Industrialisation and identity in Shropshire : the Brookes of Madeley, 1544-1646
The nature and extent of industrialisation in the Ironbridge Gorge during the sixteenth and seventeenth centuries is investigated. Three generations of the Brooke family made changes to the landscape, buildings, and industrial infrastructure of the Manor of Madeley in the period between the dissolution of the monasteries and the English Civil War. The Brookes developed coal mining, ironworking and steelmaking on their estate, and further afield; they introduced innovative technology and eventually operated one of the largest ironmaking concerns in the country. The wealth they created enabled the development of their country house and associated designed landscapes. The Brooke family were Catholics, and at times actively resistant to the Protestant hegemony. This thesis examines the role that their Catholicism played in informing the actions that they undertook, and the extent to which it was part of their social and cultural identity. The material evidence of the landscape and buildings, the archaeology of the industrial installations, and the documentary evidence for their social, political and religious networks are examined. The ways in which the three generations negotiated the complexities of a rapidly-changing
Belford, Paul
Industrialisation and identity in Shropshire : the Brookes of Madeley, 1544-1646. The nature and extent of industrialisation in the Ironbridge Gorge during the sixteenth and seventeenth centuries is investigated. Three generations of the Brooke family made changes to the landscape, buildings, and industrial infrastructure of the Manor of Madeley in the period between the dissolution of the monasteries and the English Civil War. The Brookes developed coal mining, ironworking and steelmaking on their estate, and further afield; they introduced innovative technology and eventually operated one of the largest ironmaking concerns in the country. The wealth they created enabled the development of their country house and associated designed landscapes. The Brooke family were Catholics, and at times actively resistant to the Protestant hegemony. This thesis examines the role that their Catholicism played in informing the actions that they undertook, and the extent to which it was part of their social and cultural identity. The material evidence of the landscape and buildings, the archaeology of the industrial installations, and the documentary evidence for their social, political and religious networks are examined. The ways in which the three generations negotiated the complexities of a rapidly-changing
industrialisation identity shropshire nature_extent industrialisation ironbridge_gorge investigate three_generation family make change landscape building industrial infrastructure manor period dissolution monastery english_civil_war develop coal_mining estate introduce innovative technology eventually operate one_large concern country wealth create enabled development country house associate design landscape family catholics time actively resistant protestant hegemony examines_role catholicism play inform action undertook extent part social_cultural identity material_evidence landscape building archaeology industrial installation documentary_evidence social_political religious network examine way three_generation negotiate complexity rapidly changing