One Place Studies: Multiple Sources, Multi-level Society & Maps

This is an update on ‘Surfing Sources From The Sofa’ (IASSIST/CARTO 2018, Montreal) which set out the prospectus for a Before/After Study of a mid-19th Century village. The results are now in, much available as monthly chapters at https://aldershotvillage.net, published as part of the collective efforts of the Society of One Place Studies.

My attempt at an ‘inside-out, multi-level’ account of the Before made extensive use of the search facilities available in ‘subscription access’ genealogy websites, having abandoned use of the micro-census databases available to academics. This micro-history uses a mix of demographic sources, cadastral records and maps available online during Covid times, as well as visits to remote archives after Lockdown.

Access to private correspondence and newspapers during 1853 exposed personality clashes and anti-Russian sentiment, providing context and insight into the plans made by Prince Albert and Commander-in-Chief Hardinge to build a Camp on the heathland to the north of the village. Palmerston had charge of the Militia and there was clamour for investment in the military. The passing of an Enclosure Act caused upset, however, with division amongst the Commoners whose rights dated back to Anglo-Saxon times: two-thirds agreement was required in terms of rateable value.

Spoiler Alert: Britain and France declared war in 1854, troops despatched to fight in the Crimea. The Camp built, thousands of townsfolk then arrive and the village begins its transformation into a garrison town – the topic for the After study.