Welcome to Richard Clarke's website.
Having been a secondary school history teacher for 36 years and prison tutor for three I now focus on developing my interest in landscape history and on fostering an interest in others as a speaker, tutor, writer, guide and researcher (house and church).
I am available for consultation in areas such as:
-
Illustrated talks;
-
Presentations;
-
Guiding;
-
Articles;
-
Research.
Recent Posts
Descriptions of Hull 16th to 18th centuries 15 (22/10/’20).
One of Daniel Defoe’s (s.p.b.) earlier publications was an explanation of events leading-up to the Act of Union (England and Scotland), 1707 (see above). Defoe was well versed to write about this as he... [more]
Descriptions of Hull 16th to 18th centuries 14 (22/10/’20).
The illustration above shows Celia Fiennes (s.p.b.) riding side-saddle through the Norfolk countryside, her elegance perhaps exaggerated and no accompanying servant. The landscape is stylised also, jagged mountain peaks not being typical of East... [more]
Descriptions of Hull 16th to 18th centuries 13 (21/10/’20).
Dr . Woodward’s last two travellers (s.p.b.s) are, I imagine, the best known of their kind; Celia Fiennes (1662 – 1741) and her near contemporary Daniel Defoe (1660 – 1731). Although Miss Fiennes’ father... [more]
Descriptions of Hull 16th to 18th centuries 12 (19/10/’20).
Edmund Gibson (1669 – 1748) was Dr. Woodward’s next topographer (s.p.b.s). Although he basically just re-published the text of Camden’s Britannia (s.p.b.) he added sufficient further information to qualify it as a new publication.... [more]
Descriptions of Hull 16th to 18th centuries 11 (14/10/’20).
By the time of Thomas Baskerville’s description of Hull, late 1670s, there were already quite detailed plans of the town, particularly Hollar’s bird’s-eye view of 1641 (see above) – it therefore becomes possible to... [more]
Descriptions of Hull 16th to 18th centuries 10 (13/10/’20).
The third of Dr. Woodward’s (s.p.b.s) six 17th century topographers, John Ogilby (1600 – 1676), is shown in the portrait above. Ogilby had a varied career, his topographical work Britannia being published late in... [more]