Category:Writers on Chester

This is a category for articles on writers who have written books about Chester. It is intended for use where it is possible to add a link to their actual text/content and/or a brief biography. The format of each article (see for example Seacome) is a short description of the life of the person, followed by a list of their works relating to Chester and then any links to the text of these. This is intended to be used via a link when quoting an author, as in the following example:

Borrow (1862) writes:


 * Chester is an ancient town with walls and gates, a prison called a castle, built on the site of an ancient keep, an unpretending-looking red sandstone cathedral, two or three handsome churches, several good streets, and certain curious places called rows. 

Please DO NOT upload "e-books" as files, but link to them externally. To simply add a link to a book without adding a page about the author use the Books page.

Monastic Writers
Chester has several noted "monastic" writers:
 * Robert of Chester;
 * Lucian the Monk;
 * Ranulf Higden author of the Polychronicon;
 * Henry Bradshaw;

Older Guidebooks for Chester
One consequence of the growth of tourism was the proliferation of guidebooks on Chester. The ealiest of these appears to be that of Broster and later books inclide Pigot, Seacome, Batenham, Hemingway and Hughes. Many of these guides were produced by local booksellers and follow an almost standard pattern: disparaging remarks about earlier guides followed by a text which largely copies from the earlier works - sometimes word for word. An example of the former is found in Hughes description of Bishop Lloyd's House. In his attack on earlier "Guide-makers" he writes of the carvings on the house:


 * "Ridiculous have been some of the attempts of "Local Guide-makers" to arrive at the real meaning of this design some have gravely set it down as the "Flight into Egypt" while another and later unfortunate has sapiently pronounced it to be "Susannah and the Elders". "

Errors made in earlier works are duplicated in later ones, thus, once it had been written that the Recorders Steps were built for Roger Comberbach this was repeated in later works, and eventually even engraved on a stone plaque by the steps, which dates the steps from 1700. In fact, the steps date from after Comberbach's death in 1719.

Many other writers on Chester are listed on the Books page, the ones listed below are the major ones where some brief background may be of interest.

Chester Archaeological Society
The Society has published a journal since 1850. It contains reports on local excavations, discussion articles by distinguished scholars and conference proceedings. Back issues (Old Series 1-3 and New Series 1-84) of the journal, together with other publications, are now accessible free online via the Archaeology Data Service at https://doi.org/10.5284/1046285.

Modern Writers
There are many modern books on Chester. These range from tourist guides to histories. Some are truly awful "catch-penny" productions: many of which are parts of various publishing-house series with pre-fixed titles like "Obscure (add name of City)". Others are well researched documents by local authors, including professionals associated with the Grosvenor Museum. "Tourist guides", especially those listing shops, hotels and places to eat may well date rapidly, given the rapid turnover of businesses. If you are visiting Chester with the help of a tourist guide more than a year old, it many be worth a few phone calls to see if where you want to go is still open.

We have listed some of the modern authors below - they are all "local". Don't worry if you are not listed .. yet (James, et al.) Many of the Books are available for purchase at the Grosvenor Museum shop, at local Waterstones, or at the Tourist Information Office at the Town Hall.

For Hooligan, and other writers on this site, just click on their username, such as Hooligan. There are no plans to turn this Chesterwiki website into a book

There are many other writers who have contributed to the publications of the various local Historical Societies and those associated with Cheshire Archaeology. These include, but are not limitrd to:


 * Hoole History and Heritage Society;
 * Upton Local History;
 * Cheshire Archaeology links to publications;

Sources and Links

 * "Imagining Roman Britain: Victorian Responses to a Roman Past" (Virginia Hoselitz)
 * Printers and Stationers of Chester;