issue 2 - manchester historian

the Manchester Historian

Issue 2, October 2011

Too much focus on fascism?A look at the trends within history teaching in schoolsCurrent Affairs, p.3

The Stone Roses, Oasis, The Smiths and ManchesterThe cultural importance of music from our citySpotlight on our city, p.6

The man behind the libraryAn exposé of the life and loves of John RylandsUniversity History, p.4

Interested in a career in history?An insider’s guide to further studyPost-graduate, pp.12 & 13

The Middle AgesWant to know more about what it was like to live in the Dark Ages? Read on to uncover the mystery of King Arthur and the horrors of medieval diningFeatures, pp. 8 - 10

the Manchester Historian 2.

Contents

3. Are we learning too much about too little?Current Affairs

4. Profiles on John Rylands and Alan Turing

5. The life of Namier and the golden age of the Manchester history departmentUniversity History

6. Station innovation, and the Manchester Blitz

7. Manchester’s muscial heritageSpotlight on your city

8-10. The Middle AgesFeature

11. History Society

12-13. Post-graduate

14-15. Staff updates

16. Interview with Dr Chris Godden

17. Upcoming EventsStaff Updates

18-19. Reviews

Editors’ Note

Welcome back to the first edition of this year’s Manchester Historian! For those of you who don’t already know we are the departmental student led newspaper.

Do you agree with the way history is being taught in schools? Do you think there is too much focus on certain parts of past? Are you tired of learning about Hitler again and again? Turn to page three for a commentary on today’s current curriculum and whether or not it needs to be changed. If you’ve been living here for a while and still know nothing about the men behind the buildings you spend so much of your time in have a look at pages four and five. For those of you interested in Medieval studies, this issue’s feature section in on the Dark Ages. Take a break from your constant studying (or TV watching) and immerse yourself in a world of mythical kings and dining standards that would shock even students. We have a staff section containing staff updates, and an interview with the department’s own Dr Chris Godden! New to the paper this year is the history society page, and the postgraduate page, detailing up and coming events for the next few weeks, as well as information on what to do if you wish to further a career in history. There’s also a riveting reviews section, including opinions on Niall Ferguson’s controversial documentary, and a trip to Manchester’s Museum of Science and Industry.

Interested in a career in advertising, or journalism, or just looking for something to make you stand out on your CV? This year the Manchester Historian is expanding; new roles are being created, and a committee of more senior positions needs to be allocated. This experience will give you a fantastic opportunity to learn to how use the software of leading newspapers, sharpen your copy editing skills, develop advertising campaigns, and much more!

If you want to get involved contact us on:[email protected]@student.manchester.ac.ukfrancesca.williams@student.manchester.ac.uk

Love, Florence, Juliette and Frankie

Juliette Donaldson, Florence Holmes, Frankie Williams

the Manchester Historian3.

Current Affairs

“History matters. Many school children doubt this. But they are wrong, and they need to be persuaded they are wrong”.

Niall Ferguson, the self proclaimed saviour of history, recently launched a malicious attack on the way history is taught in schools. He may be correct in saying that history does matter, but the methods he suggests for reviving its popularity simply will not work.

Niall Ferguson’s concerns arise from what he calls history’s “decline in British schools”. Certainly in terms of numbers this is true. More students take design and technology at GCSE than history, whilst psychology is more popular at A-level. This is where my sympathy with Niall Ferguson’s position ends. He goes on to try and use the facts and figures of students studying history to justify his never ending crusade of trying to prove that the West is better than everyone else. He wants a campaign to remove “junk history” from our schools.

He states that there is too much emphasis on Nazi Germany, and that he was shocked when his own children couldn’t tell him anything about Martin Luther. First off, I am certain that many pupils that study history in secondary school know who Martin Luther. Secondly, I am sure most people will agree that the rise and defeat of fascism and hatred in Europe is something that all school children should at least have some knowledge of. Furthermore taking the teaching of the two world wars out of the curriculum will always be opposed.

Ideology shapes Niall Ferguson’s argument. His blinkered ideas that history should be taught in a more chronological and Eurocentric way will lead to an actual decline of history in the British Education system. Teaching history in a more chronological nature, rather than highlighting key

areas, will lead to a narrow perception being cast upon crucial periods in history. This will in fact weaken student understanding of the subject and how history affects the world today.

Specific periods of history are taught to secondary school children in order to spark an interest in history. The students that become enthralled in the history they are taught can go onto study history in university, and develop a lifelong interest that allows them to have a greater understanding of the world they live in.

I think Niall Ferguson’s ideas on what the discipline of history should become are obnoxious and demeaning towards those students that enjoy history and the teachers that provide a fantastic service to their pupils. His suggested focus for historical study is to question why the scientific revolution took place in Europe and not elsewhere.

I believe this is all the proof you need to see that Niall Ferguson’s arguments are dominated by a flawed ideology that he wishes to impose upon everyone else.

History does matter and the more people that study history the better. Ferguson’s narrow minded doctrine would weaken curriculum content and the number of students that want to study history. His ideas will see the neglect and abuse of history as a discipline within Britain’s schools.

Niall Ferguson certainly thinks so, but will following his lead be detrimental to the teaching of history in schools today?Christopher McMahon

Are we learning too much about too little?


University history

John Rylands is more than just two libraries. He was an entrepreneur and a philanthropist: the owner of the largest textiles manufacturing concern in the UK and was Manchester’s first multi-millionaire.

By the age of 18, he had started his business, Rylands & Sons, alongside his father and his two older brothers in 1819. The business was originally based in Wigan, but moved to Manchester in 1823 as the business developed.

Over the course of a few years, Rylands bought up several other properties, such as dye and bleach works to further expand the business. The properties in themselves were valuable, as coal was later found under them, proving to be another great source of wealth.

The business continued to expand and in 1849 a warehouse was opened in Wood Street, London, and another being built in Manchester. By 1873 the company had become the largest textile manufacturing concern in Britain.

As a philanthropist, Rylands supported numerous charities, among them were several orphanages, several Union chapels, homes for ‘aged gentlewomen’ and a ‘home of rest for ministers of slender means.’ He provided a town hall, public baths, library and a coffee house in the town of Stretford, where he lived.

He married three times and had six children, none of whom survived him. He died at his home, Longford Hall, on 11 December 1888, at the age of 87. The majority of his estate (the full amount being £2,574,922 or £213million today) was left to his widow, Enriqueta Augustina Rylands, who erected the John Rylands Library, Deansgate, as a permanent memorial to him.

The legend of the libraryWe all spend hours in the library, but how much do we know about its namesake?Sophia White

Alan Turing has often been referred to as the father of computers, as he designed the first stored-program computer, ACE in 1946. In honour of his great achievements in this field, Turing is the namesake of the maths building at the University of Manchester.

During WWII Turing invented the Turing-Welchman bombe, an electromechanical machine which broke the enigma code faster than the bomba from 1938, and proved to be one of the primary tools used to attack enigma-protected message traffic. This, in combination with his single-handed solving of the naval indicator system in 1939 earned him an OBE for wartime services.

There was more to Turing though, than just his genius. Aged 14, he was so desperate to attend his new school, that he overcame strike action on the

train lines by cycling for 60 miles. He was also an eccentric, who supposedly cycled to the office wearing a gas mask in June so as not to aggravate his hay-fever.

It was, in fact his honesty that ended up his downfall. After a lover, Arnold Murray, broke into his house, in his report to the police Turing confessed to previously having had sexual relations with the intruder. Turing was charged with gross indecency, and chose to be chemically castrated with female hormones rather than face prison.

On 7th June 1954, Turing took a bite out of an apple laced with cyanide, and an inquest determined that he had committed suicide, in a recreation of his favourite scene from Snow White.

Next year marks the 100th anniversary of Turring’s birth. An upcoming film of his life starring Leonardo DiCaprio as the man himself puts will ensure that Turing’s life and sacrifice will never be forgotten.

Solving the EnigmaA glimpse at the tragic, heroic but often forgotten life of one of Britain’s wartime Pippa Stannard

Served as part of British Delegation at Versailles conference; chief area of responsibility was Poland.

Professor at Manchester University from 1931 to 1953, during which he taught primarily on 18th century British politics and the emergence of modern nationalism.

Legacy of Namier’s insistence on the irrationality of human beings and thus the impossible nature of understanding all historical events as rational is still important today.

Was a contemporary of Freud and greatly influenced his pupil, AJP Taylor.


Name: Lewis NamierLived: 1888 - 1960

Born in Poland in 1888 into a conflicted childhood; constantly disagreed with his Father’s views through his abhorrence of the dual-monarchy. Namier was a long time Zionist & campaigned for a Jewish state.

Namier fought briefly for Britain during First World War, but was excused due to poor eyesight, holding bureaucratic positions instead.

Professor profileRozie Webster

PhD students are mostly known to us undergraduates as our seminar tutors who, often despite serial tiredness, hangovers & lack of reading, try to inspire rigorous academic debate every week. However, Manchester University has more links with the development of the Doctorate of Philosophy in History than you might know.

The PhD has been central to both academic development and professionalism since its initial development in the late 19th century, with innovative key members of staff from Manchester helping it on its way.

The period of 1890-1925 is considered by many as the “golden age” of Manchester’s history department, as it was acknowledged only behind Oxford & Cambridge as the best in the country.

It has been suggested this was due to the leadership of Professor Thomas Frederick Tout. A nationally prominent specialist in Mediaeval history, Tout produced seminal academic works including his 6-volume “Chapters in the Administrative History of Medieval England”. Tout promoted a strong investigative ethos amongst history students, promoting both the PhD & pioneering original research within the

undergraduate thesis.

Moreover, Tout was also an important local patron of women’s education, being both involved in the suffragist movement and a board member of “Manchester Girls School”. As a result the history department within the university was advanced in its gender equality, particularly notable in comparison to the male dominance at Oxford. A strong female influence was promoted; 12 of the initial 18 students who gained their PhD in the period 1921-1930 were women.

Books & articles published from the university press highlighted the importance of what was described as the “Manchester School”. Well respected within academic circles, the department was undeniably influential and pioneering in both its widespread encouragement of research and promotion of egalitarianism.

Nevertheless, 90 years after the first history PhD being awarded in the departments’ “golden age”, the methods of students continue in the same way. Dorothy Broome wrote to Professor Tout in 1922 “My thesis ought to be in by 15 October but I haven’t finished writing it yet – do you think I may have an extension of time until 4 November?...I’ve finished the beginning and the end and am struggling with a refractory middle!” – showing although the PhD course has changed overtime, the devices students use to gain qualifications hasn’t!

Manchester’s golden ageTout & the success of the Manchester SchoolJuliette Donaldson


Manchester’s musical heritageDisclosing the cultural importance of Manchester’s music scene through the ages.Sigourney Fox & Juliette Donaldson

Spotlight on your city

headquarters on Charles Street, proving the populist iconography of the movement has continued relevance to this day.

The Britpop scene of the 1990’s further increased Manchester’s long standing tradition as a musical epicentre, arguably providing the basis for the biggest band of a generation; Oasis. The longstanding rivalry between them and Blur had foundations on more than just musical differences, with social implications of a North-South divide and the supposed class connotations of listening to one or the other. As the movement swept the nation, and the associated tabloid frenzy surrounding comments by both Damon Albarn and the Gallaghers, Manchester’s musical relevance once again was in the spotlight.

Looking around Manchester today, the affects and ties to Manchester’s musical past can be seen daily. With the waiting list to gain a job at RNCM being notoriously long, the past musical boom is still presenting itself in a positive form.

The Academy within the Student’s Union further offers young, bidding performers to find a fan basis in the hope of achieving musical success. To put into context, Manchester’s musical past entrenched the city’s influence as a diverse cultural hotspot, and one that continues to be musically relevant to this day. Many students can take a modern day stance on the development of Manchester’s rich musical heritage, with The Chemical Brothers played their first gig at the Bop in Owen’s Park, as well as the presence of Radiohead performing, after Ed O’Brien’s stint in the Tower.

From Everything Everything being nominated for the prestigious Mercury Music Prize in 2011, to the Smiths “banning” David Cameron from liking their music, Manchester’s musical heritage continues to dominate even to this day.

Oasis, Happy Mondays & the recently reformed Stone Roses; many outstanding and iconic names within British musical history have distinct links to Manchester.

The city’s long standing associations with music were arguably imbedded the industrial revolution, sparking a platform for the working classes to identify themselves against. It is from this that the musical world within the North of Britain flourished and continued to grow, with Manchester at its heart. The iconic picture of the Smiths, hanging outside the Salford Working Men’s Club proves a key representation of such a stronghold. Morrissey and Marr became icons of a generation, and were culturally relevant poster boys for vegetarian activists, ambiguous sexuality as well as roots of working class symbolism that resonated with the youth population in the early 80s. This foundation further grounded Manchester as a cultural hotspot for up and coming musicians with the vast number of opportunities available.

Moreover, the impact of the “Madchester” generation was profound. The formation of the independent recording company Factory Records in 1978 was pivotal to this scene, with its founder Tony Wilson signing bands including Joy Division, New Order and the Happy Mondays. Fundamental to the new raving subculture of the 1980’s, the Hacienda (FAC 51) was opened in conjunction with the label and, although monetarily was a failure, provided a landmark to the shift in youth culture, most noticeably in terms of increased drug usage.

Although the club closed in 1992, Peter Hook (the bassist from Joy Division/New Order) has since re-opened FAC 251 at the record companies old


The hustle of Piccadilly’s Station Approach in October 2011 is something which seems to typify modern life. Rubbing shoulders with the anonymous, holding your line in the face of the oncoming surge of Alan Sugar aspirants. The passenger railway station and all that surrounds it is the social hub for the plucky stranger. Yet for Manchester in particular, this setting is hardly one that has been recently established. As with football and music, Manchester is also a pioneering metropolis in the wildly enthralling world of the passenger railway.

In 1830, Manchester became home to the world’s first passenger railway station. Liverpool Road Station would live out most of its existence dealing with goods, as the Liverpool & Manchester railway had initially

intended it to. However for fourteen years prior to the construction of Manchester Victoria Station, it would be the nucleus for an unprecedented surge in the popularity of rail travel.

For the middle and upper classes, a new world had now opened up. Passengers would be enthralled by travelling at the breakneck speed of 17 miles per hour. Initially Liverpool, but then Birmingham and London and their surrounding areas were soon brought into Mancunian’s grasp as Manchester too could also welcome in new visitors. It would be the Liverpool Road station, to the west of Manchester’s city centre, which would engineer this increase in mobility.

So when you’re are next heading out on Manchester, perhaps looking for somewhere to go on a first date, head to the Museum of Science and Industry, of which the Grade 1 listed station building is now a part. Not only are you guaranteed a blossoming start to a new relationship, but you will also have the warm satisfaction of being at the birthplace of global rail travel. Liverpool Road Station: a shrine to modern mobility and independent roaming.

180 years of station innovation

The city of London was bombed for 72 consequtive nights in 1940, but this article explores the destruction of our city.Aditya Iyer

St Paul’s Cathedral shrouded in smoke. Packed tube stations. Shattered boulevards and lives littering the streets. London 1940.

The term ‘Blitz’ often conjures up a very specific image of wartime London. But the capital was not the only city to be the victim of air raids.

During World War II, Hitler recognised the sheer importance of Manchester as a contributor to the British War effort. Not only was it a port of significant use, but its industrial base was also a major facet of the British war effort; with munitions and artillery factories churning out masses of desperately needed equipment.

The term Manchester Blitz (also dubbed the ‘Christmas Blitz’) largely refers to the nights between 22nd-

24th of December. Over two nights, bombers from elite Luftwaffe regiments engaged in strafing runs of Manchester, Salford & Stretford, with a total of 684 dead and 2364 wounded.

The method in which the bombing runs were conducted is indicative of Hitler’s desire to destroy as much of the strategically important infrastructure of the city as possible. This differs from the psychological element that characterised the more well known Blitz of London.

Landmarks familiar to both students and natives of Manchester, including the Cathedral, the City Hall and the Smithfield Market were severely damaged and in some cases utterly destroyed. The area most affected by the bombing was Salford where more than 8,000 homes were damaged or destroyed and 215 people died over the two hellish days. Perhaps the most surprising fact about this chaotic episode is the lack of knowledge surrounding the event.

Although accumulating far fewer casualties than those of London, it was nonetheless a trying time in the history of the city which we call home.

Were you aware of Manchester’s forerunning achievements in the passenger railway system?Nick Stoppard

The Manchester Blitz


The middle Ages

Everyone knows about the story of King Arthur, the gallant hero, and the Knights of the Round Table. A lot of this knowledge however, will derive from media and various glorified film depictions, which hold Arthur as one of England’s great underdogs, a man who rose up out of the most unlikely of places and whose bravery saved the country at a time of political turmoil and social struggle. But the question is, how much of this legend comes from historical fact, and how much simply stems from the imagination of storytellers and enthusiasts of the tales?

This has been an issue which has both enthused and perplexed historians and forced them to question both Arthur’s position, and role in medieval Britain. Was he a king? Did he act as a leader in battles against the Anglo Saxons in the 6th Century? Or was he merely one of many men who became, by default involved in battles which encapsulated Britain in this period?

Perhaps the most fundamental of all questions which the historian must tackle is…did Arthur exist at all?! The origins of the legend which dominate popular consciousness today can be traced back to the works Geoffrey of Monmouth’s Historia Regum Britanniae.

This works created, in the eyes of many, a historically inaccurate portrayal of Arthur. It created a legend and myth which dominated history and its literature, and thus has clouded historical interpretation.

Historians who seek to prove the existence of Arthur, cite the more frequent use of his name during the 6th century as evidence that descendants of a British Arthur existed. This supports the existence of Arthur, as one must surely exist to produce descendants. Others put forward the suggestion that Arthur was merely one of many war leaders acting against the Anglo-saxon invaders in the 6th century, rather than a King.

It is evident that the debate concerning Arthur is one which is both interesting and complex in nature. Consensus among historians over the nature of his existence is rare, yet many, accept there may be an exaggeration of events concerning Arthur and his victories during this period.

This brief outline of the historical debate surrounding King Arthur has perhaps left many of you are as baffled as ever, a feeling encountered by most when tackling this subject. However, one could ask is it really significant if Arthur is man or legend?! Generations to come will no doubt indulge in the idea and stories which encompass King Arthur and his extravagant deeds and accomplishments. These stories are sure to remain an integral part of our culture and society….and will no doubt outlive us all!

King Arthur: man or myth?A brief look into the historiography of one of England’s greatest legends.Sian Louise Murphy & Georgina O’Connor

Did you know....

Perhaps the worst Pope in history, John XII, headed the Catholic Church for nine long years during the Middle Ages from 955 to 964. Eight years into his papacy, Otto I, the Holy Roman Emperor levelled innumerable charges against John, including the ordaining of a deacon in a stable, consecrating a 10-year-old boy as a bishop, converting the Lateran Palace into a brothel, raping female pilgrims in St. Peter’s, stealing church offerings and drinking toasts to the devil.

Understandably, he was deposed. However, this was short-lived and he was reinstated when Otto left Rome, launching appalling attacks against his opponents. He was beaten to death in May 1964, reportedly by the husband of a woman with whom he was committing adultery. He died without receiving confession or the sacraments.


Saint George is popularly identified with England and English ideals of honour, bravery and gallantry, but actually he wasn’t even English. Little is known about the life of the man who has evolved into the mythical St George. In this article I plan to explore a little into the life of the real St. George and how he came to be so revered in England.

It is likely that Saint George was born to a Christian noble family in Lod, in the Roman Province of Syria Palaestina during the late third century. His father, Gerontius, was a Roman army official from Cappadocia and his mother, Polychronia, was from Palestine. They were both Christians and from noble families of Anici, so George was raised with Christian beliefs. They decided to call him Georgius, meaning “worker of the land”. At the age of 14, George lost his father; a few years later, George’s mother, Polychronia, died.

At the age of 17 he joined the Roman army and soon became renowned for his bravery. He served under a pagan Emperor but never forgot his Christian faith. When the pagan Emperor Diocletian started persecuting Christians, St. George pleaded with the Emperor to spare their lives. However, St. George’s pleas fell on deaf ears and it is thought that the Emperor Diocletian tried to make St. George deny his faith in Christ, by torturing him. St George showed incredible courage and faith but was finally beheaded near Lydda in Palestine on 23 April, 303.

In 1222, the Council of Oxford declared this day to be St George’s Day and he replaced St Edmund the Martyr as England’s patron saint in the 14th century. In 1415, April 23 was made a national feast day.

St George had international appeal and is patron saint not only of England but also of Aragon, Catalonia, Ethiopia, Georgia, Greece, Lithuania, Palestine, Portugal, and Russia, as well as the cities of Amersfoort, Beirut, Bteghrine, Cáceres, Ferrara, Freiburg, Genoa, Ljubljana, Gozo, Pomorie, Qormi, Lod and Moscow.

St George is also patron saint of scouts, soldiers, archers, cavalry and chivalry, farmers and field workers, riders and saddlers, and those suffering from leprosy, plague and syphilis can pray to him specifically for support.

The most famous legend of Saint George is of him slaying a dragon. In the Middle Ages the dragon was commonly used to represent the Devil. The slaying of the dragon by St George was first credited to him in the twelfth century, long after his death. Pope Gelasius stated that George was among those saints whose names are justly reverenced among men, but whose actions are known only to God

Like other countries with St George as a patron, the English frequently used St George’s cross as their flag. The cross was originally the personal flag of another saint and key Christian figure, St. Ambrose. Adopted by the city of Milan (of which he was Archbishop) at least as early as the Ninth century, its use spread over Northern Italy including Genoa. Genoa’s patron saint was St. George and through the flag’s use by the vast Genoese trading fleet, the association was carried throughout Europe, and reached England through this route.

The flag was officially adopted by England and the City of London in 1190, for their ships entering the Mediterranean and the Black Sea, to benefit from the protection of the Genoese fleet from pirate attacks. However as shown below by 1190 the flag was already an integral symbol of England. The English Monarch paid an annual tribute to the Doge of Genoa for this privilege.

During the first Crusade, the Pope decided that knights of different nationalities should be distinguished by different colours of cross. French knights were allocated the red cross on white & English knights white cross on red. English knights complained about this, since they considered this to be their St George’s cross. In 1188 the French King, Philip II of France accepted the claim of the English to the red cross on white, and the English and French officially exchanged their respective crosses. However by this time, the red cross on white had become a typical crusader symbol. The cross has remained symbolic to England ever since, but modern usage is in a sporting context.

The life of an English iconSt. George is revered in England, but who was he and why was he cannonised?Wesley Davidson


The middle Ages

Everyday life in Medieval EnglandJemma Gibson looks at the Medieval dining experience

The most common reaction when hearing the word ‘Medieval’ is to think of knights fighting gallantly and Courtly ladies, which is hardly surprising when it is depicted this way in popular Hollywood movies such as ‘Braveheart’ or ‘A Knight’s Tale’. However, there is a lot more to the medieval times than dashing chivalric princes and fair maidens and the glamorous clothing associated with them.

There have been many findings of ornate jewellery, brooches, belt buckles and shoulder clasps from the 6-8th centuries, which shows a particular example of Anglo-Saxon awareness of fashion and identity. Many of the items found at a particular burial site, the infamous Sutton Hoo, were made of gold and had complex and intricate designs, such as snake and bird heads.

The fashion of the Lords and Ladies of the day inevitably influenced those of a lower class, however much of it would have been far too expensive, so

simple shapeless dresses of coarse woollen cloth held together with a plain belt or girdle would have been worn by the women, and for the men a similar tunic would have been worn, mainly of plain colours such as off-white, grey or brown as dyes would have been costly.

There was usually always a common standard of fashion and clothing throughout Europe in Medieval times, which varied from time to time according to particular custom of each country and race, although broadly speaking they would imitate the fashions and clothing of each other while still retaining a certain identity.

A comparison can be made between the heavy and massive appearance in Scandinavian clothing due to its weather conditions, the influence of antiquity on the prevailing grandeur of Italian dress, and the more elegant and proper clothing of the English court. This shows there is no reigning factor of continuity when describing Medieval clothing, and that there is much more to the fashion of the Middle Ages than meets the eye, or our cinema screens.

Food in the middle ages doesn’t sound like a particularly tasty topic-and if you were in the vast majority, it probably wasn’t. But, that isn’t to say that the stereotypical student couldn’t have survived.

Bread was baked in communal ovens in villages and eaten in abundance. It was usually made from rye or barley, and eaten with other staples like cheese and meat-indeed the ‘Ploughman’s Lunch’ was popular among workers.

A turning point occurred when crusaders invented the biscuit. This revolution of convenience surely made life a lot more bearable (as they continue to do so today).

However, perhaps the best thing to happen to cuisine was in fact the Black Death-as long as you survived of course- for there were far fewer people for food to

be distributed among so even the poorest could buy a wider variety of foods including more meat.

There was, conversely a huge downfall to medieval dining: the frequency of fasting. Some religious traditions banned meat on Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays, as well as during Lent and Advent. In fact, it’s thought there were more days per year when meat was banned than when it was allowed.

Saying this, the methods used to preserve meat from one slaughter to the next were probably enough to put most people off anyway. While the wealthy were able to add spices to meat preserved in salt, the poor couldn’t afford such luxury so most had to get used to a strong taste of salt, smoke or vinegar.

The lack of variance, novelty of biscuits and communal oven facilities described in this glance at medieval cuisine certainly smack of student living as we know it today. Perhaps we aren’t so different after all.

Bethany Gent investigates fashion of the so called Dark Ages

Everyday life in Medieval England


Hi there! I know absolutely loads of you have been to our first events of the year, but for those that haven’t I thought I’d lay out what the History Society has done, and is going to do for the rest of the year…..

This year the History Society is bigger and better than ever. We’ve got loads of different socials going on throughout the year, with deals from Rough Hill and Social Junkies meaning Society members get it all at discounted prices. Whether it’s a night spent out at Sankeys, drinking away our bar tab at Tiger Tiger, winning the pub quizzes, bowling or going to watch Man City, we’ve definitely got something for everyone going on this year.

Straight after the January exam break we’re hitting up Berlin in a big way for a massive weekend of post-exam celebration where you’ll get to experience all that Berlin has to offer both during the day and at night. Deposits are being taken now so head to the Society’s facebook page for all the details.

The society is making a big impact in the campus sport world with the ‘Hoop’s tearing up the girls netball league, whilst the boys football is going from strength to strength. Later on in the year the Society’s boys will be doing battle with the UMCC in their prestigious ‘6-a-side’ Cricket tournament, so we’re on the lookout for budding Flintoffs and KPs.

Needless to say there’s a lot more going on with the Society than I can put into this space, so the best thing to do is to get on our Facebook page: ‘Manchester University History Society 11-12’. From there you’ll find all the information about up and coming events, sports, careers and most importantly all the information on how to get on the coveted Berlin trip. Society membership is free, so just join up to become part of one of the most vibrant societies in Manchester.

HISTORY SOCIETY PRESENTS: BERLIN 2012

Whether you want a messy weekend abroad experiencing Berlin’s infamous nightlife with your mates or the chance to explore possibly the most historically rich city in Europe (or both) then this trip is for you. It also provides an excellent opportunity to create new (and possibly better) friends, forget about your post-exam depression and have a truly unforgettable weekend – depending on how much you drink...

YOU DON’T EVEN HAVE TO DO HISTORY Students from any course or even friends from separate universities can join in on this extraordinary weekend away.

The History Society coupled with Outgoing.co.uk are offering a price of £149 per person for a 5 day 2 night trip 2nd – 6th February 2012.

All you need to do is put down £40 to reserve your place on the trip and then pay the rest (£109) at a later date... up to four weeks before the trip sets off.

THERE ARE ONLY 100 PLACES SO BOOK NOW TO AVOID DISAPPOINTMENT

This price will include:• ExecutivecoachtravelwithDVD/monitors, reclining seats and WC • Channelcrossing• CitycentreBed&Breakfastaccommodation for 2 nights • Freeordiscountednightclubentry(subjectto availability)

Here is the Link you need to follow to book this:http://www.outgoing.co.uk/weekend-breaks/trip/3218/

The trip will depart early morning Thursday from a pick up point in Fallowfield and travel via executive coaches to arrive at your accommodation in Berlin Friday morning. The coach will depart Berlin on Sunday morning to arrive back at your drop off point early Monday morning.

History Society

Jamie Lawless

The President’s addressA few words from the History Society President



Postgraduate

The Church of England has had something of a reputation as a reactionary, conservative institution; a pillar of the establishment; a homogeneous, unified, source of unwavering support for the ruling authorities.

Not so. The Anglican Church has always been an organisation in which diverse and often radical doctrines have been given a platform. In the mid-nineteenth century, Frederick Denison Maurice undertook the task of ‘Christianising socialism and socialising Christianity’ in an effort to make clergymen think about the social implications of their faith. Later, the Christian Social Union and Church Socialist League crystallised the ‘Christian Socialist’ approach, campaigning for social reform through Christianity.

However, Anglicans continued to engage with radical politics throughout the twentieth century. While many followed the Christian Socialist approach, there were those in the Church of England that adopted a far more radical Marxist analysis into their worldviews.

This reconciliation of Marxism and Christianity is intriguing in light of the well-recorded animosity of leading Christians to Marxist communism, and of leading Marxists (including Marx and Engels themselves) to religion in general. However, the Christian Marxists were able to complete this philosophical reconciliation to at least their own satisfaction.

For most, it was the moral attraction of Marxism that drew them to consider the relationship between their religious faith and radical politics. The concern within Marxism for building a new, better, social and economic order in order to benefit the whole of the population struck a chord with a socialised interpretation of Christianity.

The Christian Marxists campaigned for improved, and cheaper, housing for working people in industrial areas, dramatic reform of the capitalist

Meddlesome priestsA look at the research of one of the department’s own PhD students.Edward Poole

economic order, the freeing of British colonies, and after the Second World War, were heavily involved in the Campaign for Nuclear Disarmament.

The Russian Revolutions of 1917 and the appearance of the Soviet Union inspired many Christian Marxists. They saw in the existence of the USSR the opportunity to build a society along more Christian lines. Despite the restriction and repression of organised religion in the Soviet Union, prominent Anglicans such as Hewlett Johnson argued vehemently that the Soviet Union was building a society that would become ‘more Christian’ than Britain.

As might be expected, the commitment of these Anglicans to both Christianity and Marxism caused much controversy. There were numerous calls for Johnson to be dismissed from his post because of his political stance, and the various Archbishops of Canterbury during Johnson’s tenure were frequently called upon either to publicly remonstrate him, or remind the public that according to the laws of the Church of England, there were no grounds upon which Johnson could be dismissed for his political opinions.

However, the Christian Marxists also encountered opposition from those who held similar political views. Vicar of Darnall, Alan Ecclestone, took the step of joining the Communist Party of Great Britain in 1948. Despite this, he did not always receive a warm welcome from fellow Party members. At one branch meeting, he stood to ask a difficult economic question. In response, the speaker asked what Ecclestone did for a living. In response, Ecclestone simply pulled down his scarf to reveal his clerical collar. The speaker’s response was simply “Oh dear, you had such an intelligent face.”

The Christian Marxists were often caught in the conflicts and controversies between their faith and their politics, and it is how they navigated this difficult position that must be studied. The lessons that can be learned by considering the relationship between radical religion and radical politics can help us understand the ways in which politics and religion can collide and interact. It is this, above all, that an examination of Christianity and Marxism can contribute.


Postgraduate

If you are thinking about applying for an MA in History now is the time to start putting those thoughts into action. On top of final year madness it can seem a bit impossible, but if you approach MA application with a certain mind set you should be ok. The most important thing is to be organised as this time round there is no UCAS system- it really is all up to you!

Although it might seem a bit obvious you really need to think about what you are going to apply for. First of all you need to pick between a research or taught masters.

Research masters mean you are a little bit of a lone wolf who feels so passionately about a topic that you want to do some major investigating and writing on it. Unlike the taught masters there is not much in the way of lectures and seminars; instead you and your supervisor have individual meetings about your research. I do not wish to dissuade anyone from undertaking such a masters, but you MUST be mildly obsessed with your research topic to have the self-motivation to complete one. If you don’t fit this category than I think a taught masters is best.

Whilst you may be generally interested in History, taught MAs are normally a time to become more specialised in a chosen field. Think about the particular elements of history that gets you all geeky and excited and then see if there is a course tailored to them, such as Manchester University’s MA in War, Culture and History or Modern European History. Look on university websites and if a course seems promising contact the postgraduate admissions officer- don’t feel embarrassed they will be expecting these phone calls and it shows you are enthusiastic!

From this you should hopefully be able to find three or four universities. Any more than this might get you in a bit of a muddle as the next stage is the endless application questions.

Possibly the worse thing about applying for any MA is the paperwork that goes with it. Each university will have their own application form (normally online) that wants to know everything from your

Mastering your applicationAmanda PhippsA rough guide to applying for a History MA.

academic achievements to your shoe size! This said there are certain elements that are really important like work experience and your personal statement.

Unfortunately, work experience is quite an essential part of the application. Some of you may be fine on this front, but if you really don’t have any experience relevant to history (and I stress relevant as they don’t really care if you worked in Tesco for two weeks) don’t despair too much. I had been rather lazy in this area but managed to get an internship set up for the following summer. This meant that I could excuse my empty ‘work experience’ page in my personal statement by stating it was all in the pipe line.

The personal statement is much the same as the one you wrote when applying for an undergraduate degree. It’s all about showing off how fantastic you are and how other people have appreciated your fantasticness with certificates and medals etc etc.

However, one crucially different part is that you must discuss what you wish to write your MA dissertation about. Now I am not one to condone lying and it really is great if you have a topic in mind, but you need to be imaginative here. Don’t think that what you write here has to be what you do, just think about historical events, methods and theoretical angles that you might want to use and go from there. I think what is important is that they think you are thinking about it which leads them to think you are dedicated history student.

Once you have completed these sections approach lecturers for references. A lecturer that likes you is normally a good bet for this, but if that is a problem ask someone who at least knows your name. You might want to leave them a little time to write the references before the application deadline as lecturers are busy, busy people! They normally send the references themselves to your chosen university so if they agree enter their contact details on your form and then send it off.

Phew and that’s it. The fun of funding applications doesn’t begin until you have been accepted on a course so you just need to sit back and nervously wait for a response! Lastly - GOOD LUCK!


Research updates from your lecturersStaff section

Laurence Brown

Making history in a riot.I spend the summer working on Project81 to mark the 30th anniversary of 1981 Moss Side Riots. We were set to hold a public exhibition in the middle of August as part of Manchester’s Caribbean carnival, when riots broke out in city centre. Two days before carnival, the city council debated whether to cancel the event and the exhibition, but fortunately it went ahead and several thousand people showed up to enjoy food, music and a bit of history.

Project81 brought together an extensive collection of materials on the riots from the media, police and local archives as well as new oral interviews. The project was led by the actor Chris Bisson (currently on Emmerdale) and was funded by the Heritage Lottery Fund. Part of the exhibition will be shown on campus during the second half of October to mark Black History month.

Yangwen Zheng

I gave a public talk to Bolton Historical Association last week on “The Great Divergence: How China Fell Behind Europe” and will do the same today in Sheffield Historical Association. I will be giving public lectures to Beckenham Historical Association (November on “Chinese Women’s Long March to Modernity: From Three Inch Golden Lily to Working Mom), Manchester Historical Association (January 2012 on The Great Divergence: How China Fell Behind Europe”), and Grimsby Historical Association (April 2012 on “Chinese Women’s Long March to Modernity: From Three Inch Golden Lily to Working Mom). I made two podcasts (The Opium War and The Cultural Revolution) for UK Historical Association which can be accessed from its website and my HIP students have listened to it and found it helpful.

Hannah Barker

Sir Alex Ferguson and Professor Hannah Barker launching the ‘Sporting Heroes’ project at the YMCA in Manchester, 22 September 2011 with Jack Crompton, the only surviving member of the Manchester United 1948 cup winning team. (Professor Barker kept secret the fact that she is an Arsenal supporter!)

‘Sporting Heroes’ is a Heritage Lottery Fund Project supporting Manchester YMCA in exploring its sporting past through archival research and oral history interviews with older members of the YMCA, carried out by young people from All Hallows Sports College.

Volunteers and the school pupils will share their learning with the wider community through a website, DVD and exhibition.


Siobhan Talbott

I was interviewed in March for a radio series entitled ‘The Scottish Intellect’ which is being broadcast in 7 weekly parts on BBC Radio Scotland - the first part was aired on 14 September 2011.

Stephen Mossman

I do some external consultancy work for the art market from time to time, and over the summer identified only the third complete manuscript ever found of the Elixir of Nikolaus Frauenlob von Hirschberg, an Austrian natural scientist active in the early fifteenth century. If you have £40,000 to spare, it can be yours! On the other hand, if you can only drum up a measly £25,000 or so, then you could go for a Protestant prayerbook copied by the founder of the Swedish Post Office, a German named Andre Wecheln. Wecheln had arrived in Stockholm in 1635, having spent a long part of the Thirty Years War as a kind of military logistician and informant (i.e., a spy) in Germany for Axel Oxenstierna, the Lord High Chancellor of the Swedish Empire. Details at www.textmanuscripts.com (and no, I don’t earn commission...).

Edd Poole’s Tips For Using Online Newspapers

Newspapers contain a wealth of information that can be useful, even vital, to the work historians do. Whether you need news reports, biographical information, or contemporary opinion, newspapers will support your work.

However, finding relevant articles can be a difficult task. Libraries often have paper copies of local and national newspapers, for example Manchester Central Library holds a huge collection open for public use, but to get you started, the University of Manchester provides access to the online archives of both The Times and Guardian newspapers.

To make use of the Guardian archive for 1821 to 2003, go to the library website, click ‘Databases A to Z’ and then ‘G’. There are two options labelled ‘Guardian’, and you want the top one. Click the link ‘Proquest Historical Newspapers’ and ‘The Guardian and The Observer’ on the next page. You will need to enter your central username and password if you are off-campus, but you will be taken to the search page. You can then search for whatever you need, and the database will search both the Guardian and Observer between 1821 and 2003 – a huge resource for free!

To use the Times archive, go click ‘T’ on the library database screen and then ‘Times Digital Archive’. Again, you will need your central username and password if you are off-campus, but when you are through to the search screen you can search for anything appearing in The Times newspaper between 1785 and 1985 – another amazing resource completely free!

Whichever you use, you can download PDF versions of articles and pages from the newspapers, so in no time at all you can use plenty of primary sources in essays and assignments! Check them out!


Staff Section

Why history matters to me.Manchester’s Dr. Chris Godden reveals his life long relationship with economic history, and the crucial importance of it’s study.

What first interested you in history?Perhaps I shouldn’t say this, but my original interest wasn’t in history. I had always enjoyed it at school, but for quite a long time, my main interest was economics. The initial impetus to change came while studying economics at A-level. After being introduced to the Industrial Revolution I realised the role of economic forces in history. It was this that gradually increased my interest in history. It was also this that made me realise, for the first time, that I had grown in one of the towns that had been at the heart of Britain’s Industrial Revolution!

Why do you think that economic history is such an important discipline?How long have you got? The scope of economic history is very wide. It deals with the processes behind economic development, and the numerous issues and problems that spring from this. Given that ‘economic history’ straddles two disciplines, there is always that question of where the emphasis should be. Should it be on ‘economic’ or on ‘history’? As you can imagine, my feet are firmly planted on the ‘history’ side of the divide. I don’t feel there is much use looking at the story simply through statistics and economic theory, because they never do justice to the wider human repercussions of such dramatic events.

What made you specialise in your field?Well, it followed from this growing interest in economic history. I came to Manchester in September 1997 to study economic history and economics. My first thought was that it was a happy combination of subjects, as it allowed me to have the best of both worlds. A few things then developed from this. The first of these was that the more I studied history, the more uncertain I became about economics. The economics courses I took told me that people behave the same everywhere, and have done so throughout history. This goes back to the basic assumption that economists accept about universal models to explain

human behaviour. But when I came the history lectures, I was told to avoid such present-minded assumptions about how individuals thought and behaved, and to explore different ideas and sources to explain wants, desires, identities, and so on. I was pretty confused at this point, as I was being told two different things about how the world operates! I was trying to figure out what I wanted to do, what I wanted to get out of my degree, and so on. In the end I came to the conclusion that a lot more can be learnt from economic history than from economics. I’m still working on that!

Which individual from the past do you draw the most inspiration from?My first thought is to say Keynes. I learned an enormous amount from reading him, and he was certainly an important inspiration when I was an undergraduate. A big impact on what I try to do these days has come from the likes of Weber, Ashley, Robertson, and Schumpeter. But beyond all this academic stuff, a more general source of interest would be someone like Orson Welles.

If you could go back and live in any historic era, what time would that be?If one has some sense of historical inquiry, there would certainly be something to say for living in a different century, experiencing a different age, being an observer at famous events, things like that. But what worries me is, if I’d lived in a different century, I’d probably be dead by now!

Do you have any words of wisdom for current history undergraduates?Little pearls of wisdom? I suppose the main thing I would suggest is to use your time at university to be inquisitive, to be curious, to explore different types of history, to look at things that are radically different from what you are familiar with. Curiosity may have killed the cat, but it never harmed a history student!

Want to hear more from Dr. Chris Godden? Go to the history blog at www.e-tout.blogspot.com to read the full interview.


EventsWant to find out more about the research your lecturers and seminar leaders are conducting? Then attend one of these upcoming lectures to find out more about your favourite topics, or to spark an interest in a new

Postgraduate Seminars in History and Classics- 5pm in Samuel Alexander A4

1st November Patrick Doyle (American Studies)‘A Fluid and Flexible Frontier: A Social and Political Geography of South Carolina during the Antebellum and Civil War eras’

15th NovemberShirin Hirsch (History)Pinochet’s arrest and the politics of memory

29th NovemberNathan Booth (History)“Where everything is clean and tidy, where the fire burns briskly, and where his slightest want is attended to” : the domesticity of drinking and provincial ‘pub culture’ in Stalybridge and its surrounding area, 1830-1880.

Tom Scriven (History)A Byron for the people: sex and radicalism of a Chartist leader

13th DecemberJames Corke-Webster (Classics)A Pioneer of History? Eusebius of Caesarea, Narratology and the Story of the Church

Lecturer seminars and events

26th OctoberLunchtime Seminar by Steven Pierce Steven Pierce‘Nigeria Can Do Without Such Perverts’: Sexual Anxiety and Political Crisis in Postcolonial Nigeria?1.00 pm, The University of Manchester, Room A112 Samuel Alexander Building

28th OctoberHerford Memorial Lecture by Professor Richard Bosworth‘Mussolini’s Rome and its eternal history wars’4.00 pm, The University of Manchester, Room A101 Samuel Alexander Building

16th NovemberLunchtime Seminar by Stephen Mossman‘Brother Ulrich of the Green Isle and the Daughter of Zion’1.00 pm, The University of Manchester, Room A112 Samuel Alexander Building

Check out www.e-tout.blogspot.com for further events and updates.


Reviews

The Museum of Science and Industry on Liverpool Road, Castlefield, is the best museum that I have been to in Manchester. It is also the biggest, and I managed to get lost inside it for fifteen minutes.

Due to its size, you should definitely set aside a good few hours to explore its many exhibitions. There are five main buildings for you to explore, which does unfortunately mean that you have to brave the Manchester weather when moving between exhibitions.

The first building, the Great Western Warehouse is full of school children during the week and families during the weekend. This contained the newest exhibition, Revolution Manchester, an interactive gallery, and mainly focused on aspects of energy.

Other parts of the warehouse include the Manchester Science Gallery and the Textiles Gallery. This is also where the coffee shop is, which I enjoyed immensely.

If you go out of the main entrance and cross Lower Byrom Street, you see a huge old glass and iron building. This is the Air and Space Hall and is my favourite of the museum’s five buildings. In it was a vast array of vehicles, from some of the cars from the 1920s to army vehicles to aeroplanes. If you are easily amused like I am, a vast array of vehicles will surely win you over. If you like motorbikes, there is also a Harley Davidson exhibit on until 30th October, entry £6.50, which you should catch whilst you still can. I didn’t go, but I’m really cheap.

1830 warehouses connect the Manchester Gallery, which tells the story of the development of communications in the Manchester region, from the telegraph to phones to the internet. A second technology gallery in this warehouse is the

The Museum of Science and IndustryThe Manchester Historian pays a visit to the vast exhibition rooms on Mancunian scientific innovation. Sophia White

Electricity Gallery, which has recreated kitchens and living rooms from the early-mid 20th Century. It is nice to look at how quaint and primitive technology used to be, and it makes you wonder how we managed with such inferior technology, I mean, the internet on my Blackberry’s been down for three days and I’m having withdrawal.

I moved on to the Station Building which is home to the Gas Gallery, the Liverpool-Manchester Railway exhibition, the Making of Manchester Gallery and the Underground Manchester Gallery. I got really lost in this building , and, thanks to the Underground Manchester gallery, I now know more about sewers than I ever cared to.

The Liverpool-Manchester Railway is the oldest passenger railway in the world, and at the weekends you can ride along it on a steam train to Ordsall (prime example of something being more about the journey than the destination).

The Gas Gallery shows the uses of gas as an energy source which is about as interesting as it sounds, and the Making of Manchester gallery is really good if you’re interested in the history of Manchester. It does actually has a history prior to the Industrial Revolution...who knew?!

The final building is the Power Hall which houses “one of the largest collections of working steam mill engines in the world.” This, like the Air and Space Hall, is good for anyone that likes looking at transport, in this case trains. At certain times of the year, they also serve cider and beer here, which further adds to the fun, though the reason for this escapes me.

The Museum of Science and Industry is a great museum due to its vast size. Whilst gas and new developments in science didn’t really interest me, the transport and history exhibitions did. One thing I would say is a) take a map from the front desk and b) be sure that you are actually able to read said map, otherwise you may end up, like me, wandering around the sewage exhibit for too long whilst being chased by the hordes of children that seem to be ever-present.


Take credo, says Niall Ferguson, economic historian and current professor of History at Yale University. Credo is the Latin for ‘I believe’ and is the root of the English word credit. This is Ferguson’s foundation in his Channel 4 documentary series The Ascent Of Money in which he aims to prove that money is the real writer of history.

Essentially, Niall’s main argument is that in order for financial transactions to work, a trust needs to exist between the lender and borrower or purchaser and seller that a deal will be completed.

He traces financial transactions from the days of Ancient Mesopotamia where moneylenders inscribed payment contracts for their debtors on clay tablets, to modern day financial systems which see trillions of dollars pass through markets electronically every day.

His sound analysis of the development of modern day banking in Venice is fascinating. He attributes the Jewish faith’s ability to lend to non-Jews as the reason for the creation of modern day banking and explores money as the driving force that led Europe to conquer the world.

Although perhaps sometimes farfetched in his analyses, Ferguson continuously backs up his points with strong evidence. His constant relation to modern day examples, including the credit crunch of the early 2000s, and his frequent usage of imagery, including the paintings of Botticelli, is the strong point of this series.

For those without an economic or historical background, Niall phrases complex concepts in simplistic and relatable words making this documentary very accessible for viewers. Perhaps credit is really due to Ferguson rather than to investors.

Series available on 4OD now.

The Ascent of MoneyA look at Niall Ferguson’s groundbreaking documentary series on financial history.

Reviews by Atta Rahman

Making HistoryModern day experts look at the past in an attempt to understand the present.

According to Atta

Professor Nadia Holland of Queen Mary University joins BBC Radio 4’s broadcast Making History to commemorate the 75th anniversary of the Battle of Cable Street.

Holland provides a well-informed analysis of the clash that took place between the anti-fascist residents of the East End and the London Metropolitan Police, who allowed a march to take place by the Union of British Fascists.

Led by Oswald Mosley, the Union was part of a wave of European fascism that spread across Europe in the 1930s in the wake of the Great Depression.

The uprising that ensued on Cable Street was bloody and brutal, and as Holland analyses, something more out of medieval times than the 20th century. The political history of the region is largely unchanged

today, with an amalgamation of various large immigrant communities who are staunchly anti-conservative.

If history is still so ingrained in British communities, Fiona Watson explores whether the historical architecture of Britain will continue to be preserved with government budget cuts leading to the redundancies of most architectural advisers of English councils.

Though doubtful after some preliminary research in Merseyside, Mike Hayworth, the UK Director of the Council for British Archaeology attempts to re-assure Fiona that through volunteer schemes and obtaining highly specialised staff, preserving British heritage will not fall down the ladder.

Perhaps all is not lost for the preservation of British History after all.

Episodes available on BBC iPlayer

19.


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issue 2 - manchester historian

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