Victims of Circumstance Filicide in Nineteenth-Century Scotland
by Alison L. Brown
Using records of the Scottish criminal justice system, Parliamentary Papers and newspaper articles, Alison Brown explores the lives of men and women who killed their children in nineteenth-century Scotland.
This well researched account challenges the idea that parents who committed filicide were necessarily monstrous, and these moving stories demonstrate how social circumstances could lead to the death of a child.
The book also sheds light on the workings of the Scottish criminal justice system and will be of interest to students of the history of crime and Scottish social history, as well as the interested general reader.
Dr Alison L Brown is an independent researcher with a PhD in Scottish social history, and a postgraduate diploma in archives and records management.
Since retiring from her day job, she has dedicated her time to historical research.
Her interests lie in nineteenth-century Scottish social and criminal history, using the wealth of records created by the Scottish criminal justice system, largely untapped and voluminous Parliamentary Papers, and newspaper articles.
Chapel Lawn and The Redlake Valley A social history as told by extracts from the Clun Valley Parochial Magazine 1889 to 1899
by Patrick Cosgrove
These extracts from the Clun Valley Parochial Magazine for St. Mary’s Church, Chapel Lawn, at the time a chapel of ease to Clun Church, provide a fascinating glimpse into 19th century rural life in the Redlake Valley on the border of England and Wales.
The introduction of the magazine must have been very welcome. It not only provided important information about forthcoming church, school, and other social events, but it also enabled people to read news from neighbouring parishes and the wider world.
We must be indebted to the Rev. Charles Warner whose initials are at the end of the introduction to the first issue. It is through his personal efforts, plus encouragement from Rev. Preb. Jellicorse of Clunbury, and through delegation to the various curates who had the good fortune (or bad luck when the weather was inclement) to be attached to Chapel Lawn, that the Magazine was undertaken, and we have this account of life in a quiet rural community in the late 19th Century.
It was with some prescience that in March 1889, Rev. Warner wrote, “The monthly parts will, when bound, make a handsome volume, which will prove interesting, as a record of parish news for future generations.”
Originally from Hampshire, Patrick Cosgrove retired to South Shropshire with his wife, Di, in 2007.
Although not an historian, as he walked, cycled and rode his neighbour’s horse around the lanes of the Redlake Valley, he was struck by a palpable sense of history in the surrounding countryside, amongst the long-standing farming families, and especially by the mixture of English and Welsh place and field-names.
The discovery of a cache of old parish magazines provided the material and inspiration for this book and, Patrick hopes, will encourage others in neighbouring parishes to use the magazines in a similar way now that they are safely stored at Clun Museum.
Slates, Zeppelins and Evacuees
The Story of Emmanuel Holcombe C.E. Primary School
by Nigel Jepson
Slates, Zeppelins and Evacuees tells the fascinating story of a school which, despite its rural setting, has not always enjoyed complete peace and quiet. Most notably for example, when a German Zeppelin air raid attack created havoc in 1916, inflicting extensive damage on the school building.
In further relation to World War I, the reader is invited to enter into the mind of long-serving Head Teacher Henry Foster. Creating a ‘Roll of Honour’ in his poignant log-book entry of 1914, he respectfully inscribes the names of ex-pupils of the school serving in the nation’s armed forces, all of whom he had taught, adding detail as to the regiments they had joined.
Tragically, many of these same names were fated to appear on the commemorative tribute, erected at the nearby church in honour of those who lost their lives in the conflict. Meanwhile, the onset of World War II brought challenging times again for the school, not least with regard to accommodating evacuee pupils and teachers from Manchester.
Very often described as a ‘true village school’, Holcombe was set to have another rude awakening in more recent times when developments such as Ofsted and SATS came to pose a threat of a different kind to the school’s sense of well-being.
Though sometimes finding it difficult in early stages to adapt to a welter of new Government initiatives, the heartening story is told here of how Holcombe School, whilst very much retaining its character as a ‘true village school,’ has at the same time enjoyed great success in recent times in terms of the achievements of its pupils, staff, governors and parents.
Shakespeare’s Cryptic Sonnets An interpretation
by John M. Glauser
In this fascinating and meticulous exploration of the language used in Shakespeare’s more mysterious Sonnets, John M. Glauser illuminates hitherto misunderstood areas of the poet’s work and suggests solutions to some of the most enduring linguistic puzzles.
To this end, the author extends his research beyond the Sonnets to Shakespeare’s other works – his longer poetical works and plays – and to his relationships with the most important people in his life, particularly his young patron, the 3rd Earl of Southampton, but not excluding the mysterious Dark Lady and other key figures.
The result is an intriguing and convincing new portrayal of Shakespeare’s complex, multi-layered writing and the often hidden religious and political meanings it contains – evidence of the poet’s dangerously unpopular opinions in the brutal world of the late sixteenth century.
Shakespeare’s Cryptic Sonnets is the product of over thirty-five years’ dedicated research.
On a remote piece of agricultural land at Hinkshay Farm in Dawley parish, Shropshire, three rows of houses were built in the 1820s, first 48 back-to-back dwellings called ‘Double Row’, then ‘Single Row’ and ‘New Row’, bringing the total to 78 houses. They were built by the Botfield family to house workers for a new ironworks, Stirchley Forge and Mill. Families moved there from the iron-making areas of the Midlands, from small rural hamlets, and some from Dawley itself. The settlement was in existence for 144 years and, at its height, the population of the Rows reached almost 500.
A close-knit community developed with many finding a marriage partner from neighbours. Large families were the norm and work was plentiful, including for women and girls – the Shropshire pit girls. The nearby White Hart Inn together with Hinkshay Mission Church provided a focus for community activities.
Gradual decline in the iron and coal industries in the late 19th century meant that many Hinkshay families decided to leave. Communities of Hinkshay migrants became established in Scotland and South Wales and Durham. But others stayed at Hinkshay, some until the end of the Rows in 1968 when they were demolished and the community of Hinkshay was lost.
This unique and detailed account tells the life stories of those families who came to Hinkshay, those who migrated and those who stayed. It is the product of many years of expert research. a Shropshire industrial community.
Heather Duckett was born at Charlton, a village near Wellington and after attending Wellington High School for Girls joined Shropshire County Library service. In the late 1960s and early 1970s she was librarian at Dawley where she first heard of Hinkshay. For 26 years she was librarian at New College Sixth Form College, Wellington. In 1998 she gained a Bachelor of Arts with Honours (first class) degree from the Open University.
Reviews of Hinkshay Rows...
The Local Historian Volume 55 No 3 August 2025 review by Martin Speight until recently chairman of the Shropshire Archaeological and Historical Society
Heather Duckett has produced a fascinating and detailed study of this small corner of East Shropshire, which will be of interest to local historians in other industrial areas.
The author is to be congratulated on an excellent and detailed piece of research, which she has drawn together into a very clear and readable study.
The range of sources used is comprehensive and clearly referenced to enable the reader to follow up particular points.
The index is particularly detailed and comprehensive in the matter of personal names, and will be very useful to family historians.
This book will be of considerable interest to a wide range of readers who have an interest in industrial history in general, and in East Shropshire in particular, and I have no hesitation in recommending it.
Letters in a Suitcase
by Douglas, Dorothy & Murial Heelas
Edited by Arthur Harris
Letters in a Suitcase offers a captivating window into the daily lives of three siblings – Muriel, Dorothy, and Douglas Heelas – during the tumultuous 1930s to 1950s, with a focus on the years from 1939 to 1948.
Follow Douglas as he embarks on a remarkable journey, leaving school to join the army amidst the backdrop of World War II. From the British Expeditionary Forces in France to a chance encounter with Noel Coward and Leslie Howard in Paris, and the fateful Dunkirk evacuation, his experiences are nothing short of gripping. A harrowing shipwreck, capture by Japanese forces, and years as a prisoner of war in Thailand and Burma make for a truly extraordinary narrative.
Meanwhile, Dorothy’s wartime service in the Auxiliary Territorial Service takes her from England to the far reaches of Southeast Asia. Her vivid letters recount her adventures, from dining at Government House in Singapore with Lord Louis Mountbatten to her subsequent assignment in the Central Mediterranean Forces in Italy.
And not to be overlooked, Muriel, the music teacher, plays her own role in this compelling family saga, teaching in various locations including Broadstairs, St. Albans, and Switzerland.
In Letters in a Suitcase, their correspondence unveils a poignant tapestry of 20th-century British social history, offering a unique perspective on the trials and triumphs of a remarkable era.
Reviews of Letters in a Suitcase
Waterstones review by Pat Pearson:
“Fascinating chronicles of the lives of three siblings during World War 2”
Brilliant compilation of correspondence between three close siblings that offers great insights into the different dynamics of family life, travels and anguish during the war years. I was educated about aspects of being a prisoner of war in Burma and the excruciating wait post war to be repatriated. It felt a privilege to be allowed into the life of this close family through their correspondence.
Bookish Review:
“Hidden treasures revealed”
An unexpected page-turner! This humble treasure trove of letters from the 2nd World War reveals the wide variety of British experiences of wartime for members of one family, at home and on active service abroad. Generally understated, with a laconic often humorous commentary on topical issues, the letters turn out to be fascinating and a real piece of social history. 'Letters in a Suitcase' is a rattling good read, delicately revealing and concealing struggles, and now affording us a fascinating window on the phenomenon of war as lived by ordinary people. In this age of social media and ephemeral communications it is a reminder that if we scorn pen and paper, seduced by the speed of texts and emails, future generations may have no lasting tangible records of the pleasures and pains of life - no love-letters, no exchanges of views, no excruciating 'Dear John' missives, not to mention no stamp collections. What a lost world! It made me dig out my fountain pen and determine to write real letters again - now where's that bottle of ink?
Diponegoro - Top reviews from Amazon United Kingdom:
“UnPutDownable!”
Once one's read through the interesting introduction and are a dozen or so pages into the correspondence between Douglas and his mother, this book becomes difficult to put down, one being so drawn into the individual characters and their relationship as well as to the long-gone society in which they live. Well, it would be 'unputdownable' were it not so heavy! At almost 500 pages in length, this is a heavyweight tome, though that adjective certainly does not apply to the letters themselves. The editor of them, who is to be commended for his diligence in not only copy-typing the original material, but also providing helpful footnotes and a glossary of the oft-used, mostly military abbreviations, says that he personally prefers the chatty style of Dug's sister Muriel, whose writings fill much of the second part of the book, than her brother's somewhat more businesslike manner as his parents' health causes him more and more concern (the attempts to ban cycling, despite their mother's protestations, provide an amusing veneer to these disquiets!). As a window into the real social history of an English middle-class suburban family before, during and after the second world war, this book is truly fascinating.
Tony Haywood (Grand Nephew of Douglas, Dorothy and Muriel)
“ Well, I never knew all that!”
Really enjoyed reading about three fascinating characters who I just happen to be related to.
I met Douglas briefly in 1967 at my brothers wedding but never met Dorothy or Muriel (unfortunately), but would have loved to, these letter have been put together in way that flow and are easy to follow which must have taken the author a great deal of headscratching but I'm so glad he persevered and I thank him .....
I now am reading it again....
A Set of Lusty Fellows
London Insurance Company Firemen and Porters 1680-1832
by Maureen Shettle
The product of over thirty years of research, largely based on the extensive but little used original records of the various London insurance companies, this book examines the history of insurance company fire brigades in London during the period from their formation in 1680 until their gradual amalgamation into a single body from 1833.
It concentrates on a subject which has received little previous attention and is thought to be the first work that specifically focuses on the insurance firemen and porters of the period in London.
Detail is provided of the management and operation of the different fire establishments and the working lives of their employees. Many examples are provided of specific incidents and individuals, bringing to light the service that these men rendered to their community, often at great personal risk to themselves, many of them suffering injury or death in the course of their work.
The book should appeal to both general readers, those interested in local and social history, particularly of London, and those with an interest in the history of fire and other emergency services.
The author, who is a retired archivist, comes from a fire service family. One of her earliest memories is of a set of her father’s drawings of insurance firemen which adorned the walls of the family home, and it was these which sparked her interest in fire history at an early age.
She went on to gain a first degree in History, a higher degree in English local history and then qualifications in archive administration and genealogy. Historical research has played an important part in her working life and has been a major interest in her spare time . She has contributed articles to several local history journals and has also given talks on the history of fire protection to local organisations
Churchill’s status as the titanic UK figure of the 20th Century is open to question. This book argues that, rather than being the saviour of civilisation, Churchill was the proximate cause of civilisation’s near destruction through his part in causing the two world wars.
Mike Poulter begins by tracing the influences behind Churchill’s rise to become a national politician. Names rarely mentioned in other Churchill biographies loom large: Rhodes, Cassel, Abe Bailey and Strakosch. Churchill’s personal and financial dependence on these very influential individuals, who controlled South African Gold and its supply to London, is vividly described.
The tentacles of South African gold spread world-wide. As the tale unfolds, we see that the Boer War was fought in its interest and the First World War was part of that same endeavour. Coincidentally, or perhaps not, in 1925, as Chancellor of the Exchequer, Churchill returned Britain to ‘their’ Gold Standard, a decision that led directly to the Great Depression, the drastic unemployment of working people and the General Strike. A similar sorry tale unwinds through the 1930s when the interests of Strakosch, Bracken and Churchill were closely entwined and Churchill advocated for another, unnecessary World War, the arrival of which displayed Churchill’s strategic ineptitude.
Among this sad cast-list there are, fortunately, some heroes: Alanbrooke, Dowding, Cunningham, Keynes and Sutherland. Indeed many heroes - all the courageous military and civilians who fought and suffered throughout Churchill’s wars.
This persuasive book finishes on a more hopeful note. Post 1945, the heroes were Attlee and Bevan, two men who helped create our future from the debris of the war by founding the National Health Service and the Welfare State.
Educated at St. Ignatius College London, Mike Poulter studied Philosophy/ Theology at The Venerable English College and Gregorian University, Rome during Vatican Council 2 and the Cuban Missile crisis. He met two Popes, 3 Prime ministers and other leaders and pondered ‘What Is Politics For’?
His answer: ‘the creation of a very local, national and indeed an international Community, each safe for the development of properly functioning human beings’ turned him towards social work and politics. He had a professional life 30 years as a Probation officer. Politically: 3 times a parliamentary candidate, as a County Councillor he held seriously responsible posts as Chair : Social Services 1984-92, then Highways, Fire Authority and the Staffordshire Police Authority 2001-2009 for which he received the MBE from Queen Elizabeth.
When you have produced the final draft of your book, it is always advisable to have the text read and checked by a professional editor or proof reader.
You may have friends that are willing and competent to do this and we can advise you on the type of editing that is required.
We can offer four levels of editing as well as proof-reading.
You choose which, if any, are appropriate in your case: 1. Edit of sample pages and short report (£30)
We will edit a few pages to highlight editorial issues so that you can look for similar problems throughout the book.
This will reduce the amount of further copy-editing required when the book is finished. 2. Broad structural editing and criticism (£5 per thousand words)
A structural review is particularly relevant for works of fiction.
The structural reviewer will address the following main areas and produce a short report for the author ” Read More 3. Copy editing (£10 per thousand words)
A copy-editor takes a close look at your text, line by line, with an eye to grammatical errors, repetition, inconsistency and lack of clarity. The copy editor will make changes to the text, with suggestions for rewriting, grammar, and punctuation. When you receive the edited version, you have the final choice about accepting of rejecting the individual changes. 4. Proof Reading (£8 per thousand words)
Proof reading is a line-by-line check that the book is ready for publication. Proof readers will make small corrections for punctuation, grammar and spelling but they will not make significant changes to the text.
A proof reader will identify any significant issues and add comments to the text so that you can make those corrections yourself. 5. Consistency Scan
If you decide your book doesn’t need a full proof reading, we offer an electronic scan to search for common errors and inconsistencies. This looks at issues such as inconsistent spelling and inconsistencies of hyphenation and capitalisation.
We can also identify inconsistencies in the spelling of proper names. 6. Cover text
The quality of the text on the cover is very important as it indicates the quality of the writing in the book.
The title, sub-title and back-cover blurb are all important elements and we can work with you to make sure that these are correct and effective.
Copy Edit
Copy-editors get the raw material into shape for publication i.e they edit the copy.
When they have finished, the designer can lay out or typeset the book and produce a proof.
It is quite normal for the author to make additional changes after a book has been copy-edited.
Working through the material, the copy-editor may identify errors in spelling, punctuation, grammar, style and usage, but also very long sentences and overuse of italic, bold, capitals and exclamation marks.
They should correct or query doubtful facts, weak arguments, plot holes and gaps in numbering.
In fiction, they should also check that characters haven’t changed their name or hair colour, look for sudden changes from first to third person among other things.
The Copy-editor is not a proof reader and should not be expected to find all of the errors in the text particularly if the text is badly written to start with.
This is the job of the proof reader.
The final proof should be checked by a proof reader or an experienced reader friend before going to print.
It is almost inevitable (and acceptable) to miss a few errors which can be corrected in a later edition.
Proof Reading
Proof reading is a line-by-line check that the book is ready for publication.
Proof readers will make small corrections for punctuation, grammar and spelling but they will not make significant changes to the text.
A proof reader will identify any significant issues and add comments to the text so that you can make those corrections yourself.
If you have decided to complete this stage of the process yourself, we will send a detailed check-list to help you.
We ask you to try and ensure that the book is completely ready before we start the layout.
Once the layout has started, we expect that you might want to to make a small number of amendments but
if there are a significant number, we may need to charge for the extra time it takes to change the layout
so best to discuss this with us first.
Structural Review
In fiction, the main areas that a structural editor will address are:
Plot: Does the plot make sense? Is it believable? Is it satisfying or does it leave the reader frustrated? Themes: Are the themes effectively handled? Are there so many that the book lacks focus? Do they interfere with the plot or complement it?
Characterisation: Are your characters well developed and believable? Are they cast in a role that fits their personality? Do they sometimes behave out of character? Point of view/voice: Is the voice consistent or is it sometimes confused? Is the voice authentic? Are you using too many or too few POVs? Pace: Does the plot move forward at an appropriate pace? Should you cut that preface? Should the action happen sooner or should the tension build more slowly? Dialogue: Do your characters sound real when they speak? Is your dialogue cluttered with adverbs and beats? Do you use clunky dialogue to move the plot forward? Flow: Is the narrative interrupted by dead-ends and tangents? Is there so much back story that the main plot is dwarfed? Are there missing plot points that would give the narrative greater integrity?
In non-fiction, the principle is the same, but the specific issues are slightly different:
Thesis: Is your thesis relevant? Is it clearly defined or is it lost among marginal issues? Exposition: Are your arguments clear and cogent? Are they well researched and properly supported? Do they have a clear relationship with your thesis? Content: Are all the necessary topics sufficiently dealt with? Are the chapters weighted correctly? Is there superfluous content? Organisation: Is the information organised logically? Are tables and illustrations used appropriately? How many levels of subheads do you need and how should they be arranged? Tone: Is the tone appropriate for the audience? Do you need to eliminate jargon? Is the text accessible? Pace: Are there passages that are bogged down in detail? Do you spend too long on detail irrelevant to the main thesis? Are there areas that need further exposition lest they be skipped over?
Cover Text
The quality of the text on the cover is very important as it indicates the quality of the writing in the book.
The title, sub-title and back-cover blurb are all important elements and we work with you to make sure that these are as effective as possible.
Consistency check
If you decide your book doesn’t need a full proof reading, we can run an electronic scan to search for common errors and inconsistencies.
This looks at issues such as inconsistent spelling, hyphenation and capitalisation.
It also checks for consistent formatting of numbers and dates as well as undefined abbreviations.
Full Script Edit
The script that you deliver to us will probably constitute what the industry would classify as the ‘Initial Rough Draft’, i.e. a full screenplay written without any other professional input or advice, and probably without a great deal of rewriting. We work through your draft, line by line, scene by scene, and come back to you with a comprehensive set of notes from which you can then work towards the official ‘1st Draft’. Some of our notes will be broad and general, dealing with such areas as the overall shape and structure, pacing, plot and character development; others will be far more specific, with corrections, clarifications and suggested cuts etc. It is of course entirely up to you whether or not to take these suggestions on board, and to what extent.
Subsequent Script Edit
It is very normal and generally beneficial for the script-editing process to go through at least a couple of cycles
i.e. the rewritten draft to be worked through once again by an experienced script practitioner – though this would be entirely at the discretion and behest of the writer.
Ongoing Support
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Publishing is a complex business and we treat every book as a separate project.
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