Lincoln in 1837 (Lincolnshire Lives)
by Stephen Roberts
59pp paperback, 12th September, 2019. ISBN: 978-1692023287. £3.99
Lincoln in 1837 was a remote city. There was no railway link with anywhere. The inhabitants of the city did not learn that Victoria had succeeded to the throne until the day after it had happened. Cattle were driven through the streets, and there were pig and sheep markets. Those with money traversed the city on horseback or in carriages; the rest walked, inured to the stench but seeking to dodge the manure.Yet Lincoln was a lively and interesting place to live. There were heated political and religious rivalries, and the inhabitants played cricket, went to the races and the theatre and attended lectures and exhibitions at the Mechanics Institute and concerts put on by the Choral Society. This book provides a fascinating month-by-month overview of what was going on in Lincoln as the city entered the Victorian age. It is based on the reports of Thomas Cooper and Thomas Brogden – two very talented journalists.
Charles Seely of Lincoln: Liberalism and Making Money in Victorian England (Lincolnshire Lives)
by Mark Acton and Stephen Roberts
69pp paperback, 8th February, 2019. ISBN: 978-1796273823. £4.99
In his day the Victorian businessman Charles Seely was known as 'Pigs'. It has long been believed that this nickname was derived from his refusal to bring to an end a contract supplying the Admiralty with iron ballast when it no longer needed it. It's a great story, but that's what it is ... a story. This is the first biography of Charles Seely and the authors reveal the real reason why Seely became known as 'Pigs'. The book tells a remarkable story. Seely was a man of great ambition and enterprise and he drove hard bargains. He rose from being co-partner in a corn mill to being the owner of mines and landed estates that brought him immense wealth. The 'Baker's Boy' from Lincoln lived at a prestigious address in London and owned a beautiful country house on the Isle of Wight, where he played host to Garibaldi. An independently-minded Liberal, Seely represented Lincoln in the House of Commons for almost a quarter of a century. This book offers something of interest to all those fascinated by our Victorian predecessors.
The Parliamentary Career of Charles de Laet Waldo Sibthorp 1826-1855
by Stephen Roberts and Mark Acton
140pp hardback, 1st August, 2010, published by Edwin Mellen Press Ltd. ISBN: 978-0773413597. £26.38
This book adds to our knowledge of British politics from 1829 to 1851. It includes a biographical introduction on Sibthorp, an analytical essay on his ultra-Tory political opinions and extracts with annotations from his speeches in the House of Commons on such issues as Catholic Emancipation, the Maynooth Grant, parliamentary reform, retrenchment, government secrecy, military matters, railways, agricultural protection and the Great Exhibition. Charles de Laet Waldo Sibthorp was a very well known figure in his era. His odd appearance and strong political views attracted the attention of many popular writers and periodicals including Charles Dickens - he appears in "Sketches of Boz" - and of "Punch" magazine - he was mentioned, in a merciless campaign of ridicule, by the periodical on some 345 occasions. Surprisingly however, this is the first book on the notorious ultra-Tory. Sibthorp's story - a soldier, an adulterer, an art collector - is interesting in itself, but what is far more interesting is his determined opposition over three decades in the House of Commons to reform. Sibthorp was repeatedly re-elected by the voters of Lincoln who saw him not as "Punch" did but as an honest and independent representative. In the House of Commons Sibthorp was often on his feet and not put off by those who sought to drown him out by talking or laughter. When his parliamentary speeches are examined, it becomes clear that Sibthorp put forward a coherent set of political arguments.