History of Economy Research Blog (HERB) discussion series 2021-22 on the theme of ‘commerce’

first half year (Oct-Feb)

Each session runs from 4:30-5:30pm (Tuesday) online on Teams

5 October 2021: Jane Whittle: ‘Between commerce and self-sufficiency: the farming and household accounts of John and Marie Coke, Herefordshire, 1607-22’ [Jane is professor of Economic and Social History at the University of Exeter]

19 October 2021: Laura Burnette: ‘“Square dealinge is best”: advertising trustworthiness through 17th century trade tokens’ [Laura is a second year PhD student supervised by Henry French (Exeter) and Ben Jervis (Cardiff). She is an archaeological small finds specialist by background and is studying how 17th century trade tokens were used and understood by people at the time]

2 November 2021: Elizabeth Thelen: ‘Of Camels and Crime Prevention: state support for trade at an annual fair in 18th-century western India’[Elizabeth Thelen is a postdoctoral research associate on the ‘Lawforms’ project led by Nandini Chatterjee. Her current research interests include record-keeping practices in early modern Rajasthan and the institutionalisation of Sufi shrines, and her first book, Urban Histories of Rajasthan: Religion, Politics and Society (1550 –1800), will be published in 2022]

16 November 2021: Polly Lowe: ‘“Infamous trade”: commentaries on prostitution in eighteenth-century newspapers as insight into anxieties about extravagance and consumption’“Infamous trade”: commentaries on prostitution in eighteenth-century newspapers as insight into anxieties about extravagance and consumption [Polly is a second year PhD student supervised by Sarah Toulalan and Richard Ward. Her PhD title is "Morality and the Market: Contested Commodification of the Body in Eighteenth-Century England"]

30 November 2021: Kate Osborne: ‘The Great Elizabethan Bake Off! Baking in sixteenth century Exeter’ [Kate completed a PhD on Elizabethan Exeter’s social structure and topography in 2015 and is currently a postdoctoral researcher on the Exeter ‘Hidden cities’ project led by Fabrizio Nervola]

18 January 2022: Linda Henderson: 'Commercial Travelling: Transporting Aylesbury Ducklings to Market, 1820-1920' [Linda Henderson is a third year PhD student supervised by Henry French and Jane Whittle. Her PhD title is: ‘"Looking after the Babes" - Class, Gender, and the Nature of Scientific Improvement - a case study of the Aylesbury Duck Industry 1820-1920’]

1 February 2022: Paul Williams: ‘Shop Fines in Exeter, 1509-1547’ [Paul was awarded his PhD on merchants and tailors in Exeter 1470-1570 in June 2021, having been supervised by Jane Whittle and Jonathan Barry. He is currently working on a number of publications from his thesis]

15 February 2022: Jonathan Barry: ‘Marketing medicines: the advertising of Dr William Salmon (1644-1712)’ [Jonathan Barry is based in Munich and is an emeritus professor of History at Exeter. His research has focused on early modern English urban history, medical history and witchcraft among many other things]

1 March 2022: Amy Smith: ‘ “Her husband... came to her Assistance”: who ran the alehouse in early modern England?’ [Amy is in her second year of an AHRC funded PhD studentship at the University of Bristol, supervised by Mark Hailwood and Jane Whittle]

3 May 2022: Hannah Robb: 'Commerce in the Courts; Women as Creditors' [Hannah is a postdoctoral researcher on the FORMSofLABOUR project collecting evidence of work activities from church court records. She is an expert on the social and cultural history of credit and the courts in England 1400-1600].

The format:

Each blog (1000-2000 words) is pre-circulated at least 24 hours before the discussion. The online discussion session lasts for one hour, with time at the start to read (or reread) the blog. The presenter of the previous blog acts as discussant, starting the discussion with some pre-prepared questions (no more than three questions please!). This is followed by an open discussion: PhD students are given priority in asking questions, but everyone is encouraged to take part. After the discussion the blog is edited by its author and then sent to Vivienne at FORMSofLABOUR@exeter.ac.uk to be uploaded here.

The blog group is organised by Jane Whittle and administered by Vivienne Bates FORMSofLABOUR@exeter.ac.uk. If you would like to present a blog in the second half of the academic year please contact Jane with a title.

If you would like to be added to the group mailing list in order to take part in the discussions please email FORMSofLABOUR@exeter.ac.uk and Vivienne will send you a link.