New Releases by Pamela Horn

In this book, first published in 1980, the author draws a vivid picture of what country life was like for the vast majority of English villagers – agricultural labourers, craftsmen and small farmers – during a period of rapid agricultural development. This study analyses the influence of the enclosure movement on farming methods and on the structure of village life, and examines the devastating effects of the Napoleonic wars on English society. The Rural World is based on a wide range of sources, including parliamentary papers, contemporary letters, diaries and account books, and official records such as those relating to the Poor Law and the courts. It provides a fascinating overview of all aspects of rural life – from employment to home conditions, education, charity, crime, the role of religion and the influence of politics – during a critical period in English history.

The story of the shopworkers who emerged during the Victorian and Edwardian era to cater for all clientele from behind the counters of the increasing number of shops and lavish department stores.

A guided tour of this historic town, showing how the areas you know and love have transformed over the centuries.

The real lives of servants in the second half of the twentieth century.

Real women''s lives in the era of The Great Gatsby.

Forget glossy period dramas, here is the real story of Britain''s super-rich from the First World War to the end of the ''roaring'' twenties.

A fascinating glimpse of life below stairs, This book tells the stories of the lives the people who lived and worked there.

An honest account of what life was really like for the rural community in the Victorian age

In the world of the late-Victorian and Edwardian country house the mistress and her daughters had many social duties and responsibilities to carry out both in their home community and in London, where they spent the Season and where the girls officially entered Society by being presented at Court. Pamela Horn''s book examines the lives of these real ''Downton Abbey'' ladies from their childhood and marriage to their role as a ''Lady Bountiful''. It covers their leisure pursuits, sporting activities, country-house weekends, and much more besides, up to the life-transforming years of the First World War.

What was it like to live in a Victorian Household? What time did the servants have to get up? What was the food like and who cooked it? How did the clothing differ for the different types of servants? How much did the servants get paid? This book shows you what it was really like to live in Victorian times, for those both above and below stairs.

Presented in a small gift book format, this series offers books that intend to take the reader back in time and show them what it was really like to be a Victorian Lady, what sights and smells would be around them, and what day-to-day life would involve in terms of food, clothing, living quarters, kitchens, and more.

Richly illustrated with artwork and contemporary cartoons, this is a fascinating and engaging account of a neglected aspect of Victorian life.

Country houses formed a distinct community and power base within the broader Victorian countryside. This book shows how landed families'' day-to-day existence depended on the skills of the indoor servants who provided their meals and ministered to their general comfort, and the outdoor staff who contributed to their leisure and sporting pursuits. It considers the relationship - and the divisions - between those living ''above stairs'' and and the carefully considered hierarchy of domestics who met their needs ''below stairs''. Also considered are the wider social activities of the two groups who, while living under the same roof, experienced a very different daily round. That applied to preparations for the holding of house parties and the running of sporting events, as well as the important social influence exerted by the London ''Season''.

A superbly- illustrated account of the British system of education in the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries.

A fascinating and very readable exploration of how young offenders have passed through the legal justice system over 300 years.

A fascinating glimpse of life below stairs, This book tells the stories of the lives the people who lived and worked there.

The fascinating history of Abingdon, illustrated through old and modern pictures.

History of the National Institute of Houseworkers. Dorothy Elliott was an early chair of the NIH Board.

The complete servant is a fascinating source of social history and a guide to backstairs living in both large and modest house of the late Georgian era. It was first published in 1825 ...

Paradoxically, the Victorian era, which was laid on a bedrock of work and industry, saw the greatest upsurge in leisure pursuits hitherto witnessed. This book describes the pastimes enjoyed by the Victorians, placing them in their social context.

First published in 1991 and now available in paperback, a title in the ILLUSTRATED HISTORY PAPERBACK series which explores the life and social round of the wives and daughters of the landed aristocracy and gentry from the 1830s to the end of the First World War.

The rise of urban society saw a great majority of people living in towns at the end of the 19th century and, in industrial centres, the proportion of children was well above the national average. Horn examines their lifestyles and attitudes to them.

This short book provides a succinct account of changes in children''s work and welfare in Britain between 1780 and 1890. It examines both the scale and the nature of child employment and the changing attitude of society towards it at a time when Britain was becoming the ''workshop of the world''. The further development of industry in the second half of the nineteenth century meant that the need for juvenile workers declined. At the same time the efforts of philanthropists and the State led to legal curbs on the kinds of jobs children could perform and the minimum age at which they could commence them. The author concludes that the century after 1780 saw a progressive lengthening of childhood as a stage of life, and that by 1890 children had been recognised as ''special cases'' in need of protective legislation. However, for the poorest and most disadvantaged families life remained a struggle, and children continued to pick up a living where they could.

Drawing on family papers, contemporary publications and archive research, this book presents a vivid picture of women''s lives in the 1920s. Essential reading for students of women''s history and social historians.

Examines the scale and nature of child employment between 1780 and the 1880s and the way in which attitudes towards this altered over time. The contributions of philanthropy and of the state in achieving change are considered.