ASHBRACKEN is a small personal publishing enterprise based in Radcliffe-on-Trent near Nottingham.

The books that it has published are:
 

LOCAL HISTORY --- Holme Pierrepont
From Domesday to Dukedom and beyond - the story of the Pierrepont family
LOCAL HISTORY --- Radcliffe-on-Trent	LOCAL HISTORY --- Shelford
Village Life in Tudor and Stuart Times - a study of Radcliffe-on-Trent	Sir Thomas Stanhope of Shelford: local life in Elizabethan times
Radcliffe-on-Trent 1710 - 1837	An associated publication is: A thousand years of Shelford and Newton (Shelford and Newton Parish Council)
Radcliffe-on-Trent 1837 - 1920 - a study of a village in an era of change	OTHER NOTTINGHAMSHIRE BOOKS
Radcliffe Remembers - Reminiscences collected to celebrate the Millennium - NOW RE-PRINTED	Brothers at War - the story of the Pierrepont family in the Civil War
A General Index to the books on Radcliffe-on-Trent	A Policeman's Progress - a career with the Nottinghamshire Constabulary
Radcliffe-on-Trent in the Second World War	Nottinghamshire Rivers
OTHER TITLES
Erasmus Darwin - philosopher, scientist, physician and poet	The Bells of St Mary's Church Radcliffe-on-Trent Nottinghamshire
In Memory of Eleanor - the story of the Eleanor Crosses
Another associated publication is John Innes - his life and legacy (The John Innes Society of Merton Park)

From Domesday to Dukedom and beyond by Pamela Priestland

As well as being landowners in Nottinghamshire at Holme Pierrepont and Thoresby, the Pierreponts and their descendants acquired property in at least eight counties. Members of the family had military and naval experience, enjoyed sporting activity, travelled abroad and held political offices. Their strong-minded women included: a daughter whose broken marriage laid the way for modern divorce; another who introduced inoculation against smallpox; and a bigamous duchess. Soft-cover, with 464 A4 pages. More than 370 illustrations - many in colour. ISBN 978-1-872356-12-9 Prices Soft cover: £25-00 Plus £6-00 postage and packing within the United Kingdom; Overseas price by arrangement. Hard cover: £30 Plus £8-00 postage and packing within the United Kingdom; Overseas price by arrangement. Please make cheques in Sterling payable to Radcliffe Local History Society. We regret that we are unable to accept payment by card.

Sir Thomas Stanhope of Shelford: local life in Elizabethan times by Beryl Cobbing and Pamela Priestland The life of the ambitious Midlands landowner Sir Thomas Stanhope (c.1540-1596) demonstrates the importance of patronage in the Elizabethan period. Through distant kinship, he retained the support of chief minister Lord Burghley for much of his life, while two of his brothers at court had the ear of the queen.  Reflecting the patriarchal nature of society, Sir Thomas was often at odds with his wife (the heiress Margaret Port of Etwall in Derbyshire) and two of his sons (John and Edward). The feisty response of some of the women in his life may well have surprised him. An enforcer of anti-Catholic legislation in his role as magistrate, he nevertheless aroused the fears of the crown  when his provincial disputes appeared to undermine national stability in a sensitive period of English history. His public quarrels can be largely followed through the records of Star Chamber, Chancery and other courts. The Fletchers of Stoke Bardolph, the Willoughbys of Wollaton, the Zouches of Codnor (resulting in a riot in Derby in 1577), and the Molyneux, Sacheverell, Kniveton and Markham families were amongst those involved.
His most bitter foe was Gilbert Talbot, 7th Earl of Shrewsbury. (The earl's wife claimed that Sir Thomas's wickedness had caused him to become 'more ugly in shape than the ugliest toad in the world'. She hoped he would 'be damned perpetually in hell fire'.) The climax of this quarrel came at Easter 1593 when the earl's tenants and servants attacked Sir Thomas's weir on the River Trent.  In 1596 Sir Thomas died in debt, partly caused by the cost of rebuilding his house at Shelford. Whether he was a victim or a villain is for the reader to decide. In the long run, however, his family's status rose. His grandson became the 1st Earl of Chesterfield - a title found on local public house signs to this day. Paperback, 382 pages, 233 x 153mm, over 100 illustrations. ISBN 1 872356 10 9 £8.00 per copy plus £3.00 postage and packing in the United Kingdom. Overseas price by arrangement. Return to top of page

 

Erasmus Darwin - philosopher, scientist, physician and poet   by Neal Priestland Erasmus Darwin was born in Elston near Newark, Nottinghamshire in 1731. After medical training in Edinburgh he practised in Nottingham before moving to Lichfield where he developed a highly successful medical career. His wide scientific interests led to his membership of the Lunar Society of Birmingham and to a Fellowship of the Royal Society. He married twice and fathered a very large family, including two daughters who ran a school in Ashbourne, Derbyshire. Charles Darwin, the biologist, was his grandson. Erasmus later moved to Radbourne, then to Derby and finally to Breadsall where he died in 1802. This book, which is illustrated with maps, engravings and photographs, describes Darwin's scientific achievements, records his family's history and gives extensive extracts from his scientific verse.  72 pages (210 x 196 mm) with full colour cover showing Darwin by Wright of Derby.  ISBN 1 872356 03 6 UNFORTUNATELY THIS BOOK IS NOW OUT OF PRINT. Return to top of page

A Policeman's Progress - a career with the Nottinghamshire Constabulary   by Sam Davy  Sam Davy, who was 80 years old when he wrote the book in 1991, was well known throughout Nottinghamshire and this is the story of his life. Born in Colwick he spent his childhood in Aslockton. After joining the police his postings included Beeston, Shire Hall in Nottingham, Retford, Stapleford and Mansfield. He retired with the rank of Chief Inspector and took on responsibilities for security with the National Coal Board. His book is an absorbing account of his cases and experiences. Sam died in 2000. (104 pages; 148 x 210 mm; with illustrations) ISBN 1 872356 04 4 Price £6.50 including postage and packing in the United Kingdom. Overseas price by arrangement.  Return to top of page

Nottinghamshire Rivers   by Sam Davy Sam Davy shares his love of the county and especially its rivers and streams with his readers. The major rivers - the Trent, Soar and Erewash feature as do the Meden, Poulter, Erewash, Idle and Leen along with numerous lesser streams. The book is well illustrated with black and white photographs by Caroline Russell and with sketch maps.  (48 pages; 210 x 196 mm; full colour cover showing the River Trent at Newark and Trent Bridge in Nottingham) ISBN 1 872356 05 2 Price £4.90 including postage and packing in the United Kingdom. Overseas price by arrangement.  Return to top of page

Village Studies These well-researched histories are of interest not only to local people but to anyone interested in the periods of the respective books. They are proving invaluable for students and sixth-formers who have to produce long essays, dissertations or theses as part of their courses since they provide specific evidence on topics which can be compared with data from elsewhere.
Village Life in Tudor and Stuart Times - A study of Radcliffe-on-Trent edited by Pamela Priestland and Beryl Cobbing Topics covered include: Early Tudor squires. The muster. Religious changes 1485-1558. The Thrave family. Elizabethan landlords. The river and Sir Thomas Stanhope's weir. Religion in the reign of Elizabeth I (1558-1603). Isabel Dewsbury's breach of promise. Constraints and obligations in the Tudor period. Thomas Parker - a bailiff at odds with his landlords. A social survey of the Tudor village. Farming in Tudor times. Church and parish in the early Stuart period. The Jordans - recusancy and `murder'. Two pre-Civil War squires. The will of Jeffrey Limner. The brass to Anne Ballard. Anne Byrde's disputed will. The gentry from Civil War to Restoration. The Protestation return. The breakdown of religious authority 1638-1660. The Gambles and their daughters. Lawrence Henson - ship's carpenter. The gentry, the militia and the colonel. The Rosells in retreat. A major tithes dispute. Religion under the later Stuarts. Constraints and obligations in the Stuart period. The Pilkingtons and their sons. The Stuart village - a social survey. Some 17th century householders and their inventories. Farming in Stuart times. Literacy in Tudor and Stuart times.  (272 pages; 210 x 296 mm; cover showing Ann Ballard from the brass in St Mary's church, Radcliffe-on-Trent. Text incorporates maps, graphs and illustrations) ISBN 1 8723 5608 7 Price: £10.00 per copy plus £6.00 postage and packing in the United Kingdom. Overseas price by arrangement.  Return to top of page
Radcliffe-on-Trent 1710 - 1837 edited by Pamela Priestland Topics covered include: Lords of the manor. Enclosure. The parish church and its clergy. Methodism in Radcliffe - the first thirty years. Village officials. Law and order. The village poor. A social survey. Five village families.  (150 pages; 210 x 296 mm; colour cover showing part of the Rosell Estate map of 1710; over 30 maps, plans and illustrations)  ISBN 1 872356 01 X Price £8.50 per copy plus £4.00 postage and packing in the United Kingdom. Overseas price by arrangement.  Return to top of page
Radcliffe-on-Trent 1837 - 1920  - a study of a village in an era of change edited by Pamela Priestland Topics covered include: The Manvers estate. St. Mary's church and the clergy. Methodism. The coming of the railway. A changing village. National politics. Local government. Public health. Law and order 1837-1887. Poverty, charity and self-help. Education. Sports and pastimes. The First World War.  (340 pages; 210 x 296 mm; colour cover showing a view of Main Street, Radcliffe-on-Trent in 1877 painted by Edward Price and over 100 maps and illustrations) ISBN 1 872356 00 1 Price £11.00 per copy plus £6.00 postage and packing in the United Kingdom. Overseas price by arrangement.
A General Index to the five volumes This covers Village Life in Tudor and Stuart Times - a study of Radcliffe-on-Trent Radcliffe-on-Trent 1710 - 1837 Radcliffe-on-Trent 1837 - 1920  - a study of a village in an era of change Radcliffe Remembers: reminiscences collected to celebrate the Millennium<> Radcliffe-on-Trent in Picture Postcards (published by Reflections of a Bygone Age, Keyworth, Nottingham) Price: by arrangement. Overseas price by arrangement.  Return to top of page

Radcliffe Remembers: reminiscences collected to celebrate the Millennium Edited by Jean Lowe and Pamela Priestland This book is based on the collected reminiscences of the Nottinghamshire community of Radcliffe-on-Trent, dating from the end of the first World War to modern times. It has been produced to celebrate the new Millennium. (249 pages; 210 x 296 mm; colour cover showing Radcliffe-on-Trent ferry and boat house; over 150 illustrations) ISBN 1 872356 09 5 NOW RE-PRINTED Price: £16-00 plus £4.50 postage and packing within the United Kingdom; Overseas price by arrangement. Return to top of page

Radcliffe-on-Trent in the Second World War Edited by Jean Lowe and Pamela Priestland The material for this booklet has been adapted from several chapters of Radcliffe Remembers: reminiscences collected to celebrate the Millennium for the weekend of 1 and 2 October 2005 when Radcliffe commemorated the sixtieth anniversary of the ending of the Second World War. Its production has been supported by Radcliffe-on-Trent Parish Council through the ‘Home Front Recall’ Heritage Lottery Fund (40 pages; 210 x 296 mm; colour cover showing identity card, clothing ration book and air raid precautions handbook; 16 illustrations) Price £4.00 including postage and packing in the United Kingdom. Overseas price by arrangement. Return to top of page

Brothers at War by Robin Brackenbury This short study traces the split caused by the Civil War in one of the nation's leading families. Robert Pierrepont, 1st Earl of Kingston, (1584-1643) lived at Holme Pierrepont in the south of Nottinghamshire. He and his eldest son, Henry, were supporters of King Charles I while two of his younger sons, William and Francis, supported Parliament. Those who lived through the turmoil of the years preceding the Civil War, and who took up arms or were divided during these `unhappy differences' did so, if the Pierreponts are anything to go by, from conviction rather than self-interest.  (30 pages 210 x 196 mm; 11 illustrations and an extensive genealogy of the Pierrepont family; cover illustrations of Henry 2nd Earl of Kingston and of Holme Pierrepont Hall in 1676) ISBN 1 872356 07 9 Price: £3.50 per copy plus £1.00 postage and packing in the United Kingdom. Overseas price by arrangement. Reprinted 2005. Return to top of page

In Memory of Eleanor - the story of the Eleanor Crosses   by Pamela and Neal Priestland In November 1290 Eleanor of Castile, wife of Edward I died in Harby in Nottinghamshire. She was buried in Westminster Abbey and her husband had elaborate crosses built at the sites where her body had rested on its journey to London. Three crosses survive at Geddington, Northampton and Waltham, and there are memorials in Lincoln and Westminster. The present Charing Cross in London is a Victorian version of a demolished Eleanor Cross.  (40 pages; 210 x 196 mm; full colour cover showing Queen Eleanor's tomb in Westminster Abbey and her three shields; maps and illustrations) ISBN 1 872356 02 8 Price £3.00 per copy plus £1.50 postage and packing in the United Kingdom. Overseas price by arrangement.  Return to top of page

A thousand years of Shelford and Newton by Pamela Priestland This book was published by the Shelford and Newton Parish Council to celebrate the year 2000. The front cover picture is a view looking down to Shelford from the Radcliffe to Newton road, painted in 1883 by Edward Price (1801-1889). The lower picture, from the back cover of the book, is a view of Shelford, showing the blacksmith's shop on West Street and the church, painted in 1863 by Robert Bradley (born c.1813). (128 pages; 210 x 296 mm)   Price: £5.00 per copy plus £4.00 postage and packing in the United Kingdom; Overseas price by arrangement. Return to top of page

John Innes: his life and legacy compiled by Neal Priestland When you buy compost, the name ‘John Innes’ will probably be on the bag. But who was this John Innes? When and where did he live? And what is his connection with horticulture? With his elder brother, James, John Innes made a fortune from property. Hoping to exploit the provision of housing for City workers, they bought land in and around Merton in south-west London. While living there John was thoroughly involved in local affairs. He died in 1904 and is buried at St Mary’s in Merton. He was a very wealthy man with no dependants and left most of his fortune to establish the John Innes Horticultural Institution at Manor House in Merton. It was here in the 1930s that the famous John Innes composts were developed. The Institution expanded to become the John Innes Centre at Colney near Norwich. So John Innes never knew of the composts or the Centre, Society and Conservation Areas that bear his name. But it is likely that this genial, but somewhat despotic, man would approve of the activities associated with his name 100 years after his death. This book tells the story of his life and its legacy.

The book was published in 2004 by the John Innes Society of Merton Park ISBN: 0 9547 8580 0 Price: £8.50 plus £3.00 postage and packing in the United Kingdom; Overseas price by arrangement. Return to top of page

The Bells of St Mary's Church Radcliffe-on-Trent Nottinghamshire compiled by Neal Priestland St Mary's church in Radcliffe-on-Trent has a fine peal of eight bells. This booklet tells the story of the bells at the church. There is also a description of the bells, past and present along with the various inscriptions and dimensions. Other interesting aspects of bell ringing are also recorded. Published in 2006. 16 pages; 3 colour photographs. ISBN:1 8723 5611 7 and 978 1872356 11 2 Price £2.50 per copy plus £1.00 postage and packing in the United Kingdom. Return to top of page