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In: History - British·History - Modern (1750+)
Public-domain ebook sourced from Project Gutenberg #21352.
Alfred Kingston’s Fragments of Two Centuries is a modestly sized collection of essays that seeks to sketch the texture of English country life during the long reign of George III. The work opens with a careful disclaimer: the author will not pursue a full‑blown history of Royston, but will instead use the town’s local records as a springboard to portray customs that were common across the surrounding counties. By drawing on parish papers, newspaper archives, and personal recollections, Kingston assembles a series of “glimpses” that range from the everyday, coaches, markets, and parish stocks, to the broader currents of the era, such as the impact of the French Revolution and the advent of the railway. The introductory chapter sets a reflective tone, positioning the period as a bridge between the quiet stability of the “good old times” and the upheavals that would reshape rural England.
The voice is that of a nineteenth‑century antiquarian, earnest and occasionally digressive, with a penchant for long sentences and occasional rhetorical flourishes. Kingston’s style mixes factual reportage with nostalgic commentary, reflecting the scholarly conventions of his day while still aiming to entertain a general reader. Those who relish detailed social history, local anecdotes, and the atmosphere of late‑eighteenth‑century England, especially fans of rural studies, historical travel writing, or the cultural backdrop of the Georgian era, will find this work a rewarding, if sometimes meandering, window onto a vanished world.
The opening · free to read
ALFRED KINGSTON.
ROYSTON: WARREN BROTHERS.
1893.
PREFACE.
Though the town of Royston is frequently mentioned in the following pages, it was no part of my task to deal with the general historical associations of the place, with its interesting background of Court life under James I. These belong strictly to local history, and the references to the town and neighbourhood of Royston simply arise from the accidental association with the district of the materials which have come most readily to my hand in glancing back at the life of rural England in the time of the Georges. Indeed, it may be claimed, I think, that although, by reason of being drawn chiefly from local sources, these "Fragments" have received a local habitation and a name, yet they refer to a state of things which was common to all the neighbouring counties, and for the most part, may be taken to stand for the whole of rural England at the time. For the rest, these glimpses of our old country life are now submitted to the indulgent consideration of the reader, who will, I hope, take a lenient view of any shortcomings in the manner of presenting them.
There remains for me only the pleasing duty of acknowledging many instances of courteous assistance received, without which it would have been impossible to have carried out my task. To the proprietors of the Cambridge Chronicle and the Hertsfordshire Mercury for access to the files of those old established papers; to the authorities of the Cambridge University Library; to the Rev. J. G. Hale, rector of Therfield, and the Rev. F. L. Fisher, vicar of Barkway, for access to their interesting old parish papers; to Mr. H. J. Thurnall for access to interesting MS. reminiscences by the late Mr. Henry Thurnall; to the Rev. J. Harrison, vicar of Royston; to Mr. Thos. Shell and Mr. James Smith, for access to Royston parish papers--to all of these and to others my warmest thanks are due. All the many persons who have kindly furnished me with personal recollections it would be impossible here to name, but mention must be made of Mr. Henry Fordham, Mr. Hale Wortham, Mr. Frederick N. Fordham, and especially of the late Mr. James Richardson and Mr. James Jacklin, whose interesting chats over bygone times are now very pleasant recollections.
A.K.
CONTENTS.
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