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the experience of reading in Britain, from 1450 to 1945...

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Record Number: 1288


Reading Experience:

Evidence:

Henry Mayhew interviews a 'vagrant' of 18 years of age: "Of a night ...we'd read stories about Jack Sheppard and Dick Turpin, and all through that set. They were large thick books, borrowed from the library. They told how they used to break open the houses, and get out of Newgate, and how Dick got away to York. We used to think Jack and them very fine fellows. I wished I could be like Jack (I did then), about the blankets in his escape, and that old house in West-street -it is a ruin still."

Century:

1800-1849, 1850-1899

Date:

Between 1 Jan 1850 and 31 Dec 1859

Country:

England

Time

evening

Place:

city: London
other location: low lodging house

Type of Experience
(Reader):
 

silent aloud unknown
solitary in company unknown
single serial unknown

Type of Experience
(Listener):
 

passive reactive unknown
single serial unknown


Reader / Listener / Reading Group:

Listener:

anon

Age:

Adult (18-100+)

Gender:

Male

Date of Birth:

n/a

Socio-Economic Group:

Labourer (non-agricultural)

Occupation:

vagrant

Religion:

n/a

Country of Origin:

n/a

Country of Experience:

England

Listeners present if any:
e.g family, servants, friends

young men accommodated in the low lodging house


Additional Comments:

n/a



Text Being Read:

Author:

William Harrison Ainsworth

Title:

Rookwood

Genre:

Fiction

Form of Text:

Print: Book

Publication Details

n/a

Provenance

borrowed (public library)
borrowed library


Source Information:

Record ID:

1288

Source:

Print

Author:

Henry Mayhew

Editor:

n/a

Title:

London Labour and the London Poor

Place of Publication:

London

Date of Publication:

1861

Vol:

3

Page:

383

Additional Comments:

n/a

Citation:

Henry Mayhew, London Labour and the London Poor (London, 1861), 3, p. 383, http://can-red-lec.library.dal.ca/Arts/RED/record_details.php?id=1288, accessed: 19 April 2024


Additional Comments:

could be listener or reader; unsure, but entered here as listener with other listeners

   
   
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