3.+Reference+Tools

=__3. Reference Tools__= __**3.3 A basic reading list on the history of the Northamptonshire shoe manufacturing industry**__ __**3.5 Relevant maps**__ __**3.6 The Location of the English Shoe Industry **__ 
 * __3.1 Parish Register Extracts from notebook of 18th Century antiquary__**
 * __3.2 Shoes: The complete sourcebook__**
 * __3.4 GENUKI __**
 * __3.7 Towns in Northamptonshire__**
 * __3.1 Parish Register Extracts from notebook of 18th Century antiquary__**
 * //Parish Register Extracts from notebook of 18th Century antiquary, Sir Justinian Isham, 5th Baronet of Lamport, Northamptonshire: Being Lost Extracts from the Registers of Barby, Maidwell, Pytchley, and Rothwell in Northamptonshire and from the register of Stoneleigh in Warwickshire//. Published by Nabu Press. Aug. 2008. (Re Print)**

The Parish register extracts from Sir Justinian Isham, an 18th century antiquary would be a good reference tool for the Rothwell Arts & Heritage Centre to have. It would be beneficial for visitors wanting to know about historically significant people or other genealogical inquiries. It details lost records from Rothwell, Northamptonshire, chronicling names and details of important families and their histories. The original copy of these extracts that was published in 1907 accounts for its validity as a source. “In the case of four of the Northamptonshire parishes (Barby, Maidwell, Pytchley, and Rothwell) the early registers are now lost. Sir Justinian's copy of these is therefore, extremely valuable. The extracts are printed here, just as he wrote them.” ([|www.archive.org], 2011). Records kept by Parishes at the time of its composition were usually kept very well, as those affiliated with the church were generally more educated than the mass population. Parish records have precedence of being valuable tools of information and were often the ‘’authority’’ on many subjects. As Baronet and antiquary, Sir Isham may easily be seen as an authortity on the subject of genealogy.

After reviewing the full-text version online via [|www.archive.org], it can be concluded that the extracts are easy to use and understand. The notes that Sir Isham compiled are very detailed and organized well. The item also reveals connections between families, people and events. Special attention is paid to those who are related to the Isham family. This could be of benefit to the Rothwell Arts & Heritage Centre as they try to connect local history to local families.

The extracts could be used for local history inquires from the schools also, as the parish register extracts offer a variety of usefulness. Like the criteria for acquisitions to the collection, this reference tool fits within the parameters of being useful to understanding Rothwell’s history, addresses a gap of knowledge and has a strong affiliation with the community of Rothwell itself. It is also a relatively cheap addition to the reference collection, and is available online at Amazon.com for under $15. The copy that is for sale online is a re-print of the one published in 1907. The Nabu Press publishers remark that the copy “may have occasional imperfections such as missing or blurred pages, in result to the conservation process or condition of the original artefact” (Amazon.com, 2011). Despite these imperfections, the parish extracts would be a very useful reference tool. The extracts provide an invaluable insight into Rothwell’s history and genealogy. 


 * __3.2 Shoes: The complete sourcebook__**
 * Peacock, John. (2005). //Shoes: The complete sourcebook//. London: Thames & Hudson.**

This reference tool chosen will be beneficial for Rothwell Heritage Centre: //Shoes: The complete sourcebook,// by John Peacock. Having examined a number of books on this subject on Amazon.com, this particular book seemed superior in historical knowledge of shoes compared to other books in this field. This book will be a great asset to the heritage centre as it shows how shoe making has evolved. It also shows shoes in their prime and viewed the way they were intended to be before they have disintegrated and no longer resemble their former self in museum collections.

From looking at the illustrations, one researching the shoes will be able to assess whether the shoes were made for a practical function or just an aesthetic means, i.e. great to look at but painful to wear. This can be determined by the size of the heel and whether there is extra padding the shoes and how thick the sole and heal is to support the feet. Also the different materials used throughout the ages.

Due to the fact that Rothwell’s shoe collection has historical significance, it is desirable that the heritage centre acquires a book like this. This book will enhance the Volunteers knowledge of what era the shoes come from and materials used to make them. An appealing feature in this book is a chart that shows the timeline of the different era’s when the shoes made a debut, showing different ranges down through the centuries. The book description on Amazon points out some of the book’s finest features. It boasts that the author of this book, John Peacock //charts the development of every kind and style of footwear from the earliest times to the present day.’// His work has also been described as ‘//meticulous.’ (Amazon,2011)//

Amazon (2011) presents this book not only is it an outstanding conspicuous achievement with more than 2,000 illustrations on show it also gives an account of how the shoes were cobbled together. Describing materials, styles and added accessories, such as decorations and fastenings from an Editorial review in Publisher’s Weekly, they praised the Author for his extensive research and presenting a magnanimous collection that //‘illustrates every possible shoe imaginable’// The best way to value a product like this book is to take into account the reviews from those who have used the book to expand their knowledge. As a reviewer on Amazon noted, when reviewing illustrations that compensates for using photographs. After all this reviewer points out ‘ //sadly many specimens have not survived at all or at best are in poor condition and kept hidden from regular open exhibition and textile museums that do own them due to fragility’//. For this reason, there is a niche in the market for museums such as Rothwell to acquire a book like this so Volunteers can enrich their knowledge on the history of shoes. Also the book can be used to show visitors images of stock they had previously may have weeded due to poor condition. In these circumstances, the illustrations in this book can bring to life what historic features they have that may have been destroyed from wear and tear.

Another sums it up in a nutshell as they recall that the book is //‘the splendid size, and quality of the illustrations make this a tour de France vastly superior to anything else likely to go into print for many years if not decades to come’ (Amazon,2011)// 

__**3.3 A basic reading list on the history of the Northamptonshire shoe manufacturing industry**__
 * Hatley, Victor. (1971). //A basic reading list on the history of the Northamptonshire shoe manufacturing industry//. Northampton: College of Technology.**

Since shoe manufacturing was an important industry in the County of Northamptonshire, visitors of the Rothwell Arts and Heritage Centre might be interested in finding out more about this particular aspect of the region's history. In this respect, //A basic reading list on the history of the Northamptonshire shoe manufacturing industry,// would be a good reference tool for the Centre to include in its collection. The reading list was compiled by Victor Hatley and published in Northamptonshire by the College of Technology in the year 1971.

The scope of the reading list seems rather limited because it only deals with Northamptonshire, but since the Rothwell Arts and Heritage Centre focuses on Rothwell and, by extension, the County of Northamptonshire, its limited scope can be considered an advantage rather than a liability. The fact that the list was compiled in the seventies does not have to be a weakness since the topic concerns history. The list might in fact direct the users to material they would normally not consult and in this way present them with valuable information.

Victor Hatley has published multiple books that focus on the area of Northamptonshire and in particular on its shoe industry. Examples include //Shoemakers in Northamptonshire// and //The St. Giles' shoe-school: An incident in the history of shoe manufacturing at Northampton//. He was an editor for the Northamptonshire Record Society, which was founded in 1920 with the purpose of ‘preserving and publishing the records of the ancient county of Northamptonshire’. He also served on the Society’s Council for multiple years. On its website the Society claims that it ‘is widely recognised as one of the country's foremost local historical societies’. It publishes the //Victor Hatley Memorial Volumes// in honour of Hatley’s contributions to the historical literature concerning the county of Northamptonshire. Victor Hatley seems to be an expert with regard to Northamptonshire in general and shoe production in particular. Therefore, a reading list he compiled can be regarded as being an excellent source for reliable information.

The target audience of the Rothwell Arts and Heritage Centre consists of people who live in the area and have an interest in its history. Hatley’s basic reading list therefore is a perfect reference tool because it would provide the users with material that is relevant to the Northamptonshire’s shoe industry without directing them to works that might be too specialised.

The reading list is five pages long, which entails its usability would be high and searching for information would not be complicated. It would also not be a costly reference tool to acquire and provide interested parties with a lot of possible material to work with if they are interested in the history of shoe manufacturing in the area. GENUKI website is a valuable choice of a reference tool for the Rothwell Arts and Heritage Centre. This website was created for UK and Ireland Genealogy, it can be used to find people and information about these people, if they were married, their date of birth, hometown, occupation and so on. People will often come to the heritage centre seeking this very information. This reference tool would be useful to have in the heritage centre as people come purposely to the heritage centre seeking information on genealogy. The website is easy to navigate, there is a site map on the home page, it is well laid out and explains all of its sections, each link is underlined in blue so you can simply click on the link to bring you to the page you need. This will be user friendly for the people in the heritage centre. It was last updated on Friday, 20 May 2011 by Rosemary Lockie. This makes it an up - to - date source. The aim of GENUKI is to serve as a "virtual reference library" of genealogical information that is of particular relevance to the UK and Ireland (http://www.genuki.org.uk/contents). It is a non - commercial service, provided by an ever-growing group of volunteers. No permission, registration or fee ins need for accessing the information in GENUKI. It is a charitable trust. The trustees are as follows: Malcolm Austen, Peter Christian, Colin Hinson, Andrew Millard, Brian Randell, Phil Stringer and Richard White. Two interesting links which may also prove useful are: http://www.genuki.org.uk/big/eng/YKS/WRY/Rothwell/Rothwell22Dry.html, this is a transcript of the entry of "professions and trades" for Rothwell in Baines's Directory and Gazetteer Directory of 1822, and http://www.genuki.org.uk/big/eng/YKS/WRY/Rothwell/index.html, which is about Rothwell town itself, there are many more interesting links on this site which can be useful to the heritage centre for providing visitors with information in a quick and ready available manner. 
 * __3.4 GENUKI __**

__**3.5 Relevant maps**__ Maps can also be used as a reference tool to supplement the collection at Rothwell Heritage Centre.The featured maps would be of benefit to people using the heritage centre for research both genealogical and general in nature.



The first map shows the counties of England with Northamptonshire coloured in pink. This would be useful for patrons who are not particularly familiar with the area, as it allows them to gain a broad perspective on the orientation of Northamptonshire as a county within England.

The second map is a modern depiction of Northamptonshire County. This particular map is relevant as it shows Rothwell quite distinctly, using a red dot and also displays neighbouring towns and villages, rivers, lakes and road networks. This could be very useful for patrons of the heritage centre who are not entirely familiar with the area.

The third map is a historic ordnance survey map of Rothwell. Dating from 1884, this map shows Rothwell village and its environs. Due to its age, this map is of poor resolution on screen but a paper copy can be purchased from [|http://www.francisfrith.com] and we would recommend that it be used in this format in the heritage centre. This map would be interesting to locals who are familiar with the area; it allows them to see their town from a historic aspect and locate various features such as wells and old roads that may not appear on modern maps. It would also make for interesting comparison to modern maps of the town. 

__**3.6 The Location of the English Shoe Industry **__
 * Harald Rydberg, Victor. ‘The Location of the English Shoe Industry’, Geografiska Annaler, Series B, Human Geography 47, no. 1 (1965), pp. 44-55. **

The article is of a high standard and has been peer-reviewed. As opposed to solely focusing on the production of footwear, the article delves into the social history surrounding the shoe industry, such as; which stages of production where traditional assigned to women and children and which stages where apportioned to men. The article also explores the essential link between home and factory shoe production as well as the variations on footwear produced by the different towns in Northamptonshire and where the main markets for the footwear were located. It also details tools and materials used in production, some of which are on show in the Arts and Heritage Centre, this may be useful for visitors as a guide to how these tool where put to use every day.

The article was published in 1965. While this may be a drawback if one was searching for up-to-date information on the Rothwell area, this issue is less germane when the article is a historical recount. However, any recent findings or interpretations would obviously be absent from the text. Searches for a more contemporary article proved fruitless.

With permission from the copyright holder, Rothwell Arts and Heritage Centre could produce the article as a small booklet. (According to the video tour of the premises, such facilities are available.) In this way, visitors to the centre could refer to the article as they view the exhibition on the local footwear industry. The only disadvantage in using the article in this manner, is that it is written to an academic standard. While the vocabulary itself is not overly specialised, the style may not be considered engaging by the casual visitor. However, there is such relevant and valuable information contained in the article, that it would be a shame if this resource was not utilised by the visitors. Perhaps, an easy-to-read, condensed version, with citations, could be produced and used in its stead. The article was authored by Harald Rydberg of the Department of Human Geography, University of Uppsala and was published in a Swedish professional journal; Geografiska Annaler, Series B, Human Geography, Vol. 47, No. 1 by Blackwell publishing on behalf of the [|Swedish Society for Anthropology and Geography]. The paper is peer-reviewed. While the Heritage centre may wish to purchase the full volume of Geografiska Annaler. The article is also available for free at []. 


 * __3.7 Towns in Northamptonshire__**
 * Books Llc, “Towns in Northamptonshire: Northampton, Wellingborough, Corby, Kettering, Daventry, Towcester, Brackley, Rushden, Raunds, Desborough, Rothwell”. (2010) Tennessee: General Books LLC. **

This book catalogues the neighbouring towns in Northamptonshire and their respective histories, Rothwell inclusive. This book may prove useful for those visitors with an interest in the towns surrounding Rothwell. Each of the towns is addressed in a favourable manner and while the content relating to each is not extensive, it does provide a brief history and background of each of the towns. The book catalogues the towns which fall under the county of Northamptonshire and is a practical guide in assessing a to-the-point reference of the former.

The book was published just last year so its currency is relevant and while not completely up-to-date, is full of the details which comprise the towns until last year. It is probably more useful in accessing the distant past as opposed to the more recent dealings of the towns. The publishers issue compilations of English texts and documents from open knowledge sources so information is accessed from a variety of sources. The book itself is easy to use and to-the-point. It also provides an insight into the history of shoe-making in the towns. It catalogues the relationship between the towns and how closely they are linked by their history.

The material which comprises the book is useful to the Heritage Centre as it catalogues the intrinsic links between the towns and shows how they are tied together through their history. If for any reason, a visitor to the centre is interested in knowing the history of Rothwell and its connections to the neighbouring towns, this book could be employed as a quick reference guide.

The book is easily acquired and as it does provide the relevant histories of the towns and how they correlate with one another, it should be considered a practical purchase enabling the betterment of reference materials and services for the Heritage Centre of Rothwell and for the purposes of researching the towns which are intrinsically linked to it.

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