A History Of Witham

Author : Helen Margaret Bannerman
Publisher :
ISBN 13 :
Total Pages : 646 pages
Book Rating : 4.:/5 (832 download)

DOWNLOAD NOW!

Download or read book An Oral History, Witham England written by Helen Margaret Bannerman and published by . This book was released on 1981 with total page 646 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: "History is rarely concerned with ordinary peopleyet that is the group which is most directly affected, in its daily life, by the decisions of which history is made. Ordinary people and their town are the concern of this research. The town, Witham, has a recorded history of over one thousand years. Basically rural, the town had changed little during that time, the population increasing even more slowly than it had throughout England in general. In the last fifteen years the change in Witham has been dramatic. Selected to participate in a scheme to alleviate over- crowding in London, Witham has doubled in size since 1966. To understand the impact on the people of Witham, newcomers and old-timers, one can read documents and analyse statistics, but only a fragment of an incomplete story would appear. Talking to a cross section of the population gives a more informed and accurate picture of how the re development of Witham has changed the daily lives of over twenty thousand people. This is, therefore, an oral history of the town. There is a researched section which traces the history of Witham from its earliest days up to 1979. This section also included the factual background to the thoughts and feelings of the residents. The major section is the interviews themselves. An attempt has been made to include people from all age groups, from all walks of life, and more importantly, from among the old and the new residents of Witham. Chapter One deals specifically with the history of Witham prior to the twentieth century, while Chapter Two details the Town Development Act and its implication for the town. The history of the town since 1910 is the subject of Chapter Three. The interviews follow, with a very brief biography of each person involved. Those interviewed include the local Member of Parliament, a retired blacksmith, women councillors, the Clerk of the Council, schoolteachers, a farmer, students, a retired army officer, factory workers, a retired carpenter and his wife, and the con- stituency Labour Agent. Comments range from hatred of Witham to hatred of Londoners. Some see the town as completely spoiled while other rec-ognise the inevitability of change. The majority believe that the plan-ning for the redevelopment was inadequate. Most look at the change from a purely subjective viewpoint, something bare facts neglect. The value in this type of history lies both in the possibly in-creased awareness by people of the attitudes of others within their com-munity, and perhaps the increasing concern of those in power for the needs and desires of the residents. Just in talking to Witham people it was possible to recognise the beginning of a concern for other groups. Some had not been aware of the attitudes of any but their own peer group. This distance, added to the fact that even in a democracy it is possible for the masses to be without a voice or, more importantly, perceive them-selves to be without a voice, creates problems which may have solutions. Even if the solutions for Witham may be too late, for this generation, for some people in some other community, faced with this kind of sitution, a solution may be the result. People are more willing to accept decisions when they have been adequately informed and consulted. This was not done in Witham. The town had undoubtedly changed more than any town of comparable size in England, and apparently without the consent of the ordinary people, the residents of that town."--Document.