DAILY LIVES OF OUR FORBEARS I recommend, for a start, "The Year 1000" by Lacey & Danziger ISBN 0 349 11278 9, which should be in your local library. Jumping ahead a bit, William Cobbett's "Rural Rides" (usually in two volumes) is another great read - about the life of ordinary people in the early 19th century. If you look up individual trades on Google, you can find a great deal of historical information. For example, I found a lot on brickmaking and bricklayers that way. You can also find many factual books on the lives of ordinary people in any good second-hand bookshop. We have a marvellous one here in Petersfield. Nasty and brutish it wasn't, from what I've read - short, in comparison with today, yes, but most people led full and happy lives nonetheless. Best wishes, Tony 9967 On 28/02/2008, Rod Blaker <rod.blaker@gmail.com> wrote: > > Hi folks > > My goal with this genealogy is make make a gift of a story - the story of > my > ancestors and their lives in their times - to my descendants, relatives > and > their extended families. > > To do that I need a very good grasp of daily life as the centuries roll by > - > life on the farm, life as a house carpenter and so forth. From > availability > of horses, to nature of farming, to dentistry and health care and > education > and leisure time (was there any?) > > I read the suggestion of "Larks Rise" but that is I presume a snapshot of > a > particular moment. Does anyone have a suggestion about the type of reading > that can take me from say 1000 to 2000 ? Not the life of the wealthy, nor > the abject poor - the common man - and woman and child. Nasty, brutish > and > short, I understand; but a bit more detail needed. > > Thanks > > Rod > > ------------------------------- > To unsubscribe from the list, please send an email to > SFHG-request@rootsweb.com with the word 'unsubscribe' without the quotes > in the subject and the body of the message >