Rammohun Roy
who inspired her to go and work and campaign
in India. She left her home at the Red Lodge in
Bristol for four long trips to India, were she
worked tirelessly to improve rights and conditions
for women, children and prisoners. She wrote
in her diary in 1864 ‘I here record my solemn
resolve to devote my heart and soul and strength
to the elevation of Women in India’. She
entertained, persuaded and lobbied many
eminent British Raj officials and leading Indians
to build ‘normal native female schools’ whilst
in India and on her return to Britain she
bombarded the Government and India Office,
requesting funds for girls schools in India. Mary
became very well respected and was invited to
Windsor by Queen Victoria to be congratulated.
She never married, but she did adopt a girl,
Rosanna, who travelled with her to India.
Mary died in 1877 and was buried in the
Arnos Vale cemetery with a very simple
headstone, but an engraved bust with epitaph
was placed in Bristol Cathedral to celebrate her
life and work.
14
Biographies of famous Bristol people
Edward Colston, 1636 – 1721
Edward Colston was the first of probably 11
children born to William, a well established
Bristol merchant, and his wife Sarah in Temple
Street. Edward was baptised at Temple church
when he was six days old. His childhood was
spent with the family in Wine Street and at
their estate at Winterbourne. When his father,
a staunch royalist, was removed from official
office following the city’s surrender to Cromwell
in 1645, the family moved to London and it
seems likely that he was educated at Christ’s
Hospital. At the age of 18 he was apprenticed to
Humfray Aldington, a member of the Mercers’
Company of London. Little is known of him
during this period but in 1673 he was enrolled
into the Mercers’ Company and began to build
up a prosperous business trading mainly textiles
and wine between London and Spain, Portugal,
Italy and N. Africa. His father had returned to
Bristol after the restoration of Charles II and
seems to have influenced Edward’s success.
During the 1670s Edward joined other close
family members and became involved in the
Royal Africa Company, the leading provider
of English ships for the transportation of slaves
from W. Africa to the Americas. Speculation
continues over how much of his wealth was the
result of his involvement with the slave trade
but, as he left no personal papers, it remains
impossible to separate this from his other
business activities.
Edward’s father died in Bristol in 1681 and he
began to make frequent visits to his native city.
In 1683 he became an elected member of the
Society of Merchant Venturers. His business
ventures continued to prosper and his wealth
was increased by inheritances and businesses
from his father and his brother Thomas. In 1689
he went to Mortlake, Surrey, to live as a well-off
bachelor until his death.
From this time Colston began to use his
wealth to improve the lives of others in London,
Surrey, Devon and Lancashire but it is as one
of Bristol’s most famous benefactors that he is
remembered. The first direct provision (he had
previously lent money and contributed to civic
attempts to care for the poor) was in the
establishment of almshouses: in 1695 he had an
almshouse for 12 men and 12 women built on St
Michael’s Hill. There were strict rules set down
over who should be admitted and how they
should conduct themselves. In the same year he
paid for six boys to be added to Queen
Elizabeth’s Hospital, the city’s main school for
orphan boys, increasing this to ten in 1710.
Colston’s views conflicted with the whig
dominated Bristol Corporation who refused his
offer of further support for the school.
Undeterred he went ahead with a new school,
called Colston’s Hospital, on St Augustine’s Back
(the present site of the Colston Hall) which was
opened in 1710 for 100 boys, in good health and
practising Anglicans, who were to be schooled
and prepared for apprenticeships. The school
was endowed and the Society of Merchant
Venturers became the administrators, although
Colston often criticised the running of the
school. In 1711 he opened Temple School for
Boys to educate and clothe 44 boys from the
parish of his birth. He gave money to improve
and embellish several of the city churches,
including All Saints where he was subsequently
buried, and made provision for sermons to be
preached in St Werburgh’s, St. Peter’s and
Newgate Gaol.
Edward Colston was elected MP for Bristol in
1710 (the first tory MP for 15yrs) but age and
increasing frailness meant he had little influence
on government and he did not seek re-election
in 1713. When he died in 1721 he left £100,000
to his relatives and £71,000 to public charities
(worth over £14m today).
Colston’s legacy remains prominent to this
day: whilst his life and generosity is still
commemorated with annual customs, the depth
of his involvement with the slave trade remains
an unanswered factor.
15
Biographies of famous Bristol people
Joseph Fry, 1728 – 1787
Born in 1728 into a Quaker family, Joseph was
educated at a Quaker boarding school and later
apprenticed as an apothecary in Basingstoke.
He later married the daughter of his old master
and set up his own business in Bristol in 1753.
Joseph made and sold chocolate in his shop,
but he abandoned his profession of apothecary
for business pursuits. He purchased the chocolate
firm of Walter Churchman, in partnership with
John Vaughan, in 1761 and in 1777 the chocolate
works moved to Union Street in Bristol. Here
they remained for over a hundred years before
moving to Keynsham.
Joseph Fry also invested in other businesses,
notably Champion’s china works, and Fry, Fripp
and Co., soap boilers. He also entered into
partnership with William Pine, printer of the
Bristol Gazette, to form the typefounding firm
of Fry and Pine.
Joseph Fry remained an active member of the
Society of Friends and died in 1787 aged 59, his
business was carried on by his wife and remained
a family run firm until 1913, when it was merged
with that of fellow Quaker chocolate
manufacturers, Cadburys.
16
Biographies of famous Bristol people
William Gilbert Grace, 1848 – 1915
W. G. Grace was the most famous member of
a cricketing family, and was born at Downend,
Bristol in 1848. He studied at Bristol Medical
School and St Bartholomews Hospital, London,
qualifying in 1879. He worked as a local doctor
and as a parish doctor for the Bristol Poor Law
Union between cricketing engagements. He and
his brothers made Gloucestershire County
Cricket Club, of which he was captain, one of
the strongest sides in the country in the late
1800’s.
W.G. Grace retired from his medical practice
and moved to London in 1898. His last game of
first class cricket was in 1908, although ever the
sportsman he continued to play both cricket
and bowls.
A giant of the cricketing world W. G. saw
in the modern, organised game we see today.
17
Biographies of famous Bristol people
Pero Jones, c.1753 – 1798
Pero was born in the West Indies and was a
slave, owned by the wealthy sugar planter
and merchant John Pinney, who lived in the
Georgian House on Great George Street, Bristol.
John Pinney inherited a West Indian sugar
plantation, Mountravers’, on Nevis, from his
Dorset cousin. Many of the current slaves were
old and sick and Pinney purchased groups of
new, younger slaves to tend the plantation. Pero
and his sisters Nancy and Sheeba were purchased
by Pinney on 4th July 1765 from Joanna Jones
for £115. Pero was twelve years old at the time
and a Creole (island-born), who was probably
born on the island of Nevis.
Pero became Pinney’s man servant and after
18 years service, at the age of 30, Pero travelled
with Mr and Mrs Pinney, their son Pretor and
Mrs Pinney’s maid, Fanny, back to England.
Having travelled for 41 days on the Jonge Vrow
Charlotte, they arrived off the coast of Dover on
15th August 1783. After short stays in London,
Dorset, Salisbury and Bath, the Pinney household
finally settled in Bristol. They rented a house in
Park Street before moving to the fine Georgian
House on Great George Street. Pero was a
respected servant of Pinney and travelled with
him on many business trips abroad.
At this time, many of the black people of
London were free people working in a variety of
jobs, but in this so called ‘free country’, Pero was
still enslaved, and although well treated by his
master, it is likely that Pero still longed for his
freedom. As he got older Pero began to drink
more and became more disgruntled with his
situation. He died in 1798 and there are no
records to suggest he was at any time in his life,
a free man.
In March 1999, a new footbridge on Bristol
Harbourside was opened and commemorates
and pays tribute to all the West Indians and
Africans who were enslaved by Bristol’s
merchants and planters.
18
Biographies of famous Bristol people
Hannah More, 1745 – 1833
Born at Fishponds, Bristol in 1745, Hannah
was one of five sisters. Her father was a
schoolmaster and educated all of his daughters
to such a standard as to enable them to earn
their own livings. They jointly ran a girls
boarding school, firstly in Trinity Street, moving
to a purpose built house in Park Street in 1767.
The school was popular and the sisters were
highly respected. Hannah was the cleverest in
the family and early on displayed a literary
talent, writings plays, essays, and poetry. She
became a member of literary and bluestocking
circles after visits to London, and was quite a
celebrity in her time.
Hannah More never married, she eventually
broke off her engagement to a Mr William
Turner after he postponed their wedding three
times. Resolving never to marry, she did
reluctantly agree to accept an annuity from him
which meant she could live an independent life.
Becoming increasingly evangelical in religion as
she grew older, Hannah was involved in the
campaign for the abolition of slavery, and
philanthropic work for the poor in the Mendip
parishes around her home. Towards the end of
her life she nursed her sisters and succumbed
herself to ill health. She moved from the relative
isolation of her home at Barley Wood, Wrington,
to Clifton, where she died at the age of 88.
One of the most prolific women writers of her
day, Hannah More’s reputation languished when
her conservative and paternalistic views became
increasingly unfashionable. Today her position in
history is only now being re-evaluated.
19
Biographies of famous Bristol people
George F. Muller, 1805 – 1898
Born at Kroppenstaedt, Prussia in 1805, George
Muller studied for the church, although he
showed little interest in it as a career until an
evangelical conversion in 1825. He came to
London in 1829 to study languages preparatory
to taking up a missionary post, but never took
up his offered position and moved to Teignmouth
in Devon. There he became pastor of Ebenezer
Chapel and married a local girl. The couple
moved shortly afterwards to Bristol where
George involved himself in local charitable,
religious, organisations. Inspired by the
orphanages in Halle where he had attended
University, George Muller established his first
orphanage in Bristol for a small number of
children. However, the initial project grew to
such an extent that five large orphan houses
were eventually constructed at Ashley Down,
Bristol, capable of caring for 2,000 children. The
funds needed were raised entirely by voluntary
donations, aided by his popular autobiography
which ran to several editions.
In later life George and his second wife
travelled around the world on missionary visits.
He died at his orphanage in Bristol in 1898 and
was buried at Arnos Vale cemetery.
His lasting legacy was his orphanage.
Although the old buildings have been put to
other uses, the Muller Homes for Children still
run modern, small, group homes in the city.
20
Biographies of famous Bristol people
Samuel Plimsoll, 1824 – 1898
Samuel Plimsoll was born in Bristol in 1824.
Shortly after his birth the family moved to
Penrith and then on to Sheffield. As a young
man Samuel was recruited as secretary for the
Sheffield Great Exhibition Committee (despite
only being a clerk) where his energy, enthusiasm
and persuasive character helped him to make a
name for himself.
Although his initial hopes to make his fortune
as a coal merchant in London were dashed,
Samuel eventually found backing and his
business prospered. With a strong interest in
the dangers inherent in heavy industry, Samuel
became Member of Parliament for Derby in
1868, holding the seat for the next twelve years.
He is remembered for his long, stressful,
often acrimonious, fight to regulate the amount
of cargo merchant ships could be allowed to
carry. Thousands of seamen lost their lives every
year when overloaded, unsafe vessels sank. The
Merchant Shipping Act of 1876 obliged owners
to mark a load line on their ships, although it
wasn’t until 1890 that the Board of Trade was
required to ensure that the ‘Plimsoll’ line was
marked and correctly calculated. After losing his
Derby seat Samuel Plimsoll tried to return to
Parliament, but after defeat in 1885 at Sheffield
and his failing health he never stood for election
again. He died in Folkstone in 1898, when all the
ships in the harbour lowered their flags, and a
contingent of sailors drew his hearse for the
funeral.
As well as the ‘Plimsoll Line’, he is remembered
in the name of rubber soled canvas shoes.
21
Want to find out more about the lives of
famous Bristol people?
The Dictionary of National
Biography lists details of the lives
of thousands of people as well as
pictures of many of those profiled.
It can be accessed at
www.oxforddnb.com.
A subscription is required but
the site can be accessed free at
the Central Library. A copy of
the book is also available at the
Reference Library.
22
Investigation 1: Maps
Resource: Millerd’s map of Bristol
Date of resource: 1673
Author: Jacob Millerd
Resource located:
Bristol Record Office
CD Image: Millerd’s map 1673
Description of resource:
This medieval map of the city in 1673 has been
described as a ‘venture upon what was, for the
age, a truly remarkable publication unexampled
in the provinces’
Jacob Millerd was a Bristolian mercer and
beneath the coat of arms on the plan in Latin he
describes his city: ‘This city, sublime, spacious,
faithful, lovely, pleasant and glorious, ancient,
kind and brilliant, keeps the laws, worships God,
loves the King, protects the district, hates
wrongdoing, keeps peace’.
Why maps are useful for a local
history study
Maps are important sources of information
which are often overlooked. Our landscape has
changed over time and maps allow us to see
what an area looked like in the past and
compare it to how it looks now.
There are no maps before the 16th century.
From then on mapmakers began to produce
county maps and estate maps for owners of
large estates. There are also some early maps of
large cities such as this one for Bristol by Millerd
produced in 1673. Many of the early maps are
very colourful and show pictures of actual
buildings, trees and walls. They were a
representation of the area and were not drawn
to an accurate scale. They were more like
sketches than the maps we see today.
Later maps include more detailed estate maps
drawn up by surveyors to show the landowner
the value of his property. These often numbered
individual plots of land and had survey books to
go with them which listed the names of the
people renting or occupying the land.
Another type of map is the Enclosure map.
Enclosure maps date mainly from between 1750
– 1850 and relate to the process of eliminating
the old open field ‘strip’ farming method. There
was a special General Enclosure Act in 1836 to
enable the process to happen without individual
acts of parliament to gain permission to enclose.
There are also parish plans, called Tithe maps,
which were accompanied by survey books. Tithe
maps were drawn up to value and collect tithe
money to pay for the upkeep of the church. They
show every plot, which is numbered, and the
survey book lists all the owners and occupiers of
the land. This is a very useful source for tracing
the history of a rural area. They do not cover
towns as they recorded land values.
The first detailed series of Ordnance Survey
maps did not begin until the 1880s and these
have continued up to the present day. Using
Ordnance Survey maps can help to trace the
growth and development of an area.
Techniques and questions for
analysing maps
1. Allow some time to become familiar with the
map. Establish the age of the map.
2. Try and find some familiar landmarks. i.e.
school.
3. Play a game to locate a place on the map
and trace a route.
4. Compare an area on an older map with a
modern or series of maps to show the
development of the area.
5. Consider how the area has changed? Have
green areas gone? Are the streets the same,
have they disappeared or been rerouted?
6. Consider how the land use has changed.
7. Think about the names of the streets.
Do they tell you a story?
8. Over the centre of the village, town or city
overlay a modern map of the same scale.
Note which streets/places remain and if their
names are the same.
23
Case Study 1: Maps
Resource: Hoefnagle’s map of Bristol, 1581
Location of resource: Bristol Record Office
CD Image: Hoefnagle’s map of Bristol, 1581
Description
Key vocabulary:
This is a very colourful and stylised early map of
Bristol. It shows the layout of the city, the castle,
the city walls, Bristol’s coat of arms, and many of
the buildings in Bristol. It also shows some
figures in Tudor dress. The Hoefnagle map shows
that the city had expanded beyond the medieval
walls but there were still few houses.
Coat of arms
Support materials:
•Millerd’s map 1673.
• Modern map of Bristol.
Lesson plan: Hoefnagle’s map of Bristol, 1581
Outcome of lesson: The children will have familiarised themselves with a
map from over 400 years ago. They will make comparisons between this
and a modern map and make observations about the detail. They will
think about what was important to map makers of the time.
Class management:
Introduction:
Activity one and two: small groups, Activity
three: individual work.
• Establish with the children that the map is of
the centre of Bristol 400 years ago. Note the
coat of arms of Bristol and what it shows.
Discuss why you think the ship is important on
Bristol’s coat of arms.
• Explain that the people portrayed on the map
provide a good example of how people dressed
in Hoefnagle’s time.
• Compare Hoefnagle’s map with a modern map.
Ask the children if they can recognise any of
the streets and features which are still there?
Are there any streets or buildings which are the
same?
• Discuss what features are not there now e.g.
the castle. Does the modern map refer to a
castle in any of its street names?
Preparation:
You will need: 2 copies of Hoefnagle’s map,
Millerd’s map and a modern map per group.
24
Case Study 1: Maps
Resource: Hoefnagle’s map of Bristol, 1581
Activity one:
• Ask the children to compare this map with
Millerd’s. How are they presented?
• There is only 100 years difference but there
has been some significant growth. Ask the
children to make a limited number of
statements to highlight differences and
similarities between the two maps.
• Ask the children to highlight features which
are the same i.e. churches.
Plenary:
Discuss with the children:
• How accurate the map is.
• If they think the buildings are true and
how they could check this.
• If any of these buildings are still around
to check for accuracy.
• If the map is a reliable resource. If not,
is it useful?
Activity two:
• Using a modern map and Hoefnagle’s map
ask the children to trace and highlight the
streets and churches or major features on to
the modern map.
• Using the Millerd map also ask the children
to try and trace the medieval wall in the
streets of today’s map and decide where the
castle would go.
• The streets, churches, wall and castle could
be colour coordinated to help.
Activity three:
• Ask the children to imagine they are Tudor
children sent on an errand in the time when
Hoefnagle drew his map.
• Ask the children to describe their route and
give descriptions of what the streets would
be like. Encourage the children to imagine
the smells, the people and the noise.
25
Investigation 2: Charters
Resource: County Charter
Date of resource: 1373
Author: Edward III
Resource located:
Bristol Record Office
CD Image: County Charter
Description of resource
The example shown is a royal charter of 1373
by which Edward III has granted certain rights
and privileges to Bristol. In 1373 the burgesses
petitioned the King for more independence
asking that the town be raised to the status of
county and be completely separate from the
counties of Gloucester and Somerset. On 8th
August 1373 Edward III granted Bristol that
right and this is the Charter.
The charter granted the following rights:
1. The right to form a Common Council which
met in the Guildhall. This was the beginning
of the Corporation of Bristol which existed
until 1835.
2. The right to elect a Sheriff with his own
courts.
3. The creation of mayor’s and other courts.
A second document in 1373 outlined the
boundaries of the new county, which
amounted to 755 acres. By this charter Bristol
remained a county for 601 years – until 1974
when Bristol became a city and borough
within the newly formed County of Avon.
In 1996, with the demise of Avon, Bristol
became a city and county again but this time
with no charter.
Why charters are useful for a local
history study
Charters were documents recording grants,
usually of land, but sometimes of other property
or rights. They were thus the medieval
equivalent of what we now call deeds. Records
of royal charters – the most famous of which
is, of course, the Magna Carta – are mostly to
be found among the chancery rolls at the
Public Record Office. This particular charter
records a significant moment in Bristol’s history.
Techniques and questions for
analysing charters
1. Read through the charter and decide what it
is about. Identify the most important
information. Charters present the problems of
handwriting and language. Of course,
handwriting should not be a problem in a
printed edition, although language may
still be, as many charters have been printed
in their original language, Latin (or
occasionally French). However, charters are
even more formulaic than most medieval
documents, and a straightforward example
should not be too difficult to decipher.
2. What is the date of the charter? Dating may
also present problems. Where charters are
dated, the commonest form is by giving the
day of the week, the nearest church feast-day
and the regnal year. Given a little care, these
dates are not too hard to translate into
modern terms. More serious problems arise if,
as for many early charters, no date at all is
given. In these cases, the date has to be
estimated from the handwriting
(if the charter is original), from the
phraseology, and from what is known about
other people mentioned in the document.
These are largely matters for the expert,
although in printed editions they will often
already have been addressed.
3. If you are studying a private charter, what
can you find out about the family? What can
the charter tell you about the society and
time in which the family lived? Private
charters are an excellent source of
contemporary information about medieval
genealogy. Family relationships are frequently
mentioned, for example, transactions by
other members of the grantor’s family may
be recited or confirmed; if the grant is in
favour of a religious house, provision may
even be made for prayers for the souls of the
grantor’s dead relatives, or for the grantor’s
burial. In some cases the charter may
record a marriage gift to a daughter, or
provision for a younger son.
continued overleaf
26
Investigation 2: Charters
Resource: County Charter
Techniques and questions for
analysing charters continued
4. If the charter contains images, what do they
tell you? Is a coat of arms included? Consider
designing a school or individual coat of arms.
5. Develop your own school charter based on an
original formula. Describe the grounds
enclosed and their uses. Who is allowed to
use which area? Draw up a list of who uses
the school; teachers, children, parents, dinner
ladies, secretary and how they use the school,
behave and respect each other.
6. If the charter relates to the granting of lands,
use maps to see if you can discover how the
boundaries have changed over the years. Is
your school within the original boundary and
if so has it always been?
27
Case Study 2: Charters
Resource: Bakers’ Charter, 1347
Location of resource: Bristol Record Office
CD Image: Bakers’ Charter, 1347
Description:
Key vocabulary:
This charter was granted by Edward III and it is
an early illuminated charter. The illumination
actually tells you what the charter is all about. In
the top half of the letter ‘E’ you can just see two
men being driven in to what looks like a dog
kennel during the night. In the bottom half of
the letter ‘E’ a baker is being whipped as he is
dragged through the streets of the town. Above
his head are a pair of scales which do not
balance i.e. he has been selling short-weight
bread. The charter therefore grants Bristol the
right to imprison nightwalkers and to punish
fraudulent bakers.
Fraudulent, nightwalkers, curfew, sheriff, hue
and cry, night watchmen.
Support materials:
• A list of rules and regulations for school or
class.
• A contemporary newspaper account of unruly
behaviour in Bristol City Centre.
Lesson plan: Hoefnagle’s map of Bristol, 1581
Outcome of lesson: Children will have an insight into how rules were
established a long time ago and how they were presented. They can
consider the importance of rules within societies such as towns, their
own schools, classes and social groups such as families and friends and
who has the responsibility of administering them.
Class management:
Activity one: whole class, Activity two: whole
class, Activity three: whole class/individual work.
Preparation:
You will need:
• drawing materials and paper for each child.
Introduction:
Discuss the following with the children:
• Who administers the law today? Who makes
sure it is being obeyed? How was law
administered when this charter was written?
Was it local responsibility because there was no
police force?
• What is a curfew and who implements it? Was
it the night watchmen or the sheriff? What is
an ‘Hue and Cry?’
• Why do you think the charter is illuminated in
this way? Perhaps because not many people
could read, the picture was to show what the
charter was about.
• What were nightwalkers? Why were they
locked up at night? Nightwalkers were people
wandering the streets at night after curfew.
They were locked up because they may be
intending to commit crimes.
• How were the bakers being fraudulent?
28
Case Study 2: Charters
Resource: Bakers’ Charter, 1347
Activity one:
• Discuss and make a list of your own class or
school rules.
• Discuss how you will illustrate it.
• Show details of the Baker’s Charter to the
class. Ask the children to decide if they will
illustrate the rule, the outcome of following
the rule, or a punishment?
• Create a charter with illustrations. The
handwriting style could be similar to the
charter’s style.
Activity two:
• Read with the class a contemporary
newspaper account covering the behaviour
of young people in the centre of Bristol late
at night.
• As a class discuss implementing a curfew on
Bristol today. Should we have cages? How
do we punish people today? Are fines and
imprisonment effective?
• Ask the children to create Illustrations of
suitable punishments e.g.cleaning up the
streets and curfew.
Activity three:
• As a class look at the symbolism used today
for rules i.e. driving rules, street signs etc.
• Ask the children to illustrate a set of rules
e.g.
Eating at the table.
Playing in the playground.
Behaviour in the classroom.
29
Plenary:
Discuss the following with the children:
• Why do we need laws, rules and regulations?
• Would it be o.k. for people to do their own
thing?
• Do you establish rules within your own
friendship groups?
• What happens if you break these rules? How
do you punish each other? Do you not talk to
each other?
Transcript 2: Charters
Resource: Edward III charter, 24th April 1347
(commonly called the ‘Bakers’ charter)
Edward, by the Grace of God, King of England
and France and Lord of Ireland, to all to whom
the present letters shall come, greeting.
Whereas, as we have heard, very many evildoers and disturbers of our peace in the town of
Bristol wander and run about by day and night
perpetrating in divers ways damages, evil-doings
and excesses to the men of those parts, to the no
small terror of our people in the same place and
to the manifest breach of our said peace. We,
desiring our peace in the town aforesaid, as in
other places of our realm of England, firmly to
be observed, and willing the disturbers and
violaters of our same peace to be duly punished,
as is right, have granted for us and our heirs to
our beloved Mayor, Baliffs and worthy men of
the said town of Bristol that they shall be able to
make anew one cage for prisoners within the
town aforesaid and to have and to hold that for
themselves and their successors for ever, to
imprison in the same such evil-doers and
disturbers of our peace, if it shall happen that
any be found in the same place wandering by
night, in the same manner and as is used in our
city of London. We have granted, also, for us and
our heirs to the same Mayor, Baliffs and worthy
men that they and their successors aforesaid for
the better keeping of the assize of bread to be
made in the town aforesaid henceforth shall be
able to inflict the following punishment on
bakers breaking that assize in the same place,
namely, to draw such bakers, delinquents against
that assize, upon hurdles through the streets of
the town aforesaid and otherwise to chastise
them as in our said city of London is similarly
used for such bakers. In witness whereof we
have caused these our letters to be made patent.
Witness: Lionel, our very dear son, Keeper of
England, at Reading on the twenty-fourth day of
April in the twenty-first year or our reign of
England but in the eighth of our reign of France.
By writ of privy seal
30
Investigation 3: Paintings 1
Resource: St. James’ Fair
Date of resource: 1824
Artist: Samuel Colman
Resource located: Bristol City
Museum and Art Gallery
CD Image: St James’ Fair. Grant for
St. James’ Fair
Description of resource:
This painting depicts St. James’ Fair held near St.
James’ Church, the Horsefair, Bristol, currently
the site of House of Fraser, Broadmead. The fair
was established by a grant given by William of
Gloucester in 1174 (see CD Rom). By the 13th
century it was already an annual commercial
attraction for business, charlatans and gangs
known as ‘les homes pied poudre’.
The fair remained an important annual
market until the 18th century and a court of
justice called ‘pied poudre’ (the court of dusty
feet) was held in Bristol to settle disputes
between the fairgoers of no fixed abode. Even
when the court no longer sat, the traditional
ceremony to declare the court open continued
until 1971 outside the Stag and Hounds in Old
Market Street.
Colman’s image was obviously painted after
the fair had closed and so is an imaginary scene.
The location, buildings and church in the
background, however, are real. People from a
variety of social classes are depicted but the
image goes further than merely describing the
fair. Colman has used this painting to highlight
many political and social concerns of the day.
The painting is divided into two distinct halves; a
‘tidy’ good half and an ‘untidy’ bad half.
Why paintings are useful for a local
history study
Local history paintings are a valuable resource
for the study of a location or event from the
past. They can tell us much about a particular
societies beliefs and attitudes and they enable us
to build up a picture of all aspects of life
including social, economic, industrial and rural.
Local history pictures can bring to life historical
events and help us to understand changes which
have occurred in the area.
Paintings should be understood in the context
in which they were produced. This may have an
effect on the reliability of the resource as a
factual piece of historical evidence.
Techniques and questions for
analysing paintings
1. Count or list particular elements of the
painting e.g. animals or children, games,
forms of entertainment etc.
2. Write down how many sounds and smells are
evident in the painting.
3. Decide what the painting is describing.
4. Decide who is the most important person
in the painting and why. This may be
because the person is placed in the centre, is
directly lit, is painted in colours which draw
the eye etc.
5. Using a contemporary photograph of the
same location, compare and contrast the
photograph and painting to find what still
remains and what has been lost.
6. Using contemporary images of a similar
event /situation, compare and contrast the
contemporary image with the scene in the
painting to identify similarities and
differences. What can the painting tell us
about the event/situation in the past from
this evidence?
7. What can we tell about the status of the
people in the painting? What clues are there
to help us decide if they are rich or poor, for
example?
8. How reliable is the painting as a piece of
evidence? Consider if the scene actually
exists or if it has been altered/manipulated
in some way. Are people standing naturally
in groups? Is the composition of the picture
too ordered to be real? Is nature too ordered
to be real? Why would the artist do this?
9. Who do you think the painting was made for
and for what purpose?
10. Is there anything more you want to know
about the painting that you cannot find out
from just looking? Where could you find this
information?
31
Case Study 3: Paintings 1
Resource: St. James’ Fair
Location of resource: Bristol City Museum & Art Gallery
CD Image: St James’ Fair, photographs of Broadmead
Description:
Support materials:
See paintings investigation.
Not required.
Key vocabulary:
Contemporary, accurate.
Lesson plan: Hoefnagle’s map of Bristol, 1581
Outcome of lesson: Children will discover how a popular city centre
location appeared and was used in the past. Children will also have the
opportunity to increase historical enquiry and evaluation skills.
Class management:
Introduction:
Activity one: in pairs, Activity two: small groups,
Activity three: individual and small group work.
Ask the children the following questions about
the painting:
• What do you think this painting is about?
• Why do you think the artist painted it?
• Who do you think is the most important
person in the painting and why?
• Is the painting a view of present day Bristol or
of Bristol in the past? How can you tell?
Preparation:
You will need:
• 2 copies of the St. James’ Fair painting and the
photographs of Broadmead for each small
group.
• Paper and pencils for each child.
32
Case Study 3: Paintings 1
Resource: St. James’ Fair
Activity one:
• In pairs, ask the children to look very closely
at the painting and make a list of all the
activities taking place.
• Ask the children to produce quiz questions
based on their findings and then choose the
most useful questions from their list.
• Ask children to swap their selected questions
with another pair and undertake the quiz.
Activity two:
• Ask the children to compare the painting
with a contemporary image of the same
location. What similarities and what
differences can they find?
• Ask the children to organise the information
into a chart and feedback their findings.
• As a class, create a similarities and
differences chart.
Plenary:
Discuss with the children:
• What features (natural and man-made) in the
painting are likely to remain today.
• How the location has changed, what the
location may have looked like in the
intervening years and what the children think
the area may look like in the future.
• Visits to contemporary fairs and markets. Ask
the children how the fair in the painting differs
from fairs and markets today.
• At the end of the session ask the children to
evaluate the usefulness of using this painting
as a local history resource. Which elements of
the painting did they think were accurate and
which exaggerated?
Activity three:
• Ask the children to create a short piece of
descriptive writing about either the
paintings or the photographs. Encourage the
children to include auditory descriptions and
smells, descriptions of clothing, transport,
buildings etc.
• Using all the information they have gathered,
ask the children to create a ‘soundscape’
based on the sounds associated with either
the painting or the photographs.
33
Case Study 3: Paintings 2
Resource: Broad Quay, attributed to Philip Vandyke,
c.1780
Location of resource: Bristol City Museum & Art Gallery
CD Image: Broad Quay, c. 1780
Description:
This image shows the busy Broad Quay (the
centre of Bristol, opposite the Hippodrome).
St Mark’s Chapel is on the left, and St Michael’s
Church is on the hill in the distance. Bristol had
been an important city and port since the
medieval period, and the shipping (possibly
Brigantine’s) on the river reflects the large
amount of trade into and out of the docks. The
image shows a dockside crane, for loading and
unloading the ships. The sled being used for
carrying merchandise was peculiar to Bristol:
wheeled vehicles were not allowed in the streets
of the old city in case of damage to the storage
cellars just beneath the roads and pavements.
The image shows a variety of Bristol people,
from wealthy merchants and rich ladies to
working men and servants.
Key vocabulary:
Quay, merchant, servant, brigantine (a two
masted, square sailed ship).
Support materials:
Not required.
Lesson plan: Hoefnagle’s map of Bristol, 1581
Outcome of lesson: Children will produce artwork in response to their
interpretation of the painting. They will gain an understanding of Bristol
society and the port of Bristol in the 18th century. Children will learn
historical interpretation and analysis skills.
Class management:
Introduction:
Activity one: small groups, Activity two: small
group/individual work, Activity three: small
groups.
Ask the children the following questions about
the painting:
• What do you think this painting is about?
• Why do you think the artist painted it?
• Is the painting a view of present day Bristol or
of Bristol in the past? How can you tell?
Preparation:
You will need:
• art materials.
• You may wish to take the children to the
location depicted in the painting to look at the
changes that have occurred.
34
Case Study 3: Paintings 2
Resource: Broad Quay, attributed to Philip Vandyke,
c.1780
Activity one:
Activity three:
• Ask the children to look carefully at the
painting.
• Ask the children to identify the different
people in the image e.g.
merchants
servants
rich ladies/men
ship owners
shop keepers
crane operators
Workers
• Discuss with the children if they think
anyone is missing from the painting.
• Ask the children to choose 3 sets of
characters from the painting and discuss
what their characters might be thinking or
talking about.
• Ask the children to provide speech bubbles
for their characters.
• Ask the children to feedback their ideas
to the class.
• Explain to the children that the painting is
a ‘moment in time’ and ask them to imagine
what happened next.
• Ask the children to produce a piece of
collaborative artwork visualising the next
scene.
Activity two:
Plenary:
Ask the children to present their visualisations
and create a display of the artwork
Discuss the following questions with the
children:
• How would Bristol benefit from being a port?
• If the children were 18th century shopkeepers
in Bristol what would they sell?
• Would the port be a safe place for children to
play?
• Which character from the painting would they
like to be and why?
• Which elements of the painting do they think
really existed?
• What have they found out about Bristol in the
past?
• Are paintings a reliable local history resource?
• Discuss with the children what type of ships
are in the harbour and how they were
powered.
• Ask the children to imagine they are going
on a long voyage in a sailing ship. Explain
that sailing ships were often at sea for
several weeks before putting into port.
• Ask the children to think about and list all
the things they would need on board ship
e.g. food, water, ale, plates and drinking
vessels, lighting, clothes, rope, sails, medical
supplies etc.
• Ask the children to look carefully at the
shopfronts in the painting and design a
window display of the goods they would
take with them on their voyage.
35
Investigation 4: Wills and Inventories
Resource: Will of Jane Compane of St Steven’s
parish, Bristol, a widow
Date of resource: 16th April 1574
Author: Jane Compane
Resource located: Bristol Record
Office
CD Image: Will of Jane Compane
Description of resource:
The example given is the will of a woman, Jane
Compane. Very few women left wills and those
that did were usually widows. Married women
had no legal rights over property, all their
property became their husbands on their
marriage and spinsters had very little to leave.
Why wills and inventories are useful
for a local history study
Wills were documents created by a person before
they died to explain how they wanted their
property to be disposed of after their death. One
or more people would be named as ‘executors’
to arrange for the property to be dealt with
according to the wishes of the deceased person.
Executors were usually close family members, but
could also be friends, neighbours or solicitors.
The will would be signed by the person, known
as the ‘testator’ and also witnessed by at least
two people to prevent forgery. Some wills may
be written in Latin.
Wills are useful because they help us to find
out about people who lived during a given
period. We can find out about when they died,
where they lived, their status or trade, and
sometimes about how they lived. They can also
tell us what family they had. Many wills of this
period also had inventories with them.
An inventory was a list of all movable goods,
clothes, valuables, crops and animals that a
person owned. These would be recorded by the
executors and are often very detailed and carried
out room by room in the person’s home. The
inventory would also give a value for each item
and a total value for the whole estate. Inventories
were taken during the 16th – 18th centuries, the
earlier ones contain much more detail.
Techniques and questions for
analysing wills and Inventories
1. Read the will carefully (in the classroom it
may be useful to read the will to the class).
The language used in wills is different to
today and may need some explanation. Wills
follow a standard format and this has
changed little over the years. Early wills
would begin ‘In the name of God Amen’ and
the testator would then commit their soul to
God or Christ and give details of how their
body was to be buried.
2. Make a list of the bequests. Sometimes these
would begin with a bequest to a church or
charity, followed by members of the testator’s
family or household servants. The executor
would also be named and sometimes a list of
debts to be paid or money owed would be
included.
3. Highlight words that are spelt differently
today. Spelling was not standardised until
very recently and words were written how
they sounded.
4. Look for clues within the will and highlight
phrases which tell you about the person.
5. If there is an inventory room by room try and
reconstruct the house. Note how the rooms
are named differently and their uses are
different to today.
6. Note the different spelling of names and
surnames. Why might this occur? Are the
names of members of the same family spelt
differently?
7. Research the meaning of selected words i.e.
cassock, chattels, goodwife, parysse.
Cassock – a loose garment, often without
sides or sleeves but may be tied at the waist.
Chattels – belongings
Parysse – parish
8. Use a map as near to the time as possible to
find buildings, places etc. recorded in the will.
9. Discuss the monetary terms used. Explain why
the will refers to s=shillings and d=pence.
36
Transcript 4: Wills and Inventories
Resource: Will of Jane Compane of St Steven’s
parish, Bristol, a widow
Transcript of the will of Jane Compane
The 16th day of Aprill anno 1574
In the name of God Amen the day & year above
written I Jane Compane als Fyanne of the parishe
of St Stevene in the Citie of Bristowe wydowe
make this my last wyll & testament as followeth
first I bequeath my soule unto the hands my
heavenly father in meritte of the most paynfull
passion precious deathe & Bloudshed of my lord
& saviour Jesus Christe Amen. And my bodye to
be buryed in Christian buryall in Church or
Churchyard at the wyll & discresion of Thomas
Vyan my sonne.
Item I gyve & bequeath to the reparyrying of
St Stevens Churche 3s 4d, Item I gyve & bequeath
to the relieffe of the poore in St Stevens parysse
6s 8d to be distrubrited by the discrescion of the
church wardens. Item I gyve & bequeath to
Kateryn my servant 3s 8d Item I gyve & bequeath
to Alice my servant my cassocke that I used to
weare overmoste on the workyng days Item I
gyve & bequeath to Margery Hopkins my cassock
that I used to wear under my said cassock
All the reste of my goodes & chatells not
given or bequeathed I gyve & bequeath to my
sonne Thomas Vyan whome I make my executor
to Receyve & pay my detts.
My detts
Item I owe to Thomas 4s
Det owing to me
Item the goodwife Reade owes me 4s
Witnesses hereof: John Knyght, Clerk, Nicholas
Woulffe with others
37
Vocabulary for Jane Compane’s will
Cassock – item of clothing, (Dutch cloak, cassack,
casaque, ropilla) – many forms of this garment
both for men and women. Basically a loose
garment, often without sides of sleeves but may
be tied at the waist. Probably worn for comfort
and work.
Parysse – parish
Discresion – discretion
Case Study 4: Wills and Inventories
Resource: Will and Inventory of Harry May, 1573
Location of resource: Bristol Record Office
CD Image: Will and inventory of Harry May
Description of resource:
This will describes the home of an ordinary Tudor
man, Harry May, who lived in St. Nicholas, Bristol
and was a sailor.
deathbed. Executor, executrix – those who deal
with the will, deceased, testament,
administration. Proved – in court before being
dealt with.
Key vocabulary:
Support materials:
Testator – a witness and someone who signed
the will, nuncupative – oral or spoken. Usually
used when describing a will dictated on the
• Pictures of Tudor town houses.
• Pictures inside Tudor houses that could help
identify Tudor furniture.
Lesson plan: Hoefnagle’s map of Bristol, 1581
Outcome of lesson: Wills and inventories provide an excellent snapshot
of life. Through examining this will, children will be able to note the
differences and similarities between a Tudor home and their own homes
and have experience of investigating and discussing primary source
material.
Class management:
Introduction:
Activity one: whole class, Activity two: small
groups, Activity three: individual work.
Discuss with the children the old style currency
and language.
Explain to the children that this particular
will is rather briefer than most, partly because
it is a nuncupative will, that is one spoken by
the deceased. Such a will is not signed but is
validated by the witnesses swearing to its
authenticity before the courts. Although not
particularly informative, this will, in quoting
Harry May’s actual words, gives us a rare insight
into how the Elizabethans actually expressed
themselves verbally; something which is all too
often missing from formal documents such as
title deeds.
When looking at the actual will, explain that
the text following the word Probatum is in Latin
and is called the probate; it simply records what
took place at the church court - it does have one
particular use for genealogists though, since the
testator certainly died between the date of
making the will and the date of probate.
Preparation:
You will need:
• Pencils and paper for each child
• 2 copies of the will and inventory of Harry May,
per group.
38
Case Study 4: Wills and Inventories
Resource: Will and Inventory of Harry May, 1573
Activity one:
Plenary:
With the children, read the will and first
sentence of the inventory describing Harry.
Note the spellings and grammar. Ask the
children to highlight the clues which tell you
about Harry May.
Ask the children to find out
• When he was alive
• When he died and where he lived
• What he did
• If he was well when he made the will
• Who was his wife?
Discuss the following issues:
• Do you think Harry was rich?
• Is £7 a lot for his clothes? Compare this with
the cost of linen and other items.
• Why do you think Harry has so many beds? Did
he have enough linen for them?
• Why do you think there is so little to do with
Harry being a sailor? The Spanish cushions and
silver cups could have been obtained when he
was a sailor.
Activity two:
Provide each group with copies of the will and
inventory transcript and ask them to
investigate a selection of given rooms.
• Ask the children to draw the rooms with the
objects and count out how much each room
was worth.
• As a class decide which room is the most
important and where Harry ate and slept.
The will and inventory was probably written
as the assessors walked through the house.
• Ask the children to reconstruct Harry’s home.
• What is missing from Harry’s home i,e,
books, clocks, items for a sailor?
Activity three:
Ask each child to choose a room from Harry’s
home, i.e. kitchen/sittingroom/bedroom.
Discuss how their homes differ to that of
Harry May:
• Do the rooms have different uses?
• Do you entertain in the same rooms?
• Have the names of the rooms changed?
39
Transcript 4: Wills and Inventories
Resource: Will and Inventory of Harry May, 1573
St. Nicholas, made 9th June 1573,
nuncupative. Proved 25th August
1573.
In the name of god amen memorandum that
one Tewisday the ixth day of June 1573 Harry
May of the parishe of sainte Nicholas in the cittie
& diocese of Bristoll sicke in body but of good
and perfecte memory declared & made his
testament conteyninge therein his last will
(nuncupatively) as followethe First he said, I
knowe I shall nowe dye and not recover and
there is but one way with me And therefore
touchinge my wordly goodes, So it is that I
broughte litle or nothinge to my wyffe Katheryn,
And therfore I will not take or geve any thinge
from her, but do refere all to her discretion - and
make her my executrix these beinge Witnesses
hear unto Edwarde (…) Mariner William
Rawlinges Thomas Brytaine, William Tyrer and
Jane Here.
Administration granted to wife Katherine
executrix.
Inventory of the goodes of Harry Maye
(alias Henry Patch), Sailor, City of
Bristol. 1573
In the buttry
a bedd of flocke with a bedsteede
and all his appurtenances
a garnishe of pewter vessell
2 coffers
Summa
10
30
3
2 3
In the hall
2 tableboords with 2 formes
a forme and a chiere
Summa
12
1 4
13 4
In the forechamber
4 fether beds & a flock bedd with
hangings and bedsteeds for 2 of them 4 10
a Tableborde with an old carpet & the
stayned clothes
10
Summa
5
In the nexte chamber
afore streate
2 standing bedsteads with 2 flock
bedds and their appurtenances
40
a tableborde with a carpet & 2 formes
2
the stained clothes in the same
in the same chamber
2
Summa
2 4
In one hier chamber
An Inventory of the goods and cattels and
ymplements of houshold stuffe of Harry Maye
late of the cittie of Bristol sayler deceased the
xxiiiith (24th) day of August 1573 and praysed.
In the parlour
a feather bed with linen
a table borde with
5 coffers in the same place
a square sideboorde with a chaier
2 andirons in the chiymny and a slice
a forme in the same place
the hangings in the same parlour
the Spanishes quisshins
Summa (sum)
£ s d
20
2 6
10
2
6
1
5
1
47 6
4 flock bedds with thappurtnances
30
In one other chamber
2 flock bedds with their appurtenances
23 4
Summa
2 3 4
In the chamber over the parlour
4 flock beds with steeds and other
their appurtenances
Summa
53 4
2 13 4
In the kitchen
7 crocks a posnett & 2 pankins
30
3 pannes of brasse & 3 cawdrons
30
2 chafin disshes of brasse & 2 skimers
5
2 rackss & a paire of dogs a paire of
tongs and 5 paire of pott hooks
13 4
5 broches & 2 dripping panes
6 8
A gridiron & a fleshe hooke
1
Summa
4
6
40
Transcript 4: Wills and Inventories
Resource: Will and Inventory of Harry May, 1573
£ s d
In the paviament
3 thousand of cornishe tyle
2 barges 2 rowks & 2 pailes
Summa
12
5
17
In the shoppe
A hogshead of vinegar
Potts & panes of earth & matts
A greate chest
Summa
8
8
2
8
Lynnen
24 paire of sheets praysed at
12 tableclothes at
4 dozen of napkins
12 towells
5 bread napkins
2 pilloweberes
Summa
His apperel
2 cuppes covered with silver
Summa
Summa totalis (total sum)
41
5
40
8
7
30
20
10 5
7
20
8
41 10 6
An inventory is a valuation of all the goods of
the deceased. It was carried out only for movable
property, land and houses etc would only be
mentioned in the will itself. It is very useful in
discovering how people lived and what sort of
things they kept in their houses. It was usually
done for each room in a house and would
include all the beds, linen, cooking utensils and
even the dead person’s clothes. In the case of
farms all the animals, harvested crops, hay, and
farm equipment would also be listed. Harry
May’s will is interesting because it is very
detailed and includes items such as Spanish
cushions, and cups covered with silver, perhaps
obtained when he was at sea.
Harry May’s will and inventory
Nuncupative – oral or spoken – usually used in
when describing a will dictated on the death
bed.
Table board – either board which lies on a trestle
to make a table or a complete table.
Forme – benches.
Chiere – chair.
Carpet – more like a heavy tablecloth than a
carpet as we know it.
Investigation 5: Accounts
Resource: Jacob’s Wells Theatre Account Book
Date of resource: 1741 – 1748
Author: not known
Resource located: Bristol Reference
Library
CD Image: Jacob’s Wells Theatre
Account book
Description of resource:
The example shown is an account for a
production of ‘As you like it’, by William
Shakespeare. It shows the costs of the materials
used and the salaries of the theatre staff. It also
helps us to understand how the theatre was run.
This play was produced at Jacob’s Wells
Theatre, of which little is known, except that it
was founded circa, 1736 and was situated near
the bottom of Jacob’s Wells Road.
Why accounts are useful for a local
history study
Accounts are the financial records of a business,
an individual, or an organisation. They help us to
understand how that organisation worked and
provide an insight into the lives of individuals.
They are also a useful source to find out how
people spent their money and how much things
cost at the time.
Techniques and questions for
analysing accounts
1. Try to date the document. Consider what
evidence you would use to help you if the
date was not on the document? Would
handwriting provide any clues? Do the
articles listed help in dating the accounts?
2. List the articles and investigate what they
are. Find examples to draw and explain their
use.
3. Most of the documents will be in old money,
which is difficult but not impossible to tally.
Various tasks can be set up to investigate
amount, profit, comparisons of cost and
value.
4. Consider why it might be useful to keep a
set of accounts.
5. Consider who might keep a set of accounts.
6. What skills would an accountant need?
7. Consider how accounts are kept today. Are
there any benefits to using a computerised
system rather than a handwritten book?
8. Cost a similar contemporary event or list and
compare prices. What would you include
today that is not evident in the original set of
accounts? What are the reasons for this?
9. Analyse the information to evaluate whether
a profit or a loss was made.
42
Case Study 5: Accounts
Resource: The Great Audit Book for Bristol, 1574
Location of resource: Bristol Record Office
CD Image: The Great Audit Book for Bristol, 1574
Description:
Extract relating to the visit of Queen Elizabeth I
in 1574. During 1574 Queen Elizabeth toured the
western counties of England. On 14th August
she arrived in Bristol. This extract from the city
account book records some of the expenses the
visit generated. She and her royal party were
lavishly entertained by the city. She stayed at the
newly-built ‘Great House’ of John Young,
gentleman, who was knighted for his hospitality.
This house stood on St. Augustine’s Back,
occupying the grounds of the former Carmelite
friary on the site of the present Colston Hall.
Support materials:
• A picture of Queen Elizabeth on tour.
• Millerd’s map of Bristol.
Lesson plan: Hoefnagle’s map of Bristol, 1581
Outcome of lesson: The royal tours of the kings and queens were very
much a part of courtly life and can be included within a topic on the
Tudors. This extract will highlight how costly these events were for
townsfolk or noblemen. The extract also gives some insight into the
kinds of entertainment a Tudor Royal would expect.
Class management:
Introduction:
Activity one: small groups, Activity two:
individual work, Activity three: small groups.
Discuss with the children the visit of Queen
Elizabeth I to Bristol, as described above.
Preparation:
You will need:
Paper and pencils for all children, one copy of
the Great Audit Book (you will need more copies
if undertaking this activity in small groups), 5-6
copies of Millerd’s map, 5 – 6 copies of the
description of the entertainment.
43
Case Study 5: Accounts
Resource: The Great Audit Book for Bristol, 1574
Activity one:
• Read and discuss the transcript of the Great
Audit Book with the children together with
the glossary n.b. the transcript could be split
between groups and interpreted separately.
• Explain the money £sd (pounds, shillings and
pence) to the children.
• Ask the children to work out how much the
event would have cost. Explain that this is
an extract. The actual total amount was
£1050.00
Plenary:
• Either watch an event attended by Queen
Elizabeth II today or look at a newspaper
report.
• Discuss why our royalty still travel, both around
Britain and abroad. Older children may like to
consider the use of these tours.
• Initiate such questions as the cost, who pays
and who does the work.
• Discuss what preparations you would make for
a trip from royalty to your school.
Activity two:
• Discuss with the children what it would have
been like to be at the event.
• Provide the children with a description of the
entertainment.
• Ask the children to write an account or a
journalist’s report. The journalist would want
to record the event favourably for the Queen
and include a picture.
• The accounts could be developed into a front
page spread with added features i.e.
interviews with eyewitnesses, workmen
preparing for the tour, John Young, adverts
etc.
Activity three:
• Ask the children to locate the sites
mentioned in the description on Millerd’s
map; The Great House, Lawford’s Gate,
Newgate, High Cross, Frome Gate, St
Augustine’s Back, the Marsh.
• Ask the children to highlight the areas and
suggest the route taken by Queen Elizabeth I.
44
Visit 5: Accounts
Resource: The Great Audit Book – The visit of Queen
Elizabeth I in 1574
Transcript
On Saturday the 24th August the Queen was
met at Lawford’s Gate by the Mayor and the
Common Council. The Mayor presented the gilt
mace to her majesty who handed it back. Mr
John Popham esq., Recorder of the city made an
oration, while the Mayor knelt. The Mayor then
presented the Queen with a purse wrought with
silver and gold having a hundred pounds in gold.
After which the Mayor and the Queen’s party
rode through the town to the house of John
Young. On the following Saturday morning the
Queen created 5 knights: Sir John Young, Sir
Ritchard Barkeley, Mr Tracie, Sir Thomas Porter
and Sir William Morgan.
During her stay a mock battle was laid on
with 400 men. Two forts were created for the
event, a large one at Trenemill Mead and a
smaller on the next hill, which were attacked
during the battle.
Thomas Churchyard, a poet author and
former soldier, was employed to devise and
supervise the entertainments and to write
numerous orations for the Queen.
45
Transcript 5: Accounts
Resource: The Great Audit Book – The account of the
entertainment for Queen Elizabeth I in 1574
The Charges of the Queens Maiesties
enterteignement to the citie of Bristoll
as folowith.
In primis pd. For charges of gilting & paynting
the highe Crosse and making newe benchys by
thaccompt
lxvjli.xiijs.vijd
Item pd. for rowgh casting & playsring of lafores
gate on both sides, Newgate and bothe the
frowme gates on both sides and for setting up of
scaffolds & taking down the same as by
thaccompt
ixli.vjs.jd.
Item pd. for paynting and gildying the said gates
pd. Jo. Phyppes and Jo. Kirry paynters
xxxviijli.xiijs.iiij.
Item pd. for pitching the streets as apt by
thaccompt
iijli.xviijs.xd.
Item pd. for setting up the Quenes Armes & the
townes Armes in frestone in the yeld hall wall
xli.xiiijs.id.
Item pd. for setting up a Scaffold at the highe
crosse for the Oracion
viijs.iijd.
Item pd. for rowghe casting the walles of the
yeld hall withowt and washing within the hall
vli.viijs.xyd.
Item for setting up a gallery in the marsh for the
Quenes maiestie to se the triumphes
xixili.iiijs.iijd.
Item pd. to the lighter men that browght 53
lighters of sand for the streets
vjli.xixs.xd
Item pd. to MrJohn Brown for charges of
drumme players and for capps for souldiors as by
his accomt
xxvli.js.
Item pd. to Henry Roberts for cappe, vitayles &
drynck for souldors
vjli.viiijd.
Item pd. to Robert Robynson for xxvj c 36lbs of
corne & serpentine powder at 13d per lb
1Cxlijli.xvs.viijd.
Item pd. tp Mr Richard Cole for lockeram and
canvas 230 yardes & 13 ells for souldiors
dublettes
xiijli.viijs.vjd.
Item pd. to Mr Kelke for 200 Angelettes that he
presented to the Quenes maiestie
jCli
Item pd. to the Raker for haling 35dd fates of
sand owt of the streets after her maiestie was
gone
iijli.xs.
Summa totalis of all the charges of the Quenes
Maiesties enterteingnement
1mliiijli.xiiijs.xjd.
Item pd. for riding to the Court to wyndsor and
sending for captaigne Shute
iiijli.xvs.
Item pd. for the purse of gold, sylever and silk
wherein the 200 angelettes was presented jli.xijs.
Item pd. for sandying the marshe, rerying of the
growndes and levelying the way
viijli.xs.iid
Item pd. for setting up postes and rales &
sanding the way at St. Austens Back vijli.js.vijd.
46
Glossary 5: Accounts
Resource: The Great Audit Book for Bristol, 1574
Accompt
account
Pitch
boiled tar
Angelette
a gold coin worth 10s
rales
rails
Corn powder
type of powder used to
fire guns
rerying
? mistranscribed, could be
rel(a)ying
Doublette
a type of sleeveless jacket
Serpentine
powder
Ell
measurement of cloth
originally the length of Henry I’s
arm (45), arm’s length could
vary 27 – 54 inches
form of powder used for
firing guns
A serpentine was a cannon
Summa totalis
Latin for total sum
Thaccompt
short for ‘the account’
(2 words run together)
triumphs
battles
Vitals
food
Fattes
tubs or vat-barrels
Freestone
any kind of stone that can be
sawn or worked freely without
breaking, usually limestone or
sandstone
Lighter
a flat bottomed barge used for
transport in dockyards
Lockeram
a coarse type of linen cloth
Oracon
oration or speech
47
Investigation 6: Tombstones
Resource: Tomb of Walter Frampton
Date of resource: late 1300’s
Maker: not known
Resource located: Tomb in St John
the Baptist church, Broad Street,
Bristol
CD Image: Tomb of Walter
Frampton
Description of resource:
This tomb is of Water Frampton who was
founder of St John the Baptist church and three
times mayor of Bristol. He died in 1388. This
memorial tomb is located on the north side of
the chancel, to the left of the altar. The top of
the tomb has a sculpted figure of Frampton,
lying horizontally. He has a small moustache and
divided beard and is wearing a long tunic,
buttoned up at the front and a small, narrow
civilian sword. His feet are resting on a hound,
which represents courage, and his head is on a
pillow, supported by two angels. The stone body
is lying on a stone plinth which is decorated with
several brightly coloured shields.
School visits to the St John the Baptist church
and the tomb can be arranged through the
Churches Conservation Trust. Contact Linda
Oliver on 0117 9279966 for details.
Why tombstones are useful for a local
history study
Through investigating a range of factors
including style, materials available, technological
processes, religion and status, tombstones can
help us to understand how people lived their
lives in the past. Tombstones enable us to build
up a picture of all aspects of life including social,
economic and spiritual.
Techniques and questions for
analysing tombstones
1. What do you think it feels like to touch the
tombstone?
2. What materials do you think the tombstone
is made from?
3. Is the tombstone damaged or well
preserved? Why?
4. What type of person do you think was
buried in this tomb?
5. Who is the tombstone important to and
why? eg. friends and family, Bristol people,
members of the church, historians?
6. Was it easy to make this tombstone? Why?
7. What craftsmen were used to make the
tombstone?
8. Was this an expensive tombstone to make?
Why?
9. Was the owner of the tombstone an
important person? Why?
10. Was the person buried here a wealthy
person? Why?
11. Consider why it is important to remember
someone when they have died? How would
you like people to remember you?
12. Look for carvings on the tomb (Walter
Framptons’ tomb is decorated with a hound
and two angels). If you were to design your
own tombstone, what would you have
carved on it? How would those things
represent your character/likes/dislikes.
13. If an alien arrived from space, how would
they explain what this tombstone was for?
48
Case Study 6: Tombstones
Resource: Tomb of Rajah Rammohun Roy
Location of resource: Arnos Vale cemetery, Brislington, Bristol
CD Image: Tomb of Rajah Rammohun Roy
Description:
Key vocabulary:
This grade two listed ‘chattri’ is an ornate
memorial to ‘the founder of modern India’.
Made of Bath stone and standing on a large
square platform, it houses the body of this
important Indian ambassador, political and
educational advisor and campaigner, who died of
meningitis in 1833 on a visit to Bristol. He
campaigned for women’s rights in India, edited
and printed newspapers and fought the Indian
government to keep the freedom of the press.
He became a wealthy man, but used much of his
wealth to support social or religious causes. The
tomb was designed by William Princep and
replaced the Rajah’s original burial place in the
grounds of Beech House, Stapleton.
Chattri – funeral monument and grave.
Support materials:
• Information sheets on the Rajah Rammohun
Roy and his tombstone, available from the
Friends of Arnos Vale Cemetery.
• Access to the internet/history books/CD-ROMs
to research boats/travel in the 1880’s e.g.
pictures from the 19th century at the National
Maritime Museum.
www.nmm.ac.uk/collections/explore/index.cfm
/ category/art.
• Visit www.rammohunmemorial-india.org or
www.favc.freeserve.co.uk for more
background information on the Rajah.
Lesson plan: Hoefnagle’s map of Bristol, 1581
Outcome of lesson: Children will produce art work and thoughtful
literacy and citizenship work inspired by the life and burial of an
inspirational character from history who was buried in the local area.
Class management:
Introduction:
Organise the class into three groups. Each group
rotates through all three activities. The activities
can be expanded to create three separate
lessons.
Ask the children the following questions about
the tomb:
• What do you think it feels like to touch?
• Is it damaged or well preserved?
• What type of person do you think is buried in
this tomb?
• What craftsmen do you think were involved in
the making of the tomb? Do you think it was
expensive to build? Do you think it was easy to
build? Why?
• Do you like the design of the tomb? Why?
Preparation:
You will need:
• Drawing/art and writing materials for each
child.
• You will need to discuss the ideas of burial and
tombstones with the children. Why do we have
them? What purpose do they serve? What do
the children feel about them?
49
Case Study 6: Tombstones
Resource: Tomb of Rajah Rammohun Roy
Activity one:
Activity three:
• Explain to the children that the design of the
tomb represents temples from Rammohun’s
homeland of India.
• Ask the children to identify a hero –
someone they admire and who has done
some special things in their lifetime.
• Ask the children to design a tomb for their
hero. The style of it must reflect something
about that person e.g.: their character, job or
a special achievement.
• This activity could be extended by asking the
children to make models of their designs.
• Explain to the children that Rajah
Rammohum Roy travelled to Britain by boat
in 1881, on a journey that took 5 months. He
brought with him his son, a cook, a gardener
and two cows!
• Ask the children to use a range of history
books, the internet and CD-ROMs to
investigate what a journey on a ship from
this time would be like. Using this
information ask them to write a diary entry
for the Rajah or one of his servants, during
their time aboard the ship on their long
journey around the cape.
• Ask them to consider what the conditions
would have been like, how they passed the
time on board ship and how they felt about
their journey to a new and unfamiliar
country.
Activity two:
• Explain to the children that Rajah Rammohun
Roy was a very good man who campaigned
in India, for poor children to be able to go to
school and to make schools better places for
children to learn.
• Ask the children to imagine that they are a
headteacher opening a new school. Can they
come up with ten ways to make sure it is a
happy place, where children are able to learn
successfully?
• The rules could be illustrated and used to
create a display.
Plenary:
• At the end of the session ask each group to
present their drawings/rules/diary extract and
give them an opportunity to discuss their
responses to other peoples’ ideas. All three
activities could be used to form a display
within the classroom.
50
Investigation 7: Buildings
Resource: The Granary Building, Welsh Back
Date of resource: Built 1869
Architects: Ponton and Gough
Resource located: Welsh Back,
Bristol Harbourside
CD Image: The Granary Building,
Welsh Back
Description of resource:
This beautiful Victorian building was built in
1869 by Ponton and Gough. It has elements of
Venetian, Moorish and Byzantine architecture
and uses local bricks from the Cattybrook
brickworks in Almondsbury. The bricks are of
three colours; red, black and yellow, which is
typical of the Bristol Byzantine style. It has seven
grain floors, with many patterned ventilation
openings to aid the drying of the grain.
Originally hot air from furnaces in the brick
insulated basements was piped upwards to dry
the grain. The ground floor has round exit holes
for the chutes to release the grain. The basement
and ground floor now form a restaurant and bar
and the remainder of the building is divided into
apartments, with an internal light column to
provide additional natural lighting.
Why buildings are useful for a local
history study
Through investigating a range of factors
including style, materials available, technological
processes, local vernacular features and status,
the style and design of buildings can help us to
understand how people lived their lives in the
past. Buildings can help us build up a picture of
all aspects of life including social, economic,
industrial and agricultural.
Techniques and questions for
analysing buildings
1. What materials do you think it is made from?
2. Is it damaged or well preserved?
3. What type of people do you think used the
building in the past?
4. Do you like the design of the building? Why?
5. Do you think the building was easy to build?
Why?
6. What craftsmen were involved in the design
and construction of the building?
7. Was the building expensive to make? Why?
8. Imagine what it would be like to live/work in
the building. Would the children like to
live/work there? Why?
9. Look for oddities in the building and
consider why they might have been included
in the design e.g. the holes in the Granary
10. Has the building been inspired by a building
from the past? The Granary design is made
up of lots of arches that are similar to those
used at the Coliseum.
11. Has the building changed use? If so, what
other uses has the building had? What
different types of people used the building
during its history?
12. Imagine you are an estate agent who is
trying to sell the building. How would you
describe it?
13. The bricks used in this building were made
just outside Bristol. Consider if using local
materials is useful. Why?
51
Case Study 7: Buildings
Resource: Edward Everard printing works
Location of resource: Broad Street, Bristol City Centre
CD Image: Edward Everard printing works
Description:
Key vocabulary:
Constructed in 1900 – 01 by Henry Williams,
Edward Everard and W.J. Neatby, this building is
Bristol’s best example of the art nouveaux style.
It was built by Henry Williams, but the beautiful
tiled facade was created by W.J.Neatby. The first
floor shows Guthenburg and William Morris.
Morris revived craft printing in the 1880’s and
symbolised the much hoped for partnership of
art and industry - the Arts and Craft movement.
Behind each figure is the typeface which each
man designed and above them is a figure with a
lamp and a mirror, which symbolised Light and
Truth. The local printer who commissioned and
provided the inspiration for the building was
Edward Everard. His name can be seen across the
centre of the building, in the typeface which he
designed.
Art nouveaux – a style of decorative art and
architecture with complex linear designs and
flowing curves
Architecture – the art of designing buildings/the
style and design of buildings
Architect – A person who designs buildings
Support materials:
• access to a website or printed copies of
wallpaper designs by William Morris
• examples of different typefaces or fonts
• access to the internet to research examples of
buildings
• www.cabe.org.org/library
• www.greatbuildings.com
• www.morrissociety.org
• www.lbwf.gov.uk/wmg/home
Lesson plan: Hoefnagle’s map of Bristol, 1581
Outcome of lesson: Children will have produced art and design work
inspired by a local historic building. They will also have experience of
investigating and discussing a specific example of local architecture.
Class management:
Introduction:
Organise the class into three groups. Each group
will rotate through the different activities
Ask the children the following questions about
the printing works:
• What materials is it made from?
• Is it damaged or well preserved?
• What do they think it looks like on the inside?
• Do they like the design of the building? Why?
• Why do the children think there are symbols of
Light and Truth on the printing works? Are
these things important when printing books
and newspapers?
• What craftsmen do they think were involved in
making the building? Do they think it was an
easy building to build? Do they think it was an
expensive building to build? Why?
Preparation:
You will need:
• Plain and squared paper for each child,
drawing materials, lino print materials.
• Children should have discussed the difference
between older and newer buildings and
looked at examples of different building
designs through time.
52
Case Study 7: Buildings
Resource: Edward Everard printing works
Activity one:
• The printing works show that buildings don’t
have to be dull – they can be creative and
interesting.
• Ask the children to list or research on the
internet other examples of interesting and
arty buildings (eg. The work of Gaudi in
Barcelona).
• Ask the children to compare the printing
works with their school building – what are
the differences?
• Finally ask the children to give their school
building an arty makeover – like the printing
works it might include famous people,
symbols and decorative patterns.
Plenary:
• At the end of the session ask each group to
present/feedback their ideas. A display could
be created showing examples of artistic
buildings, the children’s font designs and
examples of their Morris inspired wallpaper
prints.
Activity two:
• William Morris thought that people’s jobs
should be creative and enjoyable. Do the
children agree? Ask the children to list some
examples of jobs that are creative and
interesting.
• Guthenberg was the inventor of printing and
he, Morris, and Everard each designed their
own typeface (font). Using squared paper,
ask the children to produce the alphabet in
their own personal font style, that reflects
something about them as a person.
Activity three:
• William Morris was a very famous designer.
Visit www.morrissociety.org/sanderson.html
and view some of his wallpaper designs.
• Print off some of the designs and ask the
children to use them as inspiration to create
their own simple designs.
• The designs can be traced on to pieces of
floor lino and used for printing.
• Ask the children to create their own
repeating wallpaper patterns using their lino
print and a range of paints.
53
Investigation 8: Diaries
Resource: Allan Gilmour’s diary
Date of resource: 1852
Author: Allan Gilmour
Resource located: ss Great Britain
CD Image: Allan Gilmour’s diary
Description of resource:
This diary was written by Allan Gilmour, a 20
year old who left Glasgow with his father and
brother to travel to the Australian gold diggings
on the ss Great Britain. They were among many
Scots who made the voyage in the hope of
finding prosperity and new opportunities in
Australia.
Allan shared a cramped, ill-lit berth in third
class accommodation. The dissatisfaction of third
class passengers is often mentioned in Allan’s
diary, and was a result of a poor diet and
violence amongst drunken passengers.
As the ship neared Australia, Allan and other
gold prospectors started preparing equipment
for the diggings. Sadly, the Gilmours’ hopes of
finding their fortune were blighted by the death
from dysentery of Allan’s father after the arrival
of the ss Great Britain in Melbourne. Allan and
his brother returned home soon after.
Why diaries are useful for a local
history study
This resource helps children to understand why
people left their local area in the Victorian
period to start new lives in the British Empire.
Diaries help us to understand more about
people, places and events through the private
thoughts of individuals.
Techniques and questions for
analysing diaries
1. Consider why people keep diaries (boredom,
recording interesting experiences, something
to remind them of an event, place or person,
a place to record thoughts that they don’t
want to share with others etc.).
2. Consider what sorts of things people record
in their diaries e.g. passengers on board the
ss Great Britain might have written about
food, entertainment, a description of the ship
and its passengers, the places the ship
passed by, their hopes and fears.
3. Describe what is being recorded in the diary.
What can you tell about a person, place or
event from reading a diary extract?
4. Hot seat the character writing the diary.
5. Consider the handwriting in the diary. Does
this provide any clues as to the period the
diary is from or the status of the person
writing the diary?
6. Consider the language used. What does this
tell us about the person writing the diary?
7. Construct a visual image of the person, place
or event from the description in the diary.
8. Consider why diaries may or may not be a
useful way to find out about the past and
how people lived.
9. Dramatise the people or events mentioned in
the diary. How does this help with the
understanding of the key issues written
about?
10.Consider what you would need to do to find
out more about the diary. Suggest
researching the context of the diary and the
key people/events mentioned in history
books, maps and on the internet.
54
Case Study 8: Diaries
Resource: Thomas Porter’s diary, 1863
Location of resource: ss Great Britain
CD Image: Thomas Porter’s diary 1863
Description:
Support materials:
A diary kept by a first class passenger on board
the ss Great Britain in 1863.
• Encyclopaedias, maps and the Internet to find
out more about Porter’s descriptions.
Key vocabulary:
See glossary attached to transcript of the diary.
Lesson plan: Hoefnagle’s map of Bristol, 1581
Outcome of lesson: Children will create a pictoral time line of a first
class passenger’s experience of life on board the ss Great Britain which
was designed, built and launched by Isambard Kingdom Brunel in Bristol
in 1843.
Class management:
Introduction:
Activity one: small group work, activity two:
whole class, activity three: 9 groups.
• Discuss with the children what a diary is and
why people keep them.
• Explain that the class will be investigating a
diary kept by a Victorian passenger travelling
on the ss Great Britain to Australia in the
1860s.
• Ask what sorts of things the person might have
included in his diary (e.g. food, entertainment,
feelings, hopes etc).
Preparation:
You will need:
• 2 copies of the original diary extract for each
small group. One diary transcript per child.
Sugar paper, pens and pencils for each small
group.
• As a class, visit the ss Great Britain and make
sketches of areas that a first class passenger
such as Porter would have seen on his voyage
(the dining saloon, the weather deck, the first
class cabins).
55
Case Study 8: Diaries
Resource: Thomas Porter’s diary, 1863
Activity one:
Plenary:
Hand out photocopies of the Porter diary to
each group. Explain that it starts half way
through a four month voyage to Australia. Ask
the children to comment on the following:
• How the diary is laid out.
• The handwriting.
• The length of each entry.
• Any information they gather through
reading the diary.
• Collect all the drawings in and peg them to the
class line or stick them to the board.
• As a class, read the story of Mr Porter’s journey
on the ss Great Britain.
• Discuss whether the drawings and story help to
explain the diary. Is anything lost through
creating the story board?
• How useful do the children think the diary is as
a piece of primary evidence?
• What other information sources would be
useful to use alongside the diary?
Activity two:
• Hand out copies of the diary transcripts to
the class.
• Ask each child to take it in turn to read out
loud one day of the diary (from Feb 18th to
April 3rd). Use the glossary to help with
meaning.
• Summarise on the board some of the key
events that happened to Mr Porter.
• Discuss how it compares with what they
expected to find.
Activity three:
• Provide each group with 3 diary entries from
Feb 18th to April 3rd. Hand out sugar paper,
pens and pencils.
• Explain that each group is going to make a
visual representation of their diary extracts.
They can either choose one main event from
the three days, or they can try to show all
three.
• Under the drawing ask them to write a short
description in the third person to describe
the event, e.g. ‘Mr Porter felt very ill on the
ss Great Britain. He took a blue pill’.
56
Transcript 8: Diaries
Resource: Thomas Porter’s diary, 1863. Pages 4 – 6
February 1863
18th
19th
20th
21st
22nd
23rd
24th
25th
26th
27th
28th
29th
Another sick headache. Very seedy .
Blue pill
Still in the Trades2
Getting on pretty well with fair wind.
Sick headache
Subscription ball3 given by the Bachelors
to the ladies. Very nice. Won a picture of
the ‘Great Britain’ in a raffle. Gave it to
Jenny Newton.
Service4 on deck. Wind died away.
First screw5 down.
Passed close to the island of Trinidad6
20-25 south lighted7 at 6am. Passed a
large rock uninhabited at 9. Formerly
a Portuguese convict settlement.
Still going south
Nothing particular
Out of hot weather
Calm – steaming
Steaming8. Afraid shall be short of coals.
1
30th
31st
April 1863
1st
2nd
3rd
March 1863
1st
2nd
3rd
4th
5th
6th
7th
8th
9th
10th
11th
57
No wind. Steaming. Service in saloon9
cold on deck.
Saw several Albatross10. Could not catch.
Going too fast.
Saw other sea birds. Molyhawks, Cape
hens, whale birds and Mother Cary’s
chickens. Getting cold wind-favourable
263 north.
Saw several whales spouting a short
distance off should not recognise one if I
saw him again. Changed our course to East.
Nothing particular. Got some whales
with sword sticks
Saw some whales and sea birds
Favourable wind but light
Wind failed. Got steam up. More whales
seen. Service in saloon.
Very unpleasant wind ahead. Blew hard
in the afternoon. Romance between a
captain and a lady. Caught an albatross.
Very heavy head wind. Quite a gale in
our teeth – drifting seaward. No progress.
Continuation of romance.
Gale continues till noon. Wind drives
round to SW. We near ships and get on
our due course at 12 to 14 knots.
Expectation of getting to Melbourne
on Saturday
Steaming NE, wind aft. Expect to get
in by Friday
Approaching close to Melbourne. Great
excitement – splendid run – Glorious
evening. Moon beautiful. But Gusty.
Split a top-sail11 during the night.
1Seedy
Sighted a vessel early- proved to be the
‘Kent’ 80 days out. Beat her by 26 miles
in 12 hours. We passed her in a gale
when she split her Royal12. Very fine sight.
Gave a testimonial13 to our captain £56.
Grand ball given by Captain Gray. Went
off first rate. Drank his health and had
first rate dancing.
After passing through the necessary
degree of latitude and longitude on
Friday morning April 3rd we sighted
Cape Otway and shortly afterwards
steamed grandly through the heads at
12am dropped anchor off Sandridge
Hudsons Bay and was greeted by Ted
Watson, who came on board as soon as
we were approachable. At 3pm passed
Tigris Cliff Sandy Cliffe wooded with low
scrub down to the beach. Mr Newton
and self safely conveyed by Ted to his
charming residence on South Yarra14.
– ill
– trade winds
3Subscription ball – a ball on the ship that passengers had to
pay to go to.
4Service – a religious ceremony on board
5Screw – the propeller attached to the engine that was used
to drive the ship forward
6Trinidad – Island in the West Indies (An island the ship
passed on its route to Australia)
7Lighted – provided with goods such as food, from smaller
boats, to stock up the ss Great Britain
8Steaming – under steam power, rather than sail.
9Saloon – first class passenger area. The ‘service’ probably
refers to a religious service.
10Albatross – Huge sea bird
11Split a topsail – one of the sails on the ship tore open from
the strong winds.
12Split her Royal – the wind tore open one of the sails on the
main mast
13Testimonial – money given to the captain to show their
thanks for a safe voyage.South
14Yarra – main river running through Melbourne.
2Trades
Investigation 9: Letters
Resource: Letter from Captain Claxton to Brunel
Date of resource: 1853
Author: Captain Claxton
Resource located: ss Great Britain
CD Image: Letter from Captain
Claxton to Brunel
Description of resource:
This letter is from Captain Claxton, managing
director of the Great Western Steam Ship
Company to Brunel. It is a report on the first
voyage of the ss Great Britain as a steam
emigrant clipper, taking passengers to Australia
in 1853. The letter describes the journey from
Liverpool to St Helena (off the west coast of
Africa) where she had to stop to refuel.
Claxton writes about the efficiency of the
engine and the problem of coal shortages on
board. Although by now the ss Great Britain was
no longer owned by Brunel and the Great
Western Steam Ship Company (it had passed to
Gibbs Bright and Co), Brunel was still interested
in how efficient the vessel was, as it was around
this time that he was planning the designs for
the Great Eastern.
This resource helps to explain the history of
the ss Great Britain, the iron steam ship designed
by Brunel and built in Bristol. The letter helps to
reveal the different uses of the ship and
problems associated with her.
Why letters are useful for a local
history study
Techniques and questions for
analysing letters
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
8.
9.
10.
11.
12.
13.
14.
15.
When was the letter written?
Who is it to?
Who is it from?
What is the letter about?
Why was the letter written?
What can you notice about the handwriting
used in the letter? How is it different to
today?
What writing materials have been used?
Read through the letter and underline
which pieces of information are the most
important.
Consider what you would need to do to
find out more about the letter. Suggest
researching the context of the letter and the
key people in the letter (e.g Brunel and
Claxton) in history books, maps and on the
internet.
Consider what the consequences of the
letter might be.
Consider if any action needs to be taken as a
result of the letter?
Hot seat the characters in the letter
Consider how useful and reliable letters are
as primary evidence. What other sources is it
useful to look at alongside letters?
Dramatise the people affected by the letter.
How does this help with the understanding
of the key issues written about?
Visit places mentioned in the letter to help
put the letter in context.
Letters can be both personal and formal. They
can contain information about many different
subjects relating to local history. In the past
letters were a popular and effective means of
communication. They could be used to issue
instructions, communicate thoughts and ideas,
provide clarification or give personal insights
into a person, place or event. Letters can reveal
much about a society and its attitudes.
58
Transcript 9: Letters
Resource: Letter from Captain Claxton to Brunel
Priory Batterie
Jan 13th 53
Capt Claxton on Great Britain’s voyage to Cape
My Dear Brunel
1. The Great Britain took on board from nine
vessels 1440 tones of coal (each vessel
cheating 10 tons perhaps )
2. She bore up on the 29th day out – making
29 days complete
3. The Engineer kept an account of each days
consumption of Fue – Oil – Tallow and by the
return the consumption only reached 40 tons
one day – 39 three or four and was under 30
tons several days the average being 32 tons
per diem (per day) which with 32 tons (a little
over one ton a day) for the Galley brought
the calculated consumption up to the hour of
turning round (in consequence of apprehended
shortness of fuel for accomplishing something
less than 800 miles of the voyage) to 960 tons
and then there should have remained 480
tons!!! instead of which the quantity
estimated as remaining was less than 200 tons
and after allowing 20 tons per diem while
running back five days before a gale or always
high wind proved to be 172 tons only – there
having been measured 72 tons at St Helena
before they began to coal – and wood and
100 tons expended. How are we to account
for the deficiency 308 tons?
I always found taking one time with another
that the Great Western made away with from
8-10 per cent more coal that the engineers
accounted for – Neither on arriving at New York
nor at King Road nor Liverpool were the remains
anything like what they ought to have been by
50 or 60 tons – when we ought by the
expenditure calculation to have found 100 tons
left we found 40 – and after a rapid passage we
never found 100 tons even after starting with
600 and the estimated expenditure under 400
tons 33 – 34 – a 35 tons per diem.
Let us allow ten per cent for
1st short delivery
2nd dirt
3rd dust
59
4th small stuff carried away by the draft
5th clinkers
on say 1300 tons or 130 tons to be taken from
the quantity of 1440 tons which belonged to the
voyage up to the time of bearing up and we are
still deficient 178 tons – which one must add to
the consumption – rather over 6 tons per diem
for the 29 days or 38 tons per diem instead of
the average calculated by the engineers – 32 tons
and by no means an extravagant expenditure
with the Great Britain’s boilers and fire surface –
both so much beyond the old Great Western’s –
while there is no great difference in the
consumption. To be sure there never were the
whole number of boilers at work at the same
time- 5 of her 6 being in use about one fourth
of the time and 4 the other 21 days the pressure
varying between 9 and 12 lbs.
I can make no comparison with distances run.
I suspect Matthews kept sailing with scant winds
and so got farther West than he ought and quite
away from the coast he ought to have hugged as
he was to touch at the cape so as to have taken
advantage of its shelter against the only wind he
had to dread S East – the prevailing one up to 30
S Lat so for comparison let us suppose he had
covered 6000 miles – half that being the New
York voyage.
The time occupied and the coals expended
agree as near as may be with the earlier
performances of the Great Western- but are very
far behind (in the time passed) the Great
Britain’s own performance to and from New York
– doing which 6000 miles she was under 23 days
– the inference to be derived from which fact is
this – that with anything like luck steamers will
make better passages in high and boisterous
latitudes – than in low or light airs and calm
latitudes – and with luck against them worsen !!!
between 23 north and 23 south 46 degrees at
times light airs all ____ 46 degrees!! Not far short
of half the voyage to the Cape is a long distance
for auxiliary screws
Yours truly
C.Claxton
Case Study 9: Letters
Resource: Edward Towle’s letter to ‘dear Mary’ 1852
Location of resource: ss Great Britain
CD Image: Edward Towle’s letter
Description:
merchant, nautical, Cape of Good Hope, St
Helena, steam engine.
A letter that describes a passenger’s voyage to
Australia on the ss Great Britain.
Support materials:
Key vocabulary:
• a class set of world maps.
Australia, transport, melancholy, engineer, log,
Lesson plan: Hoefnagle’s map of Bristol, 1581
Outcome of lesson: Children will understand the value of using letters as
a historical resource. They will understand that steamships were an
innovative form of transport in the Victorian period that enabled people
to travel further and faster than they had before. Children will
empathise with characters from history and be able to interpret
historical events through drama. They will understand about life on
board the Bristol-built ss Great Britain.
Class management:
Introduction:
Activity one: pairs, Activities two and three:
groups of four.
Hand out copies of the original letter and the
maps. Write on the board 5 challenges from the
list below and ask the children to find the
answers by studying the letter.
1.Who is the letter addressed to and who is it
from?
2.Where was it sent from? (Ask the children to
locate where the passenger was writing from
on a blank map. Can they work out the route
the ship was taking to Australia?).
3.Which city did the ss Great Britain leave from?
4.Can you discover why she didn’t leave from
Bristol, where she was built?
5.Find one thing you notice about how the letter
has been written (handwriting, spacing, length
of sentences, tone, written at sea or on land).
Ask the children to feedback their responses.
Preparation:
You will need:
• a copy of the original letter for each child.
• A blank map of the world for each child.
• A set of character cards (either ‘Dinner with
the captain’ or ‘The coal crisis’) for each group.
60
Case Study 9: Letters
Resource: Edward Towle’s letter to ‘dear Mary’ 1852
Activity one:
Hand out the transcripts of the letter. With the
class read through the letter. Stop after each
paragraph and ask the children to underline/
highlight the key information.
Brainstorm with the class the main points from
the letter. For example:
• The ship ran out of coal and had to turn back
to St Helena to re-fuel.
• The passengers were annoyed that their
journey was delayed.
• The writer had dinner with the captain.
Ask the class to suggest which parts of the
letter could be dramatised.
Activity two:
• Explain to the class that they are going to
write and act out 2 key scenes from the
letter: the coal crisis and the dinner with the
captain.
• Divide the class into groups of four and give
half ‘coal crisis’ character cards and half
‘dinner with the captain’ character cards.
• Ask the groups to write a mini scene based
on the characters and the situation.
• Where groups are more confident, they can
create their own characters and improvise
the scene.
Activity three:
• Ask the groups to present their scenes back
to the class.
• An alternative would be to ‘hot-seat’ some
of the characters from the scenes, e.g. a
child/teacher goes into character as the
captain and the class asks him/her questions.
61
Plenary:
Discuss with the children:
• How useful letters are as a historical source?
• What other sources would be useful to look at
alongside the letter? (Diaries, maps,
information about conditions on board
Victorian steam ships).
• Did dramatising the letter help with their
understanding of the letter?
• Would their scenes/hot-seating be a reliable
source of evidence for what happened to
Edward Towle?
Transcript 9: Letters
Resource: Edward Towle’s letter ‘dear Mary’ 1852
As this is the first land we have touched upon
since leaving Liverpool I thought it right to send
a few lines to you to assure you of our own
safety more particularly as we ought now to
have been at the Cape instead of St Helena, the
reason of which I am about to explain to you. It
appears there has been some strange mistake, a
deception in some quarter about the quantity of
coal put on board this ship, it was stated in the
engineers log to have been 14,00 ton, and a
careful account was kept of the quantity consumed
every day, we proceeded on our journey to
within 70 000 miles of the Cape where we expect
to arrive within 4 days, you must know that we
had opposed to us the south easterly trade
winds…this wind increased to a gale until it was
found that we could make no head way against
it unless we employed the full steam power
which we had not made use of at present, but
on examining the stock of coals we found we
had only 200 ton left instead of 500 as appeared
by the engineers log. What was to be done?
We had two merchant captains on board, a
council was called of the officers to which
nautical gentlemen were invited and it was
unanimously decided upon running with the
wind and current to St Helena to get a supply of
coals a distance of 1100 miles back again. We
were 23.24 south lat 9.47 so you will see by the
map exactly where we were, it was Sep 10 when
we turned back and we arrived at St Helena 11
o’clock on Thursday Sep 23, and it will be about
Oct 1 before we reach the Cape. This will cause a
delay in our own voyage of actually 10 or 20
days and the loss to Gibbs Bright & Co, who I
suppose must have deceived the captain as to
the supply of coal, will at least be £5000. Coal is
only £4 per ton at St Helena and we shall want
about 800 tons. The passengers are very
indignant with the owners who have filled a part
of the vessel with merchandise instead of coal, a
slashing article in our journal (for we have a
weekly newspaper on board) has been written
on the subject which has caused the captain to
hand over an official statement on the subject
the facts of which I have just stated, leaving
however the passengers to decide what parties
have been most to blame. I do not know
whether this letter written from a place much
nearer home than the Cape and sent perhaps a
week earlier by some sailing vessel than the
letters we shall forward from the Cape will reach
you as soon as our Cape despatches.
...We are both pretty well and we have
nothing to do but to eat drink and sleep and as
comfortable as persons can be on board ship, as
our voyage has been extended I shall be obliged
to have a washing day very soon, the shirts will
do very well with an ironing. I shall tell you no
more news as it will be but a recapitulation of
events already mentioned in my journal. There is
a great deal of gambling, drunkenness and
wickedness going on on board but we are
fortunately placed among parties who are not
much addicted to it, jolly fellows but who keep
within bounds, men chiefly from the
neighbourhood of Manchester, in fact our table
is called the Manchester table and the Reform
Club, there are about 15 of us, the captain
joined us yesterday evening ordered some
champagne for us and we passed a very pleasant
evening. He retired after being most heartily
cheered and said ‘we were the noisiest set of
beggars he ever met within his life’. In fact our
table is getting quite notorious and the envy of
the whole ship for they say we manage to obtain
the best provisions, we eat more, drink more,
sleep more than any party on board the ship. I
think I am the only exception to this general rule
at this table for I have occasionally fits of
melancholy which I cannot shake off, I look too
much into the future, nevertheless there is not
scarcely a man at our own table who does not
upset me or who does not offer me anything he
may have, to share his grog or his wine of which
I partake very sparingly. Give my love to my
mother and all those you think are deserving of
it and if any important event happens at
Bournemouth be sure to write some word,
directing all my letters to the care of Mr Thomas
Towle, remember me also to Charles tell him I
shall write to him from the Cape
Yours faithfully
Edward
62
Character cards and scenarios 9: Letters
Resource: Edward Towle’s letter to ‘dear Mary’ 1852
No Coal!
Dinner with the captain
Scenario:
Scenario:
The captain has joined some of the first class
passengers for dinner in the dining saloon.
The ship is running out of coal! There should
have been enough coal on board for the ship to
travel all the way to the Cape of Good Hope in
South Africa, but the ship has had to turn back
to refuel in St Helena. The voyage to Australia
has been delayed by up to 20 days.
Characters:
Edward Towle: You are upset about the delay
to the journey. You believe the captain has been
lied to about the quantity of coal on board.
Mary Hopkins: You are angry that you will be
late to see your family in Australia. However you
have been suffering from sea-sickness and are
looking forward to resting on dry land for a
while.
Captain Matthews: It is your job to try to keep
the passengers calm and explain why the ship is
short of coal.
Mr Andrews: You are one of the ship’s officers
and believe it would be best to continue sailing
to South Africa. You argue that even if the ship
runs out of coal, she could sail there.
63
Characters:
Edward Towle: You are proud but nervous to be
sitting with the captain. You hope to find out
from him what life in Australia will be like as
you have some concerns.
Tom Smithe: You are a rowdy passenger from
Manchester. You like to drink and tell jokes and
stories about other passengers on board.
Captain Matthews: You are concerned about the
amount of drunkenness and gambling
happening on board, but are soon softened up
by sharing a drink with Tom!
Matthew Cloud: You are working your passage
to Australia as a steward and have to wait on
the passengers. You are concerned that there is
a storm brewing but you can’t get the
passengers and captain to listen.
Investigation 10: Photographs
Resource: Photograph of bomb damage in Stafford
Street, Bedminster
Date of resource: 1940 – 1944
Photographer: Jim Facey
Resource located: Bristol Record
Office
CD Image: Bomb damage in
Stafford Street, Bedminster
Description of resource:
This photograph shows the destruction done to
Stafford Street, Bedminster, during one of the
WWII bombing raids. There were six major raids
between 24th November 1940 and 11th April
1941. This period in the city’s history has become
known as the Bristol Blitz.
Bristol was a target for German bombing for 2
reasons:
1. Bristol was a port city.
2. Factories in the north of the city were
producing aircraft and aero-engines.
The Bristol Blitz claimed nearly 1,300 lives. 3,305
people were injured and 2,295 homes were
destroyed.
Why photographs are useful for a
local history study
Photographs can provide useful visual references
for charting change in a local area over time
(usually a period of about 100 years).
Photographs often depict the ‘ordinary’ and
provide a useful glimpse of everyday life, e.g.
people, local streets, events, buildings and
methods of transport.
Techniques and questions for
analysing photographs
1. What is the photograph describing?
2. What sounds and smells could you describe
in the photograph?
3. If the photograph is taken in black and
white, what colours would have been
present in the real scene?
4. Why was the photograph taken? Does it
provide a record of an event or location?
What other reason could there be for taking
the photograph?
5. Find the actual spot where the photograph
was taken and take a contemporary image,
if possible. How has the area changed?
6. Use a series of photographs of the same
location (or event) to chart its change over
time. What can this tell us about our local
area?
7. Use a series of photographs of a particular
location and place them in chronological
order. What criteria were employed for the
positioning of the photographs?
8. Compare a photograph to a painting or
written source of the same location or event.
What are the differences and similarities?
What can this tell us about the reliability of
using only one source?
9. Consider the reliability of photographs as an
historical source.
10. Consider who might have taken the
photograph. Does this have an effect on its
reliability as an historical source?
11. What do things in the photograph tell us
about our area in the past i.e. transport,
costume, hairstyles, buildings, objects,
shopping etc.
12. Compare and contrast photographs of
different areas during similar historical
periods. How is/was your local area similar
or different to other parts of the city?
64
Case Study 10: Photographs
Resource: Photograph of bomb damage to the Granary,
Princes Wharf
Location of resource: Bristol Record Office, courtesy of the Facey Collection
CD Image: Photograph of bomb damage to the Granary, Princes Wharf.
Tramways map
Description:
This photograph was taken by Jim Facey, an
Evening Post photographer. He recorded many
images of Bristol’s destruction during World War
Two. The Granary on Princes Wharf was built in
the 1880’s. It was used for grain storage until it
was bombed on the evening of 3rd January
1941. Like several other dockside locations the
Granary was on a list of Luftwaffe targets. After
the war Princes Wharf was redeveloped as a
general cargo handling wharf and two transit
sheds (L and M shed) were erected. After the
decline of the docks in the 1970’s the transit
sheds were redeveloped. They became Bristol
Industrial Museum.
Key vocabulary:
Granary, Wharf, Blitz, Luftwaffe, blackout.
Support materials:
• www.bristolblitzed.org
• Modern maps of Bristol
Lesson plan: Hoefnagle’s map of Bristol, 1581
Outcome of lesson: Children will present an account of the bombing of
the Granary using photographic and oral history evidence. They will
develop a greater understanding of the impact of the Second World War
on their local area. Children will develop historical enquiry, analysis and
organisation and communication skills.
Class management:
Introduction:
Activity one: small groups, Activity two: small
groups, Activity three: small groups.
Ask the children the following questions about
the photograph:
• What is the photograph describing?
• Can you tell when the photograph was taken?
What evidence do you have for your answer?
• What could have caused the damage?
• Why was the photograph taken?
• Who might have taken the photograph?
Preparation:
You will need:
• A copy of the photograph and Tramways map
for each group.
• Copies of personal accounts of the Bristol Blitz
(from the bristolblitzed website) for each
group.
• Paper and pencils for each child.
65
Case Study 10: Photographs
Resource: Photograph of bomb damage to the Granary,
Princes Wharf
Activity one:
Activity three:
Provide each group with a copy of the
photograph and a copy of the Tramways map.
Ask the children to locate the Granary on the
map. You may need to use a modern map
showing the location of Bristol Industrial
Museum and transfer the information to the
Tramways map.
• Using the photograph and information from
the transcripts, ask each group to prepare
their bulletin and then present it to the class
in the style of a news reporter.
Using the Tramways map ask the children:
• to list reasons why this area was a target for
German bombers during WWII.
• to identify a physical feature on the map
that German bombers could follow even
during the blackout.
• why the location of the docks could be a
danger for other areas of the city?
Activity two:
• Provide each group with a selection of oral
history transcripts and a copy of the
photograph.
• Ask the children to read the transcripts to
find out what it was like to experience a
Blitz.
• Explain to each group that they are going to
prepare a short news bulletin describing the
bombing of the Granary.
• Discuss with the class what information
should be contained in the bulletin i.e.
factual information relating to the event,
why the Granary was a target, a sensory
description of the scene (sounds and smells),
interviews with those involved, the
consequences of the event.
Plenary:
At the end of the session discuss with the
children:
• How useful the photograph was as a piece of
historical evidence.
• What information the photograph did not
provide.
• Why the port of Bristol was a target for
German bombers.
• What impact this had on other parts of the city
• the significance of the River Avon to the
Luftwaffe.
• What the children have learnt about Bristol
during WWII.
66
Investigation 11: Newspapers
Resource: Bristol Evening Post: Emergency Bulletin,
7th December 1940
Date of resource:
7th December 1940
Author: not known
Resource located: Bristol Reference
Library
CD Image: Bristol Evening Post:
Emergency Bulletin, 7th December
1940
Description of resource:
This is a typescript covering the report of an air
raid on Bristol. The production of the Evening
Post was disrupted by the air raid and the
newspaper was unable to produce its normal
newspaper format. The report concentrates on
the heroism of the Bristolians under fire. It is
interested in the rescue attempts and not the
horror of the event. The date and event it covers
is particularly momentous and very important for
the study of World War II. It provides an insight
into how Bristol was affected by the war.
Why newspapers are useful for a local
history study
Techniques and questions for
analysing newspapers
1. Read the document and examine the
information it contains.
2. Establish when it was written and what was
happening at the time.
3. Examine how the language differs to today.
A wartime newspaper will include
propaganda.
4. Does the format differ from a modern
newspaper?
5. Compare how the event is covered with
another newspaper of the time.
6. If the event is well known it is useful to
consider what has been left out. In this article
the number of casualties and interviews with
people caught in the raid are not included.
7. Consider how the event would have been
reported today or covered differently. An
interesting comparison for this report could
be the terrorist attack in London 7th July
2005.
8. Identify the locations referred to in the
report.
Newspapers are always a very useful resource for
studying local history. They can provide details
and descriptions of local people, places and
events in the past. Newspapers also carry adverts
for local shops and businesses no longer in
existence.
67
Case Study 11: Newspapers
Resource: Bristol Evening Post: Wed August 15th 1945
Location of resource: Bristol Reference Library
CD Image: Bristol Evening Post Wed August 15th 1945
Description:
Support materials:
Photograph of crowds on the Centre in the early
hours of the morning taken from the Victory in
Japan edition of the Evening Post.
• Information about VJ day.
• Pictures of street parties from the end of World
War Two.
Key vocabulary:
VJ day, reporter.
Lesson plan: Hoefnagle’s map of Bristol, 1581
Outcome of lesson: Children will learn how people in Bristol celebrated
the end of WWII. They will understand how news was communicated to
a mass audience in a time before television was commonplace. Children
will have the opportunity to develop historical enquiry and analysis skills
using primary sources.
Class management:
Introduction:
Activity one: whole class, Activity two: in pairs,
Activity three: individual work.
The children need to be familiar with the history
of World War II and the period at the end of the
war.
Preparation:
You will need:
• Paper and pencils for each child.
68
Explain to the children the context of the
photographs. Ask the children the following
questions:
• What is the date and location of the
photographs?
• How would the news have been announced
i.e. by radio, word of mouth and headlines in
newspapers?
Case Study 11: Newspapers
Resource: Bristol Evening Post: Wed August 15th 1945
Activity one:
As an analytical exercise ask the children to
think of 6 – 10 questions which would be
useful to examine this resource i.e.
• The combination and relative numbers of
men and women.
• Why are so many people gathered at 4am?
• Why are there no children?
• Why is there an American flag?
• Do the clothes and hairstyles date this
resource?
Plenary:
At the end of the session ask the children to:
• Share their reports.
• think how the children of this period
celebrated?
• Discuss how we might celebrate today at the
end of a major war. Would it be any different?
Where would they go to celebrate?
Activity two:
• Ask the children to look carefully at the
people in the photographs and ask the
children to write down ten words that
describe what they think it was like to be
there.
• Ask the children to create speech bubbles for
some of the people in the photographs.
Activity three:
Ask the children to be a news reporter at the
scene. They should:
• explain the background to the photograph.
• describe the atmosphere.
• interview some of the people and ask them
how their lives will change.
69
Investigation 12: Census Returns
Resource: Census return for Bitton, Gloucestershire
Date of resource: 1851
Author: Census enumerator
Resource located: Bristol Record
Office
CD Image: Census return for
Bitton, Gloucestershire
Description of resource:
The example shown is the 1851 census for Bitton,
Gloucestershire.
Census returns were created as a way of
recording population levels and distribution,
occupations and migration.
The first comprehensive census of the
population of the United Kingdom was taken in
1801, and a census has been taken every 10 years
since then, with the exception of 1941. The head
of each household or institution was responsible
for providing information about each person
staying there on census night.
The 1841 census was the first to collect
personal details (the earlier ones were simply
headcounts. Details of individuals were not
kept), so for the purposes of family history
research it is regarded as the first.
They were initially viewed with great suspicion
and fear by the public. The Poor Law Amendment
Act of 1834 had created the workhouses and the
poor were often interrogated as to their place of
settlement. If not in the place where they were
living or trying to claim relief they could be sent
back to the parish where they had their
settlement. This made them wary of giving
details re. their place of birth to the census
enumerator, in case it was used against them.
For this reason some people were not entirely
accurate with their places of birth and some
even managed to avoid the census completely.
The information given on a census return
varies and can include:
• full name (middle names were not always
shown.)
• age (In 1841, the ages of those over 15 were
rounded down to the nearest five years).
• marital status (from I851).
• relationship to head of household (from 185I).
• gender.
• occupation.
• place of birth (in 1841, only whether each
person was living in his or her county of birth).
• medical disabilities (from I85I).
• whether Welsh or English speaking (in Wales
only, from 1891).
• whether Manx or English speaking (in the Isle
of Man only, from 1901).
In order to encourage people to divulge all
this detailed information truthfully, the census
records are closed to the public for 100 years.
The 1901 census is therefore currently the latest
available.
Why census returns are useful for a
local history study
The census provides us with a snapshot of the
population on a particular night and is a unique
document in family and local history research
since it shows whole family groupings, while
other documents tend to relate to individuals.
70
Investigation 12: Census Returns
Resource: Census return for Bitton, Gloucestershire
Techniques and questions for
analysing census returns
1. The census returns are arranged by address,
rather than by individuals’ names, and you
therefore need to have a good idea of where
your family was living in order to carry out
an effective search, it is not enough just to
know their name.
2. Census returns are hand written and difficult
to read. It may help to focus on one category
at first such as names, ages or number of
house.
3. Look at the document in its original form and
identify what can be read. Have a transcript
prepared when working on the census.
4. Go through each category i.e. address, name,
marital status, age etc. to become familiar
with the document.
5. Data collection and analysis. Analyse a
category; ages, number of children, popular
names. Are there any trends? Are there any
differences to today?
6. If possible choose a street/area you have a
photograph of from the time of the census
return. Walk down the street/area you have
chosen. How has it changed?
7. Compare with a census return from a later
date and investigate how the area changed
over time.
8. Interview local elderly people. Although not
old enough to be a part of the census returns
they can sometimes hold valuable memories
to enhance a local study.
71
Investigation 12: Census Returns
Resource: Census return for Hamlet of Bitton,
Gloucestershire 1851
James Hopes
Head
42
Rachel
Wife
40
Charles
Son
16
Coal miner
James
Son
12
Coal miner
George
Son
5
Scholar
Joseph
Son
1
Jane
Mother
65 widow
Pauper agricultural labour’s wife
Isaac England
Head
32
Boot and shoe maker
Eliza
Wife
31
Boot and shoe binder
Margaret
Daughter
7
Scholar
Elizabeth
Daughter
4
Albert
Son
1
Abraham Short
Coal miner
81
Pauper hatter
Sarah Jeffries
Head
60
Pauper hatter’s wife
Samuel
Son
23
Coal miner
Edwin
Son
16
Coal miner
Elizabeth Magg
Head
40 widow
Pauper school mistress
John
Son
16
Paper packer
Rachael
Daughter
15
Paper porter
Edwin
son
11
Paper cutter
72
Case Study 12: Census Returns
Resource: Census Returns
Location of resource: Bristol Records Office, Bristol Central Library
CD Image: Censes return 1881, 1891, 1901, Ashton Gate school log book,
Ashton Gate admission register, Extract from Bristol Trade Directory,
Lavar’s Map
Description:
Support materials:
1881, 1891 and 1901 census returns.
• Maps and photographs of the local area from
the period 1880 – 1901.
• Information about Victorian schooldays and
Victorian childhood.
• Photographs of Victorian schoolchildren.
Key vocabulary:
Census, marital status, boarder, widow,
occupation, scholar.
Lesson plan: Hoefnagle’s map of Bristol, 1581
Outcome of lesson: The children will have worked with and analysed a
range of primary sources that provide insight into a late Victorian family.
They will have collated evidence, selected and combined facts from
primary sources and produced a written account.
Class management:
Introduction:
Activity one: whole class and individual work,
Activity two: Whole class and individual work,
Activity three: small group work.
To familiarise the children with the documents
show them the extracts from the census return,
log book, admission register and trade directory.
Explain to the children:
• What each document is and what it can be
used for.
• That sometimes the documents do not contain
all the information required.
• That sometimes informed guesswork is needed
when researching family history.
Preparation:
You will need:
• Drawing and writing materials for each child.
• 2 Copies of 1880 and 1901 maps for each small
group.
73
Case Study 12: Census Returns
Resource: Census Returns
Activity one:
Activity three:
• Choose one of the census returns and
explore it with the children. Identify each
column and discuss what information the
census can provide about people in the past.
• Ask the children questions about the
information contained on the census to
reinforce their understanding of the return
i.e. ages, names and occupations.
• Identify the Curtis family in the 3 different
census returns.
• Ask the children to compile a chart about
the Curtis family from information on the
census return. This could include:
Names
Ages
Address
Occupations
• Ask the children to draw a picture of the
family at different stages of the census
returns. You may wish to refer the children
to photographs of Victorian children.
• Identify the Curtis’s school and the road
where they lived on Lavar’s map.
• Using a modern map of the area, discuss
with the children if it is still a rural area with
a farm across the road from the school.
• A series of O.S maps for the area show how
Ashton Gate develops into a thriving
Victorian suburb over the 20 years the
census returns cover.
• Compare an 1880’s map of the area with a
copy of a 1901 OS map and ask the children
to highlight the new buildings,
developments etc.
• Using Bristol Trade Directory point out all the
shops. They are not there now. North Street
is now the main shopping area. Make a list
of the shops. Could they make a shopping
list for the period? Is there anything missing?
• Follow up this activity with a walk around
the area. Ask the children to identify late
Victorian houses and the earlier buildings
and compare what they have discovered
about this area in the past with what is
there today.
Activity two:
• Show the children the entry for the Curtis
children in the admission register.
• Discuss with the children what they know
about the Curtis family so far.
• As a class, read the extract from the log
book.
• Ask the children to produce a diary extract of
a school day for one of the Curtis children.
• The children will need information about a
Victorian school day and the activities they
might do before and after school.
Plenary:
Discuss the following questions with the children
• How did the area change for the Curtis family?
• How was life different for the Curtis family and
the children of today?
• How do you think they played? The streets
would have been full of children, the census
returns show lots of children. Who do you
think their friends were? Their house was not
very big, where do you think all the different
rooms were? Did the children have a bedroom
each?
74
A Local Study of Ashton Gate School
Ashton Gate School was first built
in 1876 and is lucky enough to have
retained some of its original
documents and building features.
This study provides primary evidence relating
to Ashton Gate School which you can adapt for
your own use. Alternatively, you can use the
scheme of work as it is if you want to look at a
Victorian Bristol school.
This study combines information provided by
an analysis of buildings, school records, census
returns, trade directories, photographs and
maps. You may find it useful to use the related
investigation sheets as a starting point for how
to interpret this type of evidence.
Additionally, this unit could be used in
conjunction with the census case study. It is
also advised that the children look at the
Architecture Timeline to acquaint themselves
with the different building styles. A modern map
is not included on the CD rom but the A to Z
maps of Bristol provide sufficient detail.
75
Investigation: School Records
Resource: Ashton Gate School Admission Register
1886 – 1892 and Ashton Gate School Log Book 1891
Date of resource: 1886 – 1892, 1891
Author: not known
Resource located: Ashton Gate School
CD Image: Ashton Gate School
Admission Register, 1886 – 1892,
Ashton Gate School Log Book,1891
Description of resource:
The first resource is a page from the Ashton Gate
School Admission Register showing entries for 1892.
The second is the Log Book for Ashton Gate
School, 1891, relating to the events happening
at the school at that time.
Why school records are useful for a
local history study
School records include admission registers, log
books and punishment books. There may also be
administrative records about the running of the
school, such as minute books, correspondence,
plans and photographs.
School records enable us to trace the children
of a particular area. Combined with census
records, school records can be useful for both
local and family history. Admission records can
give details about when a child was born, where
they lived, their brothers and sisters, the
occupation of their fathers, which school they
had attended previously, when they left and
sometimes even their post-school history.
The information provided in admission registers
can often be quite detailed and may include results
of examinations and grades. Together with census
returns and directories it is possible to produce a
very detailed research project into one family.
School log books are a record of the day to
day events happening in the school. They provide
details of attendance, accidents and illnesses of
the staff, record holidays, exams, visits, celebrations
and child illnesses and sometimes include copies
of the school inspectors report. They date from
about 1840 and continue almost up to the
present day, although the later books are less
detailed. Few schools still keep log books now.
Punishment books were kept to record the
76
punishment, usually caning administered to
maintain school discipline. Punishment books
record the offence for which punishment was given,
as well as the name of the child. These records
are usually closed to public access for a defined
period to protect the privacy of the individuals
concerned. Access to more modern school records
relating to pupils would also be restricted. The
access restrictions can vary depending on the
type of record and it is best to check with the
archive repository concerned before visiting.
Techniques and questions for
analysing school records
1. Establish the date of the record. Does the
handwriting provide clues as to its age.
2. Prepare a transcript of the record to ease analysis.
3. Identify street names and compare them to a
modern map of the area. Do the streets still
exist? If not, what has taken their place?
4. Identify and list the categories of information
recorded. Consider what other sources could be
used to supplement the information e.g. census
returns and street directories.
5. Calculate how many children are registered
each year and the age at which they begin
school. Are there any differences in past
admission patterns to those of today?
6. Using a modern map record which children
lived at which address. Using this information
speculate who their friends might have been.
7. Use the records to construct a day in the life of
one of the children.
8. At what age did the children leave school?
What were their reasons for leaving? Create a
chart to show what happened to the children
after they left school. Are there any patterns?
9. Using a combination of records, construct a
character profile for one of the children.
10. Use the information contained in the records to
discuss what lessons would have been like for a
Victorian schoolchild. Compare what was being
taught with what children learn in school today.
11. Are any illnesses logged? Do children today
suffer from the same illnesses?
12. Consider what information is missing from the
records. What reasons could there be for the
omission of certain information?
Show the children photographs of the school and discuss how old
they think the school is. Ask the children what features identify the
school as old.
Introduction
Through the evidence provided the children will build up a picture of
what the area was like in the 19th century and what life was like for
a Victorian schoolchild.
Learning Outcome:
To undertake a comprehensive study of a Victorian school using the
school’s documentary resources, buildings and the surrounding area.
Aim of the study:
Discuss how the children think we can date the school.
Establish that we can use evidence to help us.
Ask the children to think of evidence that might help.
Explain that by the end of the project the children will have a very
good idea of what it was like for a child to attend the school when
it was brand new. Further explain that the children are going to
conduct the investigation using real information about real people
who actually lived in the area and went to the school.
• Photographs of schools from different historical periods.
• Copies of Bristol maps to show the development of an area (O.S.
maps are available from the library).
• Photographs of Victorian children.
continued overleaf
Support materials:
•
•
•
•
Information about Ashton Gate Primary School: A Victorian board school built in 1876 to provide
education for local children aged 3 to 14 years. Ashton Gate had been a largely rural area on the
outskirts of Bristol until this period when it experienced a burst of growth. Many of the original houses
and streets remain and the school still retains many of its Victorian features.
CD images: Photographs of Ashton Gate School, Lavar’s map, Census returns for Greenway Bush Lane
1881, 1891 and 1901, Ashton Gate Log Book, Ashton Gate Admission Register.
Resource: Ashton Gate Primary School
A Study of a Bristol school
▲
77
78
Aims
To recognise
features
characteristic of
a period.
To be able to
make
comparisons
across time.
Evidence
Architecture
Maps
• Begin with the modern map and ask the children to try to identify places
they know i.e. the school and maybe their homes.
• Talk about the children’s walk to school.
• Ask how they think it has changed since the school was built.
• Discuss how old the school is and what they think was there before the
school was built?
• On an OHP show a progression of O.S. maps of the area and discuss the
changes.
• With their own maps, ask the children to identify their route to school on a
1901 O.S. map.
• Ask the children to identify 4-6 differences on the route and record them by
drawing a view or writing a description.
• Use the 1897 Bristol Trade Directory showing Greenway Bush Lane. Illustrate
the road to be a thriving commercial community.
The School building.
• Show the children pictures of the different schools so that they can establish
what features to look for in their own school in order to date it.
• Discuss which clues will help e.g. windows, chimneys, brickwork and
decoration.
• Discuss what is old and new in the classroom e.g. windows, radiators,
whiteboard and desks.
• Select one feature in the classroom and show the children how to draw and
label it. In small groups go round the school and identify and draw any
features which date the school.
• Ashton Gate has two dated stones built into the walls. 1876 and 1881.
Bristol Trade
Directory.
A 1901 map of the
local area
Copies of a modern
map of the area.
A modern map
A range of maps to
cover the development
of the area e.g.
Tithe maps and
O.S maps.
Photographs of
Ashton Gate School.
Resource
Activity
Resource: Ashton Gate Primary School
A Study of a Bristol school
79
Aims
To interpret
documentary
evidence and
make
observations.
To analyse
different
evidence and
draw
conclusions.
Evidence
Census returns
Logbooks,
registers and
photographs
• Show photographs of Victorian children to the class. Explain that we have no
names for these children. Discuss what they are wearing and why they are
not smiling.
• Explain that we can use other forms of evidence with the photographs to
find out what life was like for these children.
• As a class, read the log books and register extracts and discuss what
information they provide.
• Look at the photographs again and discuss:
the children’s dress, emotions, number of children in the class, what is up on
the walls, how the children are seated etc.
• Arrange the room as a Victorian classroom and have a pretend lesson i.e.
handwriting and sums.
• Finish by taking a modern and Victorian photograph of the children.
Census returns for
1881, 1891 and 1901
for single street.
• Show the children the 1881 census return and explain what information it
can provide.
• Read the original together and then print it out. Discuss the names, ages,
and number of people in a house.
• Identify Greenway Bush Lane on the maps and explain where the road is.
Use The Bristol Trade Directory to describe what the road was like. Discuss
with the children the occupation of the residents
• Ask the children to choose a family and fill in the details provided on the census.
• Ask the children to feedback the information about their family.
Photographs of
Victorian children.
Ashton Gate Log
Book.
Ashton Gate
Admission Register.
Bristol Trade
Directory.
Resource
Activity
Investigating Medieval Bristol
This unit provides a scheme of work to
enable children to search for evidence
of the streets, churches, castle and
walls of medieval Bristol. Included
within the unit are pre-visit activities,
a Castle Park evidence trail and links
to photographs and maps contained
on the accompanying CD rom.
This unit is designed as a local history project.
It could be adapted to suit schools in other areas.
In addition to the suggested pre-tour
activities this unit could be used in conjunction
with the building case study, the painting case
study of Broad Quay and the map investigation.
It is also advised that the children look at the
Architecture Timeline to acquaint themselves
with the different styles of architecture that they
will see on the trail. A modern map is not
included but the A to Z maps of Bristol provide
sufficient detail.
80
81
Outcome of
lesson
Children will develop
an understanding of
• The origins of place
names.
• The origins of street
names.
Children will develop
an understanding of
the growth of Bristol
through investigating
a progression of
maps.
Children will develop
an understanding of
how to find the
medieval heart of
Bristol using maps
and place names.
Type of
Evidence
Place names
Maps
Maps and
place names
Using Millerd’s map ask the children to:
• Find evidence for Bristol’s castle by using place name evidence. The wall
usually extends from the castle.
• Find the old streets i.e. High Street, Broad Street.
• Find any ‘gate’ names as these indicate the entrance to a city (Millerd has
drawn in parts of the wall still existing).
By linking all of the elements it is possible to trace the wall onto a modern
map.
With the children, compare the 2 maps chronologically (although Lavar’s
view is not a map it does show the industrial and suburban growth of
Bristol).
On copies of Millerd’s Map ask the children to:
• Highlight the churches.
• Highlight the streets with names as above.
A list of the various
spellings of Bristol.
Discuss with the children the various spellings of Bristol. How has the name
evolved from the ‘meeting place by the bridge’ to Briggestowe?
Discuss how street names evolve and if there is a pattern e.g.
• Descriptive: hill, green, high, broad, small or local names.
• Referring to a building or a feature: church, castle, market, gate, wall.
• Direction: East Street, London Road.
Ask the children to look at a modern map of the centre of Bristol and
highlight the above names e.g. hill, green etc.
Copies of Millerd’s
Map.
Copies of Millerd’s
Map.
Lavar’s view of Bristol.
A modern map of
Bristol.
Resources
Activity
The aim of these activities is to familiarise children with different types of evidence and equip them
with the skills required to identify medieval characteristics in a settlement. Once they have established
Bristol’s medieval foundations the children can physically demonstrate their findings by walking the
plan of the medieval city.
Medieval Bristol pre-trail activities
Time
1 hour
1/2 hour
10 mins
Site
Ferry
Castle Green
Wine Street
• A walk along Wine Street leads to the centre of Medieval Bristol. Remind the
children how it looked before the war using the photographs before they
encounter the busy street. Note the modern buildings there now.
• Finding the remains of: the castle, St. Peter’s Church and Hospital, Castle
Street and the Shambles. The sites are marked out very clearly on boards.
• The children can record their findings on a map.
All the images can be
found on the
accompanying CD
with the exception of
the modern map.
• This activity may be omitted but it can be a pleasant way to arrive or finish
the tour.
• There are various ferry companies, some will give a guided tour from the
ss Great Britain to Temple Meads.
• Arrive or leave at Castle Green where a very good view of the castle site and
Bristol Bridge can be observed. Also, the remains of the Water Gate and
moat are easily seen from here.
continued overleaf
Copies of Millerd’s
map for each child.
Photographs of Bristol.
Resources
assessment has been left for the school’s judgement and a pre-visit
tour by the class teacher is advised. The trail takes you around
approximately half of the wall.
• To understand the medieval route the children can use Millerd’s
map to discover places but adults will need a modern map as well.
• To extend the trail you could explore Bell Lane, The Pithay and
Tower Hill, all marked on Millerd’s map.
Activity
• This investigation is suited to the summer term culminating in a
day visit to Castle Park, with a ferry trip included.
• The investigation is aimed at year 5/6.
• The trail relies on appropriate levels of adult supervision as the
children encounter city traffic and people. To get the most out of
this activity a ratio of 1 adult: 6 children is advised. A risk
Information about the investigation
Outcomes of lesson: Children will discover the medieval history of Bristol using, maps, photographs
and documents. The study culminates in a trail where children can trace part of the boundary of
Bristol with their own feet, providing them with a real feel for the size of a medieval city. Children
will experience the process of research through an evidenced-based approach.
Investigating Medieval Bristol Trail
▲
82
83
Finish of Trail
• This shadows the inside of the wall. Note the height difference to the road
outside.
Broad Quay painting
Photograph of Bristol
docks.
• Through the gate is the city centre, the once thriving port. Where has the
river gone?
• To the right along the outside of the church is a conduit where the people
of Bristol would have got their water.
10 mins
City Centre
St Nicholas
Street
Bristol Coat of Arms.
• A church built in the wall and an example of a city gate. The church has
some very interesting sculpture on the outside, including the Coat of Arms.
• If you have time, and the church is open, it is worth a visit.
1/2 hour
St John’s
Church
• A grand street with interesting architecture, note Everard’s House. Between
Broad Street and Small Street (if open) runs a maze of courtyards through
Barristers’ Chambers which have a real Dickensian feel.
Copies of Millerd’s
map for each child.
• This lane shadows the inside of the wall and gives a real feel of the size of
streets and the curve of the wall.
• Halfway along an arch down to St. Stephen’s Street shows how thick the wall
was and how the levels change. The wall must have been very high from
outside Bristol.
1/2 hour
St Leonard’s
Lane
Broad Street
Copies of Millerd’s
map for each child.
• The architecture here is very different to that of Wine Street. Can the
children identify it as Georgian? Between the Corn Exchange and All Saints is
All Saints Lane. This lane gives a good feel for the size of medieval streets
and there is a fine medieval house and courtyard adjacent to the church.
• It is worth noting the Corn Exchange and Nails.
15 mins
Resources
Corn Street
Activity
• At the end of Wine Street you approach the site of the High Cross, a plaque
explains where it is now. From here it helps if the groups split and take
different routes.
Time
High Cross
Site
Investigating Medieval Bristol continued.
▲
Welcome
Discovery Box: A Gateway to Bristol’s Past
The Discovery Box contains a range
of artefacts connected to Bristol’s
past. They demonstrate a range of
local skills and a variety of local
industries.
Contents
1 Ham Green Ware Jug and four
sherds.
2 HMS Monnow ship plaque.
The artefacts are a mixture of real
and replica. All the artefacts can be
handled by the children with the
exception of the wax seals.
A replica of the reverse of the seal
has been included for handling.
Information about the artefacts, an
artefact investigation sheet and a
range of case studies accompany
the box.
3 The common seal of the Burgesses
of Bristol c.1275
4 W.D. & H.O. Wills Ltd
‘The Three Castles’ tobacco tin.
5 Letterpress printing block
for Franklyn Morgan & Davey
‘Corsair’ tobacco.
6 Tea plate from Blaise Mansion
Café, made by Pountney
& Co, Bristol.
Images of the artefacts are also
available on the enclosed CD Rom.
Should you discover that any of the
artefacts are missing or damaged
please contact the Bristol Schools
Library Service on 0117 9038534.
84
Information: Artefacts
Resource: Ham Green Ware
Ham Green Ware was a product of a medieval
pottery kiln at Pill (Easton-in-Gordano). In the
middle ages, the term Crockerne (crockers’ or
potters’) Pill was applied to this little harbour
showing that it was well known for its ceramic
connection.
The pottery was exported to South Wales and
the east coast of Ireland during the late 12th and
13th centuries. The name Ham Green is taken
from the kiln excavated in the 1950’s in a field
adjacent to Ham Green hospital. More finds of
waste pottery were also found in Pill.
Ham Green jugs are green-glazed and often
highly decorated with human, animal and floral
designs over a grooved or hatched background.
Strangely they were always hand built not wheel
thrown, which together with the liveliness of the
decoration, says much about the skills of the
potters.
85
Information: Artefacts
Resource: Ships plaque for H.M.S. Monnow
As a port city, Bristol has a rich history of
shipbuilding over the centuries. It has produced
vessels for both trade and the protection
of trade.
When Britain found herself at war in 1939
the ship yards of Bristol turned to producing
ships that could protect the merchant fleets.
H.M.S. Monnow was one of 21 ships built in the
city for this purpose.
The ships plaque, made from brass and
mahogany, commemorates the launch of H.M.S.
Monnow on 4th December 1943. The ship was
built by Charles Hill & Sons Ltd. and was launched
from the Albion Dockyard by Mrs J.A.L. Peck.
H.M.S. Monnow was a River Class Frigate.
She was allocated to the Royal Canadian Navy
and was based at Londonderry, Northern Ireland.
Her job was to patrol for German submarines
and she served in the Atlantic and the Arctic
during 1944-45 and in the North Sea in 1945.
H.M.S. Monnow’s final role in the war was to
escort U boats from Norway to Britain. After the
war the ship was sold to the Danish Navy where
she was re-named H.D.M.S Holger Danske.
Holger Danske is the name of a legendary
character who lives in the basement of Kronberg
Castle and comes to the rescue of Denmark
when it is under threat.
Charles Hill & Son Ltd. was established in
1845 when Charles Hill took complete control
of the Hillhouse-Hill shipbuilding company.
Gradually the business moved from making
wooden vessels to adopting the new
shipbuilding material of metal.
The shipyard prospered during the Second
World War and by the time peace came it was
employing 1350 men and 60 women, a new
arrangement in a traditionally male-dominated
profession. The shipyards wartime role made it a
prime target for German bombing raids and it
was targeted and hit several times.
The ships badges (or plaques) are now the
only remaining evidence of many of the wartime
ships produced at Hills. They are, we believe, a
unique feature of the shipyard and contain the
distinctive view down the River Avon, with the
Clifton Suspension Bridge overhead, as well as
the famous motto ‘Shipshape and Bristol
Fashion’, meaning a well built and tidy vessel.
86
Information: Artefacts
Resource: The Common Seal of the Burgesses of Bristol
c.1275
The burgesses’ seal first came in to use in the
13th century during the reign of Edward I (1272
– 1307). The seal was used to authenticate
official documents of the Corporation of Bristol,
and also the private documents of individual
burgesses whose own seals were not well
known. It remained in common use until 1569
when the city of Bristol was granted a crest and
supporters for the civic arms.
The Bristol seal is a double-sided seal. Each
side has four lugs or ear-like projections so that
both halves can be exactly lined up.
The obverse (front) shows the great stone
keep of Bristol Castle, which was built between
1130 and 1150. The castle has two great and two
small towers and a closed doorway with waves
below. In one of the great towers stands a
trumpeter. Around the edge the Latin legend
reads ‘SIGILLVM: COMMVNE: BVRGENSIVM:
BRISTOLLIE’. This translates as ‘The burgesses’
seal of the Corporation of Bristol.’
The reverse shows a merchant ship
approaching the castle watergate along the river
Avon. The river is full of fish including a large
eel, possibly a conger eel. In the ship is a
steersman at the stern. On the tower stands a
man with an upraised finger. The Latin legend
around the edge reads ‘SECRETI: CLAVIS: SV:
PORT’ NAVITA: NAVIS: PORTA’ CVSTODIT: PORT’
VIGIL: INDICE: PDIT’. This may be translated as, ‘I
am the key of the hidden port. The sailor
watches the port side of the ship. The watchman
points out the port with his finger.’
87
Information: Artefacts
Resource: W.D. & H.O. Wills Ltd ‘The Three Castles’
tobacco tin
The Wills family set up a tobacco business in
Bristol in 1786. Their company grew through
the 19th century to be one of Bristol’s larger
employers, increasing very dramatically in the
1880s when they introduced cheap machinemade cigarettes. In 1901, Wills became one of
the largest partners in Imperial Tobacco. At the
height of their success over 3000 people were
employed in three large factories around Bristol.
They also controlled most of the supporting
industries that were producing cartons, carton
board, machinery and boxes, and all of their
own warehousing and distribution, so that a
further 1500 people employed in these roles
were dependent on them.
The Wills family were non-conformist and
believed in treating their employees very well.
The company is known for being among the first
to introduce paid holidays for its workforce, and
for providing healthcare and welfare facilities.
At the same time, plantations in the USA and
Caribbean from which Wills acquired their
tobacco were largely run by slave labour until
the 1860s.
Tobacco first appeared in Britain in the
1560s. For some time, it was successfully grown
in Gloucestershire, but eventually it became
exclusively an import. At first, the most popular
form was as pipe tobacco, creating a market for
clay pipes. Bristol became an important centre
for their manufacture. Another form of tobacco
was snuff – ground tobacco powder that is
inhaled.
In the 1850s, cigars began to appear, but
didn’t become popular until the 1880s. Around
the same time, the cigarette made an appearance
from the Crimean War. By the 1870s, Wills were
making them by hand – women could make
about 1500 per day. The Bonsack machine, which
could make 100 per minute, was introduced
from America in 1883 and cheap cigarettes –
notably the ‘Wild Woodbine’ at five for 1d
(one penny) – began to be produced. ‘The Three
Castles’ brand was introduced in 1878 as a handmade cigarette and continued to be made until
the 1960s. This tin contained 100.
By the 1950s almost 80% of the male and
50% of the female population smoked. This total
started to fall when links between smoking and
health risks were made in the 1950s and 60s.
About 26% of the population smokes in 2006.
The local tobacco industry has shrunk too, so
that there is now only one factory at
Winterstoke Road producing cigars.
88
Information: Artefacts
Resource: Letterpress printing block for Franklyn
Morgan & Davey ‘Corsair’ tobacco
Bristol’s tobacco industry was a very big
employer from the mid-19th century. Although
the industry was dominated by W.D. & H.O.
Wills, there were several smaller companies.
Franklyn had started a company in the 1780s on
Welsh Back, joining with Morgan and Davey in
1860. In 1894 Morgan departed, so this printing
block is for tobacco packets printed during that
30 year period.
Franklyn Davey & Co became part of Imperial
Tobacco in 1901 and moved into part of the new
factory on Raleigh Road in Bedminster in 1908.
Their small corner of what was an enormous
factory survives today as the Tobacco Factory
arts centre.
The Franklyn Davey brand names like ‘Corsair’
were kept by Imperial Tobacco until the 1970s.
Calling products by a name (branding) was
pioneered by Wills for tobacco and Hornimans
(in London) for tea in the 1840s; before that,
shoppers just bought tea or tobacco!
Almost all the packets for tobacco products
made in Bristol were printed here too. This block
will have been used at Mardon Son & Hall, a
local printers that began to specialise in tobacco
packaging in the 1880s. The successors of
Mardons still produce vast quantities of tobacco
packaging in Warmley.
The block is a ‘woodcut’, probably made by
hand by a skilled craftsman. The design was
transferred to the wooden block and the parts
that will not be printed were carefully cut away.
The remaining raised parts accept ink and, when
pressed against paper, transfer a right-way-round
image. The design will only print in a single
colour. The block will have been used to produce
wrappers for half an ounce (12.5 grammes) of
tobacco.
89
Information: Artefacts
Resource: Tea plate from Blaise Mansion Café, made by
Pountney & Co, Bristol
Bristol has been famous for ceramics – items
made of fired clay – for many centuries. Some of
the earliest successful attempts to make
porcelain – a very fine type of pottery known as
‘China’, because it originated there – were
carried out by Richard Champion in the city.
One of the longest lived companies was
Pountneys Bristol Pottery. Their survival was
largely due to moving into the market for
everyday pottery and catering ware. They could
trace their roots to the 1650s and created a
brand new pottery at Fishponds in 1905 which
finally closed in the 1960s. Today, their wares are
quite collectable.
This tea plate is part of a crested set made for
Blaise Mansion. Blaise Castle House and Park in
Henbury was bought by Bristol City Council in
1947 and developed as a museum and leisure
park. Pountneys used a standard design and
added a crest to brand the service.
90
Investigation: Artefacts
Resource: Ham Green Ware Jug
Date of resource: Medieval
Maker: Unknown
Resource located: Bristol City
Museum and Art Gallery
CD Image: Ham Green Ware Jug
Description of resource:
Ham Green Ware was a product of a medieval
pottery kiln at Pill (Easton-in-Gordano). In the
middle ages, the term Crockerne (crockers’ or
potters’) Pill was applied to this little harbour
showing that it was well known for its ceramic
connection.
The pottery was exported to South Wales and
the east coast of Ireland during the late 12th and
13th centuries. The name Ham Green is taken
from the kiln excavated in the 1950’s in a field
adjacent to Ham Green hospital. More finds of
waste pottery were also found in Pill.
Ham Green jugs are green-glazed and often
highly decorated with human, animal and floral
designs over a grooved or hatched background.
Strangely they were always hand built not wheel
thrown, which together with the liveliness of the
decoration, says much about the skills of the
potters.
Why artefacts are useful for a local
history study
Artefacts form part of our world and are often
immediately recognisable, no matter what their
age. They provide a means of communication
with the past that enable children to connect to
ways of life both similar and different to their
own. Artefacts have the capacity to stimulate
curiosity about different periods in history. They
provide an active learning experience and
provide many opportunities for creativity in the
classroom.
91
Techniques and questions for
analysing artefacts
1. What is the artefact made from? Is it made
from a natural or manmade material? Can
this help us to date the artefact?
2. Where do the materials come from? Can this
tell us anything about industries in the local
area?
3. Is the artefact complete or is part of the
artefact missing?
4. Who made the artefact?
5. Is the artefact hand-made or machine made?
Does this affect the value of the artefact?
6. What skills were needed to make the
artefact and what can this tell us about
people in the past?
7. What was the artefact used for? What can
this tell us about past societies?
8. Where was the artefact used i.e. in the
kitchen, dining room, store room etc.
9. Who used the artefact?
10. Do we use the same artefact today for a
similar function or do we use a different
artefact? What can this tell us about our
lives and the lives of people in the past?
11. Is the artefact well designed? Could it be
improved?
12. Why does the artefact still exist? Is it
valuable? Are the materials long-lasting?
13. Is the artefact real or is it a replica? What
can this tell us about the status, physical
properties or value of the artefact?
14. Produce closely observed drawings of the
artefact which include textural variations,
decorative elements, makers marks etc.
Artefacts Case Study 1: Celebrating our area
Resource: HMS Monnow ship’s plaque
Location of resource: Discovery box
CD Image: HMS Monnow ship’s plaque
Description:
Support materials:
See accompanying artefact information sheet.
•
•
•
•
•
Key vocabulary:
Commemorate.
Photographs and postcards of the local area.
Local history books.
Maps of the local area.
Access to local history sites on the internet.
Commemorative items such as plates, mugs,
coins etc.
Lesson plan: Hoefnagle’s map of Bristol, 1581
Outcome of lesson: Children will produce a commemorative design
relating to a local person, place or event. Children will develop enquiry
and research skills. Children will learn more about a local person, place
or event.
Class management:
Introduction:
Activity one: whole class, Activity two: whole
class (some individual/small group research),
Activity three: individual work.
Ask the children the following questions:
• Why do we commemorate events, people
or places?
• why was the plaque produced?
• How can we tell what has been
commemorated?
Preparation:
You will need:
• Art and design materials for producing a
commemorative item.
• If using the local environment for activity two
you will need to undertake a risk assessment
and enlist additional adult supervision.
92
Artefacts Case Study 1: Celebrating our area
Resource: HMS Monnow ship’s plaque
Activity one:
Plenary:
At the end of the session ask the children:
• Show the ship’s plaque to the children and
ask them to investigate what information is
contained on the plaque.
• Discuss what the plaque tells them about the
ship and if they think any information is
missing.
• Ask the children to create a list of
information that should be included on a
commemorative item.
Activity two:
• Investigate your local area and select a
person, place or event to commemorate.
• Use local history books, the internet, the
local built environment (look for blue
plaques on buildings or commemorative
stones on buildings, statues, tombstones,
memorials etc.), postcards and photographs
to aid research.
• If within living memory, ask the children to
interview family and friends about the
person, place or event and feedback the
information.
Activity three:
• Ask the children to produce a
commemorative design for their chosen
person, place or event using their research
and the checklist created earlier.
93
• To present their commemorative design.
• what they have found out about their
local area?
• Why they considered it important to
commemorate that particular person,
place or event?
• What they think others will learn from their
design about the person, place or event they
chose to commemorate?
Artefacts Case Study 2: Design a Seal for Bristol
Resource: Bristol Seal
Location of resource: Discovery box
CD Image: Bristol Seal
Description:
Support materials:
See accompanying artefact information sheet.
• Images of Bristol past and present.
• Bristol timeline.
• Overview of Bristol’s history.
Key vocabulary:
Seal, obverse (the front of the seal),
reverse (the back of the seal),
contemporary, legend (the wording around
the outside of the seal).
Lesson plan: Hoefnagle’s map of Bristol, 1581
Outcome of lesson: Children will produce a design for a new Bristol seal
based on their understanding of the city’s past and contemporary history.
Class management:
Introduction:
Activity one: whole class, Activity two: small
groups, Activity three: individual work.
Using either the photograph or the seal ask
the children the following questions about the
artefact:
• What is the artefact made from?
• What was the artefact used for?
• Is it important to have a seal and why?
Preparation:
You will need:
• Drawing paper
• Pencils
• A variety of materials from which
to make the seal
• Printing ink or paint and paper
94
Artefacts Case Study 2: Design a Seal for Bristol
Resource: Bristol Seal
Activity one:
• Ask the children to look at the seal and
discuss what it can tell us about the city of
Bristol in the past.
• Discuss whether the image and its
significance can be applied to the city today.
Activity two:
• As a class discuss what the children think
Bristol is famous for both now and in the
past i.e. leisure activities, industries,
buildings, geographical features, etc., and
make a list. You could use information
contained on the Bristol timeline to aid
research.
• Discuss with the children how their ideas
can be translated into symbols of Bristol
past and present.
Activity three:
• Ask the children to produce a design for a
new seal for Bristol, both obverse and
reverse. Ideally, this should reflect both the
past and the present.
• The children can add their own legend to
the seal.
• Ask the children to make a seal and then
print the finished designs.
95
Plenary:
• Arrange the seals as a classroom display. Invite
other staff or classes to choose which seal they
think best reflects Bristol past and present.
• Discuss what the children have learnt about
the city’s history.
Artefacts Case Study 3: How did they do that?
Resource: All artefacts in the Discovery Box
Location of resource: Discovery box
CD Image: Ham Green Ware jug and sherds, ship’s plaque, tobacco tin,
print block, Bristol seal, Bristol pottery plate
Description:
Support materials:
See accompanying artefact information sheet.
• Information about a range of local businesses.
• Artefact investigation sheet.
Key vocabulary:
Artefact, chronology, classification.
Lesson plan: Hoefnagle’s map of Bristol, 1581
Outcome of lesson: Through an investigation of the artefacts children
will be able to identify a variety of local occupations and recognise the
associated skills. Children will develop historical enquiry and analysis
skills and chronological understanding.
Class management:
Introduction:
Organise the class into three groups. Each group
works through the activities in rotation.
Discuss with the children what questions they
could ask about an artefact and list them.
Preparation:
You will need:
• Two sets of object information cards, these can
be photocopied from the pack.
96
Artefacts Case Study 3: How did they do that?
Resource: All artefacts in the Discovery Box
Activity one:
• Place the artefacts on a table. Ask the
children to look at and investigate the
artefacts carefully.
• Ask the children to create as many
classification groups as possible i.e.
materials, function, colour, size and historical
period.
Activity two:
• Ask the children to arrange the artefacts in
chronological order.
• Ask the children to provide reasons for the
placements.
• Provide the children with the artefact
information cards and ask them to read the
information. Do they wish to change the
placement of the artefacts?
• Ask the children to explain their final
placements.
Activity three:
• In pairs, ask the children to choose one
artefact to investigate.
• Ask the children to create an artefact web
that demonstrates all the skills associated
with the making of the artefact. The children
should take into account as many aspects of
the artefact’s production as possible
including design, materials used, and how
the object was made.
97
Plenary:
• At the end of the session ask each pair to
present their skills web. What does this tell us
about the people who lived in this area in the
past? Discuss how skills have changed over
time (and reasons for this) and how some skills
are still used today.
• Ask the children to create a list of modern
occupations. What skills are required to
undertake the jobs on the list?
• Compare contemporary and past skills. What
similarities and differences can the children
find?
Artefacts information cards
Artefact Information Card
Artefact Information Card
Name of artefact: Printing Block
Date: 1890’s (19th century)
Material: Wood
Information about the artefact:
This wooden printing block was made by a
skilled craftsman. The design was cut into the
wooden block, back to front. The block was
covered in ink. The ink only stuck to the raised
parts of the block. The inked design was
printed onto paper and the picture appeared
the right way round.
Name of artefact: Tea plate
Date: 1940’s/1950’s/1960’s (20th century)
Material: Clay
Information about the artefact:
Bristol has been famous for centuries for
making pottery (ceramics).
The print block contains the name and address
of a company and the name of the product
made by the company.
This print block was used by a firm called
Mardon Son & Hall. Mardon’s printed
packaging for tobacco companies such as
Franklyn Davey & Co. In the past, Bristol had a
large Tobacco industry. Franklyn Davey & Co
had a factory in Bedminster. Today the factory is
an arts centre called the Tobacco Factory!
This tea plate was made by Pountneys Bristol
Pottery in Fishponds. It was part of a set, a tea
service, used at Blaise Mansion Café and tea
room. The café was set up in 1947 and closed in
the 1960’s. The mansion is now Blaise Castle
House Museum.
The tea plate was made by machine. The café
bought the tea service with the pattern around
the edge already on it. They then added the
‘Blaise Mansion Café’ crest.
✄
Artefact Information Card
Artefact Information Card
Name of artefact: Bristol Seal
Date: c. 1275 (13th century)
Material: Wax
Information about the artefact:
This seal was used in the past as the official
symbol of Bristol.
Name of artefact: Tobacco tin
Date: 1900 – 1950’s (20th century)
Material: Tin
Information about the artefact:
We don’t know exactly when this artefact was
made but we do know that it was made after
1901 and before 1960!
Seals were used by important people. They
were stuck onto letters and documents. This
was to show that the letter or document was
genuine. Seals were also used to stick the edges
of a letter or document together (like an
envelope). If the seal was broken the person
who received the letter or document could tell
if it had been opened by someone else.
On the front (obverse) of this seal is a picture of
Bristol Castle. The castle has two large and two
small towers. When this seal was used Bristol
did have a castle!
On the back (reverse) of the seal is a merchant
ship. It is sailing into the old walled city of
Bristol along the river Avon. On the tower of
the castle is a man keeping watch over the city.
The tin contained 100 cigarettes. They were
made in the factories of W.D & H.O Wills in
Bedminster, Bristol.
The tin tells us that the tobacco used in the
cigarettes came from Virginia in the United
States of America. The tin does not show any
warnings about the dangers of smoking!
Bristol has had a tobacco industry since the
1700’s. In the past, slaves were used to produce
tobacco in the Caribbean and America. Slaves
are not used anymore but Bristol still has one
factory that makes cigars.
98
Artefacts information cards
Artefact Information Card
Artefact Information Card
Name of artefact: Ham Green Ware Jug
Date: 1200’s (13th century)
Material: Clay
Information about the artefact:
This type of pottery (ware) is called Ham Green
after the place where it was found, Ham Green,
North Somerset. It was probably not called Ham
Green when it was made!
Name of artefact: H.M.S. Monnow ships plaque
Date: 1943 (20th century)
Material: Mahogany (wood) and brass (metal)
Information about the artefact:
H.M.S. (His/Her Majesty’s Ship) Monnow was
built in Bristol in 1943, during the Second
World War. She was built by the shipyard of
Charles Hill & Son Ltd.
The jug would probably have been used to
store and serve ale. It was not common to drink
water at this time as it was often unhealthy.
The plaque was made to commemorate the
launch of the ship. It shows the Clifton
Suspension Bridge and the Avon Gorge. H.M.S.
Monnow would have had to sail down the River
Avon to get to the sea. The plaque shows part
of the journey she would have taken.
Ham Green pottery was made by hand. It was
often decorated with pictures of people,
flowers and animals.
The phrase ‘Shipshape and Bristol Fashion’ is
very famous and means ‘well built and tidy’.
Bristol has built ships for centuries and Bristol
shipbuilders were well known for doing a good
job.
The jug is a replica (a copy of the real artefact)
but the sherds (pieces) are real. They are about
800 years old.
✄
99
Artefacts Case Study 4: Important imports
Resource: ‘Three Castles’ tobacco tin
Location of resource: Discovery box
CD Image: ‘Three Castles’ tobacco tin
Description:
Support materials:
See accompanying artefact information sheet.
•
•
•
•
•
•
Key vocabulary:
Wharf, mooring bollard, crane, transit shed
(a dockside shed used for short term storage),
warehouse (a secure building used for long
term storage), bonded warehouse (a warehouse
where goods liable to import duty, such as
tobacco, were stored until the duty had
been paid).
World maps or globes
A chocolate bar
A bar of soap
A bag of sugar
A jar of marmalade
www.electricpavilion.org
Lesson plan: Hoefnagle’s map of Bristol, 1581
Outcome of lesson: Children will have an understanding of the maritime
heritage of the city and the important role played by the city docks on
the development of Bristol.
Class management:
Introduction:
Activity one: small groups, Activity two: whole
class, Activity three; small groups.
Show the children the chocolate bar and other
products including the tobacco tin.
• Discuss with the children what the primary
natural ingredients are in each product,:
Chocolate: cocoa beans
Marmalade: oranges
Sugar: sugar cane
Soap: palm oil
Cigarettes: tobacco
Preparation:
You will need:
• Access to IT equipment to watch the film
‘Dockside Cranes’.
• Paper and pencils.
• World maps/globes and maps of Bristol
showing the mouth of the River Avon for each
group.
• Children will need space in which to perform
their tableaux or role-play.
100
Artefacts Case Study 4: Important imports
Resource: ‘Three Castles’ tobacco tin
Activity one:
Activity three:
• Discuss where the natural ingredients are
grown
Cocoa beans: West Indies
Oranges: Spain
Sugar cane: West Indies
Palm oil: Africa
Tobacco: West Indies
• Ask the children to find the locations on
the world map.
• Ask the children how the products would
come to Bristol today.
• Ask the children to think about how the
products would have come to Bristol before
flight and road haulage, provide a map of
Bristol showing the harbour, if necessary.
• Ask the children to work out the quickest
shipping routes to import the goods to
Bristol and to list the oceans/seas crossed.
• Ask the children to produce and present
a tableaux or role-play describing the
unloading of ships and the
storage/distribution of cargo.
• Discuss what impact the importation of
goods would have had upon the
development of the city i.e. the development
of factories and associated industries such as
printing, individual economic gain for
merchants and factory owners.
Activity two:
• Watch and discuss the film ‘Dockside Cranes’
on the Electric Pavilion website and look at
some of the associated photographs.
• Ask the children to locate on a map where
the activity in the film was taking place
(Princes Wharf, Canon’s Marsh) and discuss
the date (1950’s/1960’s).
• Ask the children to think about what the
following dockside equipment is used for:
Wharf
Mooring bollard
Crane
Transit shed
Railway
Warehouse
Bonded warehouse
• Ask the children to practise some of the
banksman’s hand signals for instructing the
crane driver – see the Dockside Cranes film.
101
Plenary:
At the end of the session:
• Ask the children to list what they would spend
their money on if they were rich factory
owners. Ask them to include ideas that would
also benefit the city.
• Discuss how some imports were a result of
Bristol’s participation in the transatlantic slave
trade (cocoa beans, tobacco and palm oil).
• Ask the children to think about which
industries still exist in Bristol today – tobacco
and chocolate.
• Discuss why the city docks closed –
containerisation, difficult navigation of the
River Avon, increasing size of shipping.
• Discuss where the port is located today –
Avonmouth.
Artefacts Case Study 5: Potty about Pottery
Resource: Ham Green Ware Jug and sherds
Location of resource: Discovery box
CD Image: Ham Green Ware Jug and sherds
Description:
See accompanying artefact information sheet.
Key vocabulary:
Support materials:
• Images of Egyptian, Greek and Roman pottery.
Artefact, sherd, design brief.
Lesson plan: Hoefnagle’s map of Bristol, 1581
Outcome of lesson: Children will produce a design brief and make a
functional clay pot based on a study of pottery from the past. Children
will evaluate its effectiveness against the design criteria. Children will
gain a greater understanding of the skills possessed by local people in
the past.
Class management:
Introduction:
Activity one: small group/individual work,
Activity two: pairs, Activity three: individual
work.
Show the children the Ham Green Ware Jug and
ask them the following questions about the
artefact:
• What is the artefact made from?
• How was the artefact made?
• Who would have used the artefact?
• What was the artefact used for?
• What skills are involved in making the
artefact?
Preparation:
You will need:
• Drawing paper.
• Pencils and clay for each child.
102
Artefacts Case Study 5: Potty about Pottery
Resource: Ham Green Ware Jug and sherds
Activity one:
• Provide each group with one pottery sherd.
Ask the children to handle the sherd, look at
it closely and discuss it in the context of the
introductory questions.
• Ask the children to draw the sherd as
accurately as possible.
• Ask the children to imagine and draw the
pot that the sherd came from.
Activity two:
• In pairs, ask the children to produce a list of
all the things that clay pots can be used for.
• Show the children the images of Roman,
Greek and Egyptian vessels and discuss their
different uses.
• Explain to the children that they are going to
produce a piece of pottery. Provide each pair
with a function description i.e.:
Dry goods storage vessel
Water storage vessel
Drinking vessel
High status pot
Low status pot
Cooking pot
Vessel for eating
• Ask the children to prepare a design brief for
the production of their pot which takes into
account its function.
• Ask the children to swap their designs briefs
with another pair.
Activity three:
• Provide the children with clay and ask them
to make the pot as specified in the design
brief.
103
Plenary:
• At the end of the session ask each pair to
present their pots and explain its design.
• Ask the children to evaluate the design of the
pot against its function.
• Discuss what lessons have been learned about
producing designs that have a specific function.
• Discuss what the children have learned about
local design and technology skills in the past.
Artefacts Case Study 6: Terrible Tobacco
Resource: Corsair print block
Location of resource: Discovery box
CD Image: Corsair print block
Description:
Support materials:
See accompanying artefact information sheet.
• 5 – 6 Contemporary cigarette packets.
• Information about the risks to health from
tobacco and other harmful substances. There
are a number of resources to support this
subject available on the web.
• Information relating to the Wills tobacco tin.
• Examples of symbols i.e. road signs.
Key vocabulary:
Substance, addiction.
Lesson plan: Hoefnagle’s map of Bristol, 1581
Outcome of lesson: Children will learn about past and present day
attitudes to smoking and the dangers it presents to health. Children will
also learn about Bristol’s association with the tobacco trade.
Class management:
Introduction:
Activity one: small goups, Activity two: small
groups/whole class, Activity three: individual
work.
Show the children the print block and printed
image. Discuss with the children:
• How the print was produced.
• Why Bristol is associated with the tobacco
industry.
• If they know of any contemporary evidence
of the tobacco industry in Bristol (The Tobacco
Factory and the bonded warehouses).
• Why a printing industry grew up in Bristol.
Preparation:
You will need:
• Printing equipment such as polyblock, printing
inks, printing paper and rollers.
• Before the lesson ink the printing block and
pull 5 – 6 prints.
104
Artefacts Case Study 6: Terrible Tobacco
Resource: ‘Three Castles’ tobacco tin
Activity one:
Plenary:
At the end of the session:
• Ask the children to investigate what
information is contained on the printing
block.
• Ask the children to compare the information
with that contained on a contemporary
cigarette packet.
• Discuss what information is missing from the
print block and what this can tell us about
attitudes to smoking in the past.
Activity two:
• Ask the children to list as many reasons as
possible why people should not smoke.
• As a class, discuss the children’s reasons and
add additional ones, if required.
• Ask the children to create symbols for each
of their reasons.
Activity three:
• Ask the children to produce an illustrated
poster using the symbols they have created
to warn others about the dangers of
smoking.
• The posters could be printed using the
polyblock printing method and mounted
as a classroom or school display.
105
• Ask the children to consider why Bristol
no longer has a large tobacco industry.
• Discuss and make a list of other harmful
substances and their associated health risks.
How to contact us
Bristol’s Museums,
Galleries and Archives
Primary History Consultant
Jacqueline Ferguson
Bristol’s Museums, Galleries & Archives Service
cares for and displays the city’s vast range of
collections to provide inspiration, learning and
enjoyment for as many people as possible.
Jacqueline Ferguson is the history coordinator at
Ashton Gate Primary School and teaches history
throughout KS1 and KS2. She has also worked on
several projects with local museums, the ss Great
Britain, the local education authority and U.W.E.
looking at the teaching of history in Bristol
primary schools. Jacqueline has a degree in
medieval history, an M.A. in Medieval British
archaeology and literature and an M.A. in
landscape archaeology.
It does this by offering a wide range of services
including a comprehensive service to schools, a
changing exhibition programme, access to the
collections and substantial outreach work with
the local community.
The Service operates from seven sites: Bristol’s
City Museum & Art Gallery, Bristol’s Industrial
Museum, Blaise Castle House Museum, Red
Lodge, Georgian House, Kingsweston Roman
Villa and Bristol’s City Record Office
Where to find us
Bristol City Museum and Art Gallery
Queen’s Road
Bristol
BS8 1RL
How to contact us
Telephone: 0117 922 3571
Fax: 0117 922 2047
Minicom: 0117 922 3573
Website: www.bristol-city.gov.uk/museums
Email: [email protected]
Who to contact
Museum Learning Officer for Local History
Telephone: 0117 3773622
Email: [email protected]
Bristol Record Office
We look after the archives of the city of Bristol
and make them available to everybody. We aim
to collect and preserve records relating to the
City of Bristol and the surrounding area for
future generations to consult.
We have a searchroom where people can look
at the records and staff are available to provide
advice if needed. Records may be on microfiche
or film as well as being original documents.
We also have a digital picture library which at
present makes nearly 6000 pictures of Bristol and
Bristolians available on pc in our searchroom.
High-quality copies of these can be supplied on
request.
If you want to find out more about the
records we look after visit our Online Catalogue,
available on our website.
We can also offer advice to teachers about
the records we hold.
Where to find us
‘B’ Bond Warehouse
Smeaton Road
Bristol
BS1 6XN
How to contact us
Telephone: 0117-922 4224
Fax: 0117 922 4236
[email protected]
www.bristol-city.gov.uk/recordoffice
Who to contact
Record Office Enquiries
106
How to contact us
Bristol Reference Library.
Bristol School Library Service
Bristol Reference Library is the largest public
reference library in the South West, with a
collection that was originally founded in 1613,
the current book stock numbers over a third of
a million titles. Most books are not on the open
shelves, you will need to fill out request slips and
wait while the staff retrieve them.
The large Local History collection includes a
selection of books on open shelves near the
Enquiry Desk. The local catalogues and indexes
will help you decide which other local history
records you would like to see. These include
books, pamphlets, newspapers, maps,
manuscripts, illustrations, photographs, and an
oral history archive.
Bristol School Library Service offers support to all
schools throughout the area through the loan of
books and other resources and by providing
advice and training in all aspects of school library
management, organisation and promotion. Cost
recovery is done on a ‘pay as you go’ basis and
includes collection and delivery.
Where to find us
Central Library
College Green
Bristol
BS1 5TL
How to contact us
Telephone: 0117 9037202
[email protected]
Who to contact
Local history Librarian
107
Where to find us
Unit 1, Bristol Vale Trading Estate
Hartcliffe Way,
Bedminster
Bristol
BS3 5RJ
How to contact us
Telephone: 0117 9038534
Fax: 0117 9038535
[email protected]
Who to contact
School Library Service Librarian
How to contact us
The Architecture Centre
ss Great Britain
The Architecture Centre was founded in 1996
by the Bristol Centre for the Advancement of
Architecture (BCAA), a charitable trust. Situated
on the harbourside next to the Arnolfini, the
Centre houses a gallery, exhibition space and
shop. The centre runs an exciting events,
education and outreach programme and its
principal aim is to encourage public demand
for excellent design by increasing people’s
awareness and enjoyment of their built
environment.
The ss Great Britain is one of the outstanding
achievements of the great Victorian engineer,
Isambard Kingdom Brunel: the first ship to have
been built of iron and driven by a propeller. The
Great Britain sits in the dock where she was built
in 1939 and where Brunel’s first steam ship, the
ss Great Western was repaired.
The ship has undergone a massive conservation
and interpretation plan since she was bought
back to Bristol in 1970. The most innovative
aspect of our conservation plan is the construction
of a glass plate at the ship’s water line, forming
an airtight chamber to stop further corrosion.
The ship and museum provide an inspirational
setting for learning about life in the Victorian
period. We run handling object sessions for
schools to support the national curriculum, and
fun family workshops throughout the holidays
and weekends.
Where to find us
Architecture Centre, Bristol
Narrow Quay
Bristol
BS1 4QA
How to contact us
Telephone: 0117 9221540
Fax: 0117 9221541
www.architecturecentre.co.uk
Who to contact
Education Officer
[email protected]
Where to find us
Great Western Dockyard
Bristol
BS1 6TY
How to contact us
Telephone: 0117 926 0680
Fax: 0117 925 5788
www.ss-great-britain.com
Who to contact
Education and Access Officer
108
Bibliography
All of the following are available in Bristol
Reference Library. Many of the more recent titles
should be available for loan from the Central
Library and branches in Bristol.
Bygone Bristol series by Janet and Derek Fisher.
Images of Bristol taken from old postcards,
several titles available.
AUGHTON, Peter. Bristol: a people’s history.
Carnegie. 2000. 185936067x
Archive Photographs series by Tempus
Publishing. A large number of titles have been
produced for the Bristol area.
BARKER, Kathleen. ‘Bristol at Play’. Moonraker
Press. 1976
Reece Winstone books. Collections of
photographs of Bristol produced by date.
EVANS, M. J. Crossley. Hannah More. Bristol
Branch of the Historical Association. 1999.
Studies in the business history of Bristol. Bristol
Academic Press. 1988
JONES, Donald. Bristol Past. Phillimore. 2000.
1860441386
LATIMER, John. Annals of Bristol. Vols 1-3.
Kingsmead Reprints. 1970
LITTLE, Bryan. The story of Bristol. Halsgrove.
2003. 1841143014
LOW, R. W.G. Grace. Richard Cohen Books. 1997
MASTERS, D. The Plimsoll Mark. Cassell. 1955
MIDWINTER, E.C. W.G. Grace: his life and times.
Allen and Unwin. 1981
MULLER, George. Autobiography. Pickering and
Inglis. 1929
PETER, G. H. The Plimsoll Line. Rose. 1975
STEER, R. George Muller. Hodder and Stoughton.
1990
STOTT, Ann. Hannah More. Oxford University
Press. 2003
Bristol Branch of the Historical Association
Pamphlets. Over a hundred pamphlets on aspects
of Bristol’s history.
109
The images displayed here are a small selection of those available on the accompanying CD.
A Gateway to Bristol’s Past
Local History Resources for KS1 and KS2 teachers