Evolution Of England Research Articles

The Neogene and Quaternary of England: landscape evolution, tectonics, climate change and their expression in the geological record

During the Neogene and Quaternary, tectonic and climatic processes have had a profound impact upon landscape evolution in England and, perhaps as far back as 0.9Ma, patterns of early human occupation. Until the Late Miocene, large-scale plate tectonic processes were the principal drivers of landscape evolution causing localised basin inversion and widespread exhumation. This drove, in places, the erosion of several kilometres of Mesozoic cover rocks and the development of a regional unconformity across England and the North Sea Basin. By the Pliocene, the relative influence of tectonics on landscape evolution waned as the background tectonic stress regime evolved and climatic influences became more prominent. Global-scale climate-forcing increased step-wise during the Plio-Pleistocene amplifying erosional and depositional processes that operated within the landscape. These processes caused differential unloading (uplift) and loading (subsidence) of the crust (‘denudational isostasy’) in areas undergoing net erosion (upland areas and slopes) and deposition (basins). Denudational isostasy amplified during the Mid-Pleistocene Transition (c.0.9Ma) as landscapes become progressively synchronised to large-scale 100ka ‘eccentricity’ climate forcing. Over the past 0.5Ma, this has led to the establishment of a robust climate record of individual glacial/interglacial cycles enabling comparison to other regional and global records. During the Last Glacial-Interglacial Transition and early Holocene (c.16–7ka), evidence for more abrupt (millennial/centennial) scale climatic events has been discovered. This indicates that superimposed upon the longer-term pattern of landscape evolution is a more dynamic response of the landscape to local and regional drivers.

‘English Bess’ abroad: piracy, politics, and gender in the plays of Thomas Heywood

ABSTRACTThis article considers three plays on the theme of piracy written by Thomas Heywood between 1597 and 1631: The fair maid of the west, part I and part II, and Fortune by land and sea (co-authored with William Rowley). Though all of these plays are set during the reign of Elizabeth I, only The fair maid of the west, part I was written during her lifetime, the two later works being written during the reigns of her successors, James I and Charles I. These plays can be read as a vehicle by which the very different attitudes towards piracy, foreign policy, and national expansion demonstrated by the three consecutive monarchs were interrogated, contrasted, and critiqued. Considered separately each of these works offers a snapshot of the popular view of piracy and privateering at the time of writing; read together they give a much broader insight into contemporary attitudes towards the evolution of England as a maritime power.

Politics and Foreign Policy in the Age of George I, 1714–1727 by Jeremy Black (review)

Reviewed by: Politics and Foreign Policy in the Age of George I, 1714–1727 by Jeremy Black Troy Heffernan Black, Jeremy, Politics and Foreign Policy in the Age of George I, 1714–1727, Farnham, Ashgate, 2014; hardback; pp. 298; R.R.P. £70.00; ISBN 9781409431398. Politics and Foreign Policy in the Age of George I, 1714–1727 is a robust analysis of the challenges faced by Britain during George I’s reign. Jeremy Black’s work here adds to his considerable breadth of research in eighteenth- and nineteenth-century England, providing a thorough examination of the relationship between foreign and domestic politics under the reign of George I. Audiences seeking to develop their understanding of this area, noted as being somewhat neglected in recent decades, will benefit from Black’s analysis. He prefaces the book by acknowledging the contributions from other researchers of the period, such as Graham Gibbs, Edward Gregg, and Clyve Jones. Furthermore, Black positions his work within the arena of existing research and identifies himself as a participant in ongoing commentary and discussions in the field of history and politics right up until the present, also noting parallels and issues that are reflected within foreign policy today. The links Black draws provide a major contribution to the field that will be of particular benefit and interest for readers seeking to understand the ramifications of George I’s policies during the early modern period, as well as the period in focus for the book itself. Black discusses the events in British history that influenced foreign and domestic relations under George I’s rule, including the Glorious Revolution and the Restoration, in addition to more contemporary influences, such as the Jacobite Rebellion. Discussions surrounding Whig and Tory relations of the time and their influence on the monarchy, along with the monarchy’s influence on the parties themselves, will also be of interest to readers seeking to further their knowledge of this area of politics and history. Black’s work makes a major contribution to his field in the breadth of source documents he has consulted: his extensive research has taken him to numerous foreign archives, including Hanover, Munich, Paris, and Vienna. The wide range of sources has resulted in a balanced analysis of both foreign and domestic politics and policy that provides perspectives from multiple countries and governments. This enables the reader to develop a deeper understanding of the issues raised by Black, accompanied by insights that emphasise the importance for historians of taking account of a variety, in this case, foreign, viewpoints when analysing historical events. Black’s clearly organised chapters follow the major events of George I’s politics and policy during his reign. The first two chapters are dedicated to the kingdom George inherited from Queen Anne, and more significantly, the impact of the Tory and Whig parliamentary imbalance that existed as George came to power. As the study progresses, Black adjusts his focus between [End Page 223] George I and the events that impacted upon his reign and political and foreign policy decisions, and the wider consequences of both in the historical progression of British politics and diplomacy. Black’s successful examination of George I, politics, and foreign policy between 1714 and 1727, will appeal to scholars of George I as the work focuses not on the monarch, but on his policies. Additionally, Black’s work provides a vital contribution to scholarship regarding the evolution of England and British policy during the eighteenth century. Troy Heffernan The University of Southern Queensland Copyright © 2015 Troy Heffernan

From Green Belts to Green Infrastructure? The Evolution of a New Concept in the Emerging Soft Governance of Spatial Strategies

The green belt idea is being questioned as an effective way of managing the protection and development of urban fringe areas, and a new concept—green infrastructure (GI)—is being proposed as a better way to plan and manage these spaces. GI is claimed to allow for more sophisticated and dynamic understandings of such spaces and to enable the identification and quantification of formerly under-appreciated assets of the urban fringe, including newly identified economic benefits. The rapid evolution in England of regional and sub-regional ‘soft governance’ bodies that prioritize economic development provides fertile territory for the claims for GI to be promoted. We track the progress of the new discourse around GI in two northern regions in relation to emerging strategies for spatial and economic development planning. We conclude that the policy purchase of the greenbelt is being challenged by the ‘upstart’ GI policy and we explore some implications of the evolving policy transition.

The State and the Controversial Demands of Cultural Built Heritage: Modernism, Dirty Concrete, and Postwar Listing in England

Whilst it is generally accepted that architecturally or historically significant buildings should be protected in the common interest, conservation policy often raises a series of dilemmas for governments in terms of balancing demands for preservation and change. In 1987 statutory protection for historic buildings in England was extended to the post-Second World War (ie post-1945) era, taking conservation planning into new and sometimes controversial territory. This paper examines the origins and evolution of England's postwar listing programme, exploring the factors that prompted the state to extend protection into such a politically contentious area of conservation policy. Attention is drawn to the lobbying role of influential postwar conservation lobbyists located within and outside state structures in making the case for 1950s and 1960s architecture. However, the politics and practices of postwar listing are ultimately shown to be rooted in the underlying logic of built heritage regulation in England. The paper offers original insights into the state's role as conservation champion and its implications for what gets protected and why from the physical legacy of 1950s and 1960s design.

Futurecoast: Predicting the future coastal evolution of England and Wales

Futurecoast: Predicting the future coastal evolution of England and Wales

Patents and patentees in the Dutch republic between c.1580 and 1720

This paper examines the working of the patent system in the Dutch Republic during the period when the incidence of patenting reached its peak, between around 1580 and 1720. It looks at the system primarily from the viewpoint of the patent‐holders, by analyzing the geographical background and social profile of patentees, the evolution of careers of patenting and the growth of commercial tendencies in the obtainment and exploitation of patents. It is argued that the development in the Netherlands in these respects resembled the evolution in England rather than that in France or the United States, but that in contrast with England the practice of patenting in the Dutch Republic to some extent fell into disuse. A turning point was reached around 1640. While the number of patents granted by the States General and the States of Holland began a long‐term decline and the filing of specifications became a more and more rare occurrence, the relative importance of “multiple” patentees diminished, the geographical spread of patentees lessened and the role of the commercial and professional classes increased. Although a decrease in the number of patents did not necessarily reflect a falling‐off in the rate of invention, it certainly meant a decline in the demand for patents on the side of inventors. The author suggests that this decline must at least in part have been induced by the evolution of the patent system itself.

A Genealogy of Manners: Transformations of Social Relations in France and England from the Fourteenth to the Eighteenth Century

This broad-ranging book on ideals of comportment and self-representation among Western European elites from the late medieval period through the early modern age is an erudite, wellargued, and theoretically sophisticated work. Its principal claim that the behavioral and linguistic patterns through which individuals present themselves to others structure, rather than result from, the hierarchy of status and power in a society is based on a fascinating and insightful comparison of the respective evolution in England and France of different norms for presenting self to other. In exploring these diverto retain the dialectic relationship between the subjective and the objective, giving the latter its necessary due. The human dependence on particular thought communities is illustrated by journeys into social and anthropological space. Nowhere have I seen a more straightforward account of what makes society possible: intersubjective objectivity and the social construction of common worlds. The book is organized into chapters dealing with six cognitive acts: perceiving, attending, classifying, assigning meaning, remembering, and dealing with time. Cross-cutting these areas is particular attention to the politics of cognition, as well as the normative rules of the above that constrain our cognition. The book can be considered a frontal attack on the individualistic tabula rasa epistemology and the essentialist view that meaning is inherent only in the object. Related to this attack is an excellent discussion of reification, which is maintained throughout the book. The early chapter on social optics shows how our very sensed experience conforms to those of others and how we see through socially inherited projections. These form the lenses through which sensed experience is interpreted and given meaning. Zerubavel discusses how the social process helps determine what enters our minds in the first place and what thought communities render unthinkable. Included here is a discussion on the illogical but conventional nature of how different societies define the irrelevant and the relevant. This leads into an important consideration of whose feelings and existences we take into account and whose we never even consider. The chapter on social classifications strikes me as an excellent follow-up to Whorfs analysis of science and linguistics, with the usual abundance of needed illustrations. Not only do cultures group objects into likes and dislikes differently, but they have different styles of grouping. Some are inordinately rigid and intolerant of ambiguity, while others are quite flexible and open to ambiguity. Mnemonic political battles are illustrated in the chapter on social memories, as are mnemonic decapitation how we divide time into what is memorable history and forgettable prehistory depending on power relations. Some generalizations are presented e.g., we remember what fits into our culturally given schemata and stereotypes, and we tend to forget those things that our culture can not render readily sensible. The capacity to locate events in culturally relative, standard time frames is seen as a pillar of the intersubjective and the basis for coordinated human activity. Fundamentally different cultural conceptions of time are relatively ignored as Zerubavel concentrates on showing the arbitrary nature of our current time frames and their social origins. I have one serious reservation about this treatment of cognition. Sociologists and neuroscientists have demonstrated decisively the futility of separating cognition and emotion. As it would be foolhardy to discuss emotion without cognition, it is equally insufficient to discuss cognition without consideration of emotion. The latter is as socially guided as cognition, and both are necessary for each other. Such omissions are perhaps inevitable in a book of only 113 pages of text, but its brevity is a part of its effectiveness. We are left with a clear conclusion. If our minds mirror anything at all, it is certainly our society rather than some absolute rendition of the natural world. The book succeeds unequivocally in introducing cognitive sociology as an exciting and important area of study.

Reply to comments

During the Neogene and Quaternary, tectonic and climatic processes have had a profound impact upon landscape evolution in England and, perhaps as far back as 0.9 Ma, patterns of early human occupation. Until the Late Miocene, large-scale plate tectonic processes were the principal drivers of landscape evolution causing localised basin inversion and widespread exhumation. This drove, in places, the erosion of several kilometres of Mesozoic cover rocks and the development of a regional unconformity across England and the North Sea Basin. By the Pliocene, the relative influence of tectonics on landscape evolution waned as the background tectonic stress regime evolved and climatic influences became more prominent. Global-scale climate-forcing increased step-wise during the Plio-Pleistocene amplifying erosional and depositional processes that operated within the landscape. These processes caused differential unloading (uplift) and loading (subsidence) of the crust (‘denudational isostasy’) in areas undergoing net erosion (upland areas and slopes) and deposition (basins). Denudational isostasy amplified during the Mid-Pleistocene Transition (c.0.9 Ma) as landscapes become progressively synchronised to large-scale 100 ka ‘eccentricity’ climate forcing. Over the past 0.5 Ma, this has led to the establishment of a robust climate record of individual glacial/interglacial cycles enabling comparison to other regional and global records. During the Last Glacial-Interglacial Transition and early Holocene (c.16–7 ka), evidence for more abrupt (millennial/centennial) scale climatic events has been discovered. This indicates that superimposed upon the longer-term pattern of landscape evolution is a more dynamic response of the landscape to local and regional drivers.

Country, County and Town: Patterns of Regional Evolution in England

It is a remarkable fact, and one that needs to be pondered, that almost all our current regional terms in this country are of very recent origin. Expressions like Tyneside and Merseyside, the West Midlands and the North-East, have no very lengthy lineage; such phrases as the Home Counties cannot be traced back beyond the early decades of the railway era; the present usage even of a genuine historic name like Wessex is no more than an antiquarian revival; while the current reanimation of Mercia seems to be chiefly attributable to a contemporary police force. Perhaps the only regional name of this kind with a continuous history to the present day is East Anglia. In other words, behind most of our modern expressions, ideas and preconceptions lie implicit that were not necessarily of much significance to the people of earlier centuries. A phrase like the Home Counties, for example, implies a kind of regional unity between the shires surrounding London which until recent centuries—and in many respects until recent generations—is entirely fallacious. There was no connexion between the origins of settlement, for example, in Hertfordshire and in Sussex, and next to none between settlement in Essex and in Kent. Even in the Civil War period there was singularly little contact and no cohesion, as parliament quickly found to its cost, between the counties surrounding the capital.

POPULATION TRENDS AND AGRICULTURAL DEVELOPMENTS FROM THE WARWICKSHIRE HUNDRED ROLLS OF 1279

HE significance of the Hundred Rolls of 1279 has been appreciated since the end of the nineteenth century by those historians concerned with the social and economic evolution of England in the early middle ages. The latest, most comprehensive and authoritative treatment of this source is by E. A. Kosminsky;' his chief preoccupation, however, is with the correction of a previously over-simplified or idealized concept of manorial structure, and consequently much of his book is devoted to this central theme, together with the allied topics, of peasant tenure and rent, the evolution of social and economic differences within the peasantry, and the function of the small landowner in medieval England. These studies are based mainly on categories of information which the 1279 Hundred Rolls afford in reasonable detail and accuracy,2 although variably for each manor. Essentially these are: i. A survey of the demesne: arable land, and sometimes meadow, woodland, mills etc. 2. A survey of the land in peasant tenure and of the scattered possessions of the larger landlords, which includes a list of the tenants by name, the size of their holdings and the nature of their rent. These lists are sub-grouped in the folios for land in free tenure, in villeinage, and that held by cottagers. The contention of this paper is that problems outside the scope of Kosminsky's work can be clarified through a regional and comparative analysis of the Hundred Rolls. Accordingly from the unpublished Warwickshire folios 3 two groups of statistics have been abstracted: first, the number of the total landholding population, and secondly, the total of recorded arable land, given in both cases for the manorial unit. It is proposed to employ this information to assess: i. The regional pattern of population change by direct comparison with Domesday figures. 2. The relationship of these changes to agricultural development, specifically as expressed by the amount of arable land recorded in the manor.

The Police Idea: Its History and Evolution in England in the Eighteenth Century and After.

The Police Idea: Its History and Evolution in England in the Eighteenth Century and After.

The Police Idea: Its History and Evolution in England in the Eighteenth Century and after

The Police Idea: Its History and Evolution in England in the Eighteenth Century and after

The Evolution of England: A Commentary on the Facts. James A. Williamson

<i>The Evolution of England: A Commentary on the Facts</i>. James A. Williamson

The Evolution of England: A Commentary on the Facts

The Evolution of England: A Commentary on the Facts

The Evolution of England: A Commentary on the Facts

The Evolution of England: A Commentary on the Facts