The Knaresborough Workhouse Daybook…

Description

IN the 1790’s  the Workhouse had been in existence in Knaresborough for nearly 60 years.  

This book, a transcription of the original held by the Yorkshire Archeological Society is by Maria F.García-Bermejo Giner and Michael Montgomery. 

A foreword by Dr Arnold Kellett, a well known historian and past Vice President of the Society, gives more context to the Workhouse, and introduces a discussion regarding the dialect, spellings and ‘quaint contractions’ that appear in the body of the work.
The editors themselves also provide more detailed commentary and examples from the work.

Whilst the sections dealing with payments and receipts are repetitive in places, the details of work carried out, and by whom, paint a more detailed picture of the lives of the inmates,  Especially of interest is the spelling of the journal entries which provide the evidence, if any were needed, regarding the manner of phonetically spelling dialect speech.

A book about real people, described by one real narrator in his own distinctive way. A unique contribution to linguistic studies combining local history and dialect.

Published in 2003

Maria F.García-Bermejo Giner is an Associate Professor of English Historical Linguistics at the University of Salamanca, Spain.
Michael Montgomery is Professor Emeritus of English at the University of South Carolina in the USA, and is currently President of there American Dialect Society.

200 pages:  Now only £4.50