About the Book
The Warwickshire village of Preston on Stour has a long and
unique history. From a Romano-British settlement grew a thriving community
which even today retains its historic character, unusually untainted by the
modern world.
This book tells the stories of powerful noblemen who tried to
overthrow the royal government; humble but charitable labourers; innovative
farmers; mischief-loving children; craftsmen whose livelihoods crumbled beneath
the relentless tides of progress.
It bears testimony to the start of an agricultural revolution
which even today shows no sign of ending, and portrays a 20th
century culture which is now only fondly held childhood memories.
This book blends national, social and agricultural history
with the memories of past and present residents and the tales revealed by our
buildings, landscape, language and lifestyle to tell the fascinating story
behind a rural way of life.
Why Preston on Stour?
Every person, every place, has a unique story to tell. And
each has an impact on the world around them, in a small or a large way.
Preston is only a small village, but it has hosted thousands
of lives since the first settlers called it their home. Each generation has
helped to shape the village and its landscape, both for themselves and for the
future. And the village in turn helped shape its people and their lives.
These people, and the small communities in which they lived,
are often neglected by history. This book, as well as telling the stories of
wealthy manor-lords with considerable influence on national affairs, focusses
on those individuals who made no impact on the wider world. Those who may never
have even left their village in their lives, who are now forgotten by time, but
nonetheless helped forge a community, a family, a way of life, and so helped
create history in their own small way.
The story of Preston on Stour has parallels across Britain –
in every village where fields were tilled, where boys trudged behind the
plough, where laundresses toiled in scorching soapy water to provide a scant
meal for their families. Where men reaped and threshed and dug, children played,
and people helped out their neighbours in whatever way they could. The story of
one village is a mirror of the history of rural Britain.
About the Author
My family have lived and farmed in Preston on Stour for
around five hundred years. I have been writing fiction for several years ( http://hannah-spencer-author.weebly.com) and decided
to do something different. The village and its history are subjects I've been interested in for a long time, and everyone kept saying it all needed writing up...
It was a long journey, but so many people went out of their
way to help. Former and current residents – some of them over ninety – told me
their memories and family stories. Local historians and academics shared
research and expertise. I discovered some fascinating stories, and this book is
the result.
I have learnt so much about the local area and history in
general, and have helped keep the lanterns of memory alight for future
generations to see. And I am now writing a second book on local military history.
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