{"product_id":"9781835743447-past-lives-forgotten-stories","title":"Past Lives, Forgotten Stories","description":"\u003cmeta content=\"text\/html; charset=utf-8\" http-equiv=\"Content-Type\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan\u003eCobbled Patchworks of History\u003cbr\u003e\u003cp\u003eThis book traces the remarkable lives of the author’s ancestors: criminals, performers, migrants, and mill workers, set against the backdrop of 19th-century Britain, offering a compelling blend of family, local, and social history grounded in archival research\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cbr\u003e\u003cp\u003eIn this richly woven tapestry of family, social, and local history, the lives of ordinary people unfold in extraordinary ways.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe Jaques brothers were part of the infamous Long Company — a criminal gang that brought fear to the streets of Prescot in the mid-nineteenth century. A silk winder rose to fame as a blackfaced performer on the variety theatre circuit across northern England. In a bold leap of faith, a pawnbroker from Bolton emigrated to Canada with his family in the 1870s, going on to build a new life as a successful prairie farmer. And in a true rags-to-riches story, the illegitimate son of impoverished weavers in Victorian England rose through the ranks to manage a thriving cotton-spinning mill in Bolton.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThese compelling stories — drawn from the author’s own ancestors — reveal how individuals shaped and were shaped by the communities around them. From watchmakers and millers to miners and a possible link to landed gentry, this book explores the shifting landscapes of industrial Britain through deeply personal lenses.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eMeticulously researched and richly documented with archival material and contemporary press reports, it offers fresh insight into the lives that formed the backbone of a changing society.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Rarewaves","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":56838393430390,"sku":"9781835743447","price":9.58,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0092\/7504\/8033\/files\/stand_38970443_f0569b6f-a99e-4ad8-87ae-da409306a94d.jpg?v=1765420384","url":"https:\/\/www.rarewaves.com\/products\/9781835743447-past-lives-forgotten-stories","provider":"Rarewaves.com","version":"1.0","type":"link"}