The Letchworth Settlement:  User Groups

A period that seems familiar, from films, books, articles and in the surviving buildings. Is there anything else to learn? Well maybe. This course will try to join it all up and put in some of the less glamorous bits. The great issues of the century revolved round state and church, argued out by academics, determined by the monarch and his/her council but nevertheless affecting everyone in the state, from highest to lowest. The upper classes built fine houses employing the best craftsmen and importing new styles and fashions from Europe, while the poorest were living a life that by our standards was very tough indeed. And, rich or poor, it could be very short.
To begin we’ll look at how people made a living, how they found a partner and raised children – the basics of home and family. We’ll consider the place of religion and other beliefs in people’s lives and the various forms of authority exercised within and over communities. The century saw some major developments in administration, alongside the radical changes in religious belief and practice, but there are elements of continuity. In the last sessions we’ll consider issues of culture and education, and elements which give the ‘look’ or image to the period.
Along the way we’ll examine some of the wide variety of sources for all this information, and try to assess how they are used to build up the historical picture. There will be transcripts of portions of documents to read. Some sessions will be illustrated with slides.