Place Apart - Hebden Bridge as seen through the eyes of the Spencer family in the late 19th century (Collier Christopher)(Paperback / softback)

The textile industry in the nineteenth century opened the Pennines to the world, and one small Yorkshire town which made its mark was Hebden Bridge. Sheltering below the moors, at a junction of two rivers, it excelled at making clothes for working men. A Place Apart tells the story of the town through the experiences of three generations of the Spencer family. Mills dominated the landscape, along with the Non-conformist chapels which gave a moral compass to people's lives. Education was opened to everyone and, as working hours relaxed, people had time to relax and enjoy themselves. - - - - The book provides a valuable perspective on life and attitudes during the Victorian era, brought into an unfortunate focus in 1901 when the daughter of Joseph Spencer, a successful local tailor, found herself pregnant by a local lad. Reputations had to be preserved and the family left town. The business held on, but finally closed in 1907. - - - - This wide-ranging portrait of the area's social and industrial history is written by a descendant of the Spencer family, and features first-hand accounts, authoritative source material and contemporary illustrations. It provides an engaging, well-researched study of a town and its people at a time of immense change.
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