Rowland Parker (1912–1989)

Fabulous. I had worries in the first part as he filled in the little of what is known of the human landscape of Roman Britain with conjecture, but at least he was clear about what was conjecture and what was real and as the centuries progressed the detail gathered from what is documented took over bit by bit and he presented the dry detail from the village records and law reports with verve and persuasion. He came across himself as someone it would be great to know - humour, intellegence, imagination and a good helping of rebellion and free thinking.… (más)

Fabulous. I had worries in the first part as he filled in the little of what is known of the human landscape of Roman Britain with conjecture, but at least he was clear about what was conjecture and what was real and as the centuries progressed the detail gathered from what is documented took over bit by bit and he presented the dry detail from the village records and law reports with verve and persuasion. He came across himself as someone it would be great to know - humour, intellegence, imagination and a good helping of rebellion and free thinking.… (más)

Most English histories are written about a particular period. They are organized by decades, centuries or reigns and most are written about the “important people.” This is not the type of history that Rowland Parker has written. He has centred "The Common Stream" on the history of one place; a common stream that grew into a village. His particular village is Foxton, near Cambridge. What was true for the village of Foxton can be extrapolated to any number of similar villages that dot the English countryside.

Parker delved into the records to find out what happened to the village, the buildings and the people over 2000 years. It is wonderful to see what a thorough study of the records can reveal about a place. What is even better is that he shows how life and attitudes evolved over the decades and what forces caused these changes. This book was recommended to me by a family historian and I can see why. It helps to round out the stories of my ancestors who lived in similar villages.… (más)