The distribution and ownership of English chapbooks and other cheap print in south Wales and its borders 1660 to 1730: developmental influences on commerce, religion and education

King, Rosalie Sian (2020). The distribution and ownership of English chapbooks and other cheap print in south Wales and its borders 1660 to 1730: developmental influences on commerce, religion and education. University of Birmingham. Ph.D.

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Abstract

This thesis examines the distribution and ownership of English-language books in south Wales and the borders between 1660 and 1730, and will test the extent to which there was a direct correlation between the levels of literacy, the development of education, patterns of belief, and commerce. The focus within the book genre is on chapbooks and other types of cheap print. The historic counties under consideration are Brecon, Carmarthen, Glamorgan, Monmouth, Pembroke and the border areas of Hereford and Gloucester. Until 1695, printing remained largely confined to London, so all books reaching south Wales had to travel that distance. An examination of how this distribution was facilitated, and what was the demand for different types of material, is instructive in building a picture of its readership and ownership. Towards the end of the century, the political climate changed in two ways critical to this scenario. First, the printing Act of 1662, which prevented provincial printing, expired in 1695, and secondly the government decided to raise revenue through an Act of 1697 which required hawkers and pedlars to purchase an annual licence. So, from the closing years of seventeenth century, there was a slow burgeoning of provincial printing. In western regions of Britain, there were presses in Bristol (1695), Cirencester (1720), Gloucester (1722) and Carmarthenshire (1721) and their output included small books and newspapers. This study will consider the appetite of the people of south Wales and borders for popular cheap printed material in the English language, and produce evidence as to its effect on religious and educational development.

Type of Work:

Thesis (Doctorates > Ph.D.)

Award Type:

Doctorates > Ph.D.

Supervisor(s):