Printable summary
The seven workshops on one or two printed pages.
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Seven workshops at a glance
| Workshop | Main idea | One fact to remember |
|---|---|---|
| 1. River town | Ask “why here?” and look for evidence | Crossings, mills, markets and routes explain where many towns grew |
| 2. Maps and records | Judge each source: who, when, why, for whom, what is left out | Civil registration began in England and Wales on 1 July 1837; census names from 1841 |
| 3. Water mills | A wheel turns the weight and push of water into work | Power is about 1000 times 9.8 times flow times head; the overshot wheel was the most efficient traditional type |
| 4. Bookbinding | Sewn sections make a book last | Fold parallel to the grain; wheat-starch paste can be undone |
| 5. Lettering | A steady pen angle makes thick and thin strokes | Space letters by the white area between them, not by distance |
| 6. Plant dyeing | A mordant helps colour bond to the fibre | Mauveine, the first synthetic dye, dates from 1856 |
| 7. Block printing | Cut away what should stay blank; the print reverses | The Diamond Sutra, 868, is the oldest dated complete printed book |
Ten terms to know
- Primary source: a record made at the time.
- Corroboration: confirming with a second source.
- Leat: a channel that carries water to a mill wheel.
- Head: the drop of the water.
- Section: folded sheets sewn together.
- Grain: the direction of the paper fibres.
- x-height: the height of small letters.
- Mordant: a salt that helps dye bond.
- Relief print: a print from raised parts of a block.
- Registration: lining up blocks.
Five rules for good local history
- Ask a clear question first.
- Write down where every fact came from.
- Compare at least two sources before trusting a date.
- Say how sure you are.
- Record the gaps as well as the finds.
Safety in five lines
- Adults handle hot water and dye baths.
- Use only alum as a mordant.
- Cut away from the body with the other hand behind the blade.
- Keep dye pots for dyeing only.
- Never go near fast or deep water alone.