John Gaisford’s ‘Clothiers and merchants in Spanish Cloth’, (our volume 101) has recently been warmly reviewed by Dr Vivienne Larminie for the Huguenot Society.
John Gaisford ed., ‘Clothiers and Merchants in Spanish Cloth, 1627-1667: The Ashe family of Somerset, Wiltshire and London and their account books’, Somerset Record Society 101 (2023): 531pp, 16 plates, colour & b&w. £51.69.
While opening her review with a broad overview of the book contents, Dr Larminie soon points out that there are no direct references in the book, or even its subject index, to the Huguenots. This might suggest that the book would not be of interest to her particular audience. However, this turns out not to be the case, as she reveals by examining the names of individuals referred to in the text.
Among the many French names cited in the ledgers examined by the author and, thus, contained in the book index, are many which, when compared to church records and other documents, can be established as Huguenots settled in England. As she says:
‘Thus we have a window not only on the business networks that eased immigration and on the cross-Channel shipmasters available to convey migrants but also, strikingly, on the way in which ‘strangers’ permeated the fabric of everyday life in their new country.’
Dr Larminie continues by examining a number of the names cited in the text and concludes by saying:
‘The result, for those interested in Huguenots, is an opportunity to quarry an unusual text, with the possibility of intriguing illumination.’
Dr Larminie was, until her retirement, Senior Research Fellow for the History of Parliament Trust, having held a number of historical research posts in earlier years. Today she is the Honorary Editor for the Huguenot Society.
This volume can be purchased in the shop.