{"title":"Books by Christopher A. Whatley","description":null,"products":[{"product_id":"9780859767309","title":"Harvie's Dyke","description":"In the early 1820s, Thomas Harvie, a newly rich, arrogant Glasgow distiller, bought Westthorn estate on the eastern edge of the city close to the north bank of the River Clyde. To establish the bounds of his property and keep out intruders, he erected two walls, the larger of which (‘Harvie’s Dyke’) was massive, fortified and blocked a long-established pathway alongside the river. Colliers and other workers from nearby villages (many of whom regularly used the walkway) were outraged. A large crowd gathered on midsummer’s evening in 1823 and set about demolishing the wall. After a cavalry charge put an end to the disturbance, dozens of the rioters were arrested and some imprisoned.But Harvie rebuilt his walls, and a six-year struggle with the people of Glasgow ensued, which resulted in a House of Lords ruling in 1828 in favour of those who had campaigned for ‘the liberties of the banks of the Clyde’. The episode gripped the city and was heralded in poems, song and newspapers for many decades. It also inspired later protests against landowners who attempted to obstruct public rights of way. This book is testimony to a triumphant victory for ordinary Glaswegians over an uncompromising estate proprietor.","brand":"Gardners","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":56295397917045,"sku":"9780859767309","price":17.99,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":false}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0612\/7193\/3106\/files\/9780859767309_4511833e-1cde-49f8-9061-1098e58c70c6.jpg?v=1786015898"},{"product_id":"9781399537827","title":"The Triumph of Textiles","description":"\u003cp\u003eA fresh account of the remarkable rise of Dundee as a global industrial city – and the origins of its later demise. The background to jute, the product most closely associated with Dundee, is investigated in unprecedented depth. The role of flax and linen as foundations for the jute industry is emphasised. \u003cbr\u003eThe book challenges many perceptions of Dundee. Linen was as important to Dundee before c.1850 as jute was afterwards; the significance of jute pre-1850 has often been exaggerated by historians. Traditionally Dundee’s success was attributed to the production of cheap coarse cloth for sacks, bagging etc. Yet many firms manufactured high quality, admiralty grade canvas, and colourful rugs and carpets in imitation of Brussels and other woollen floor coverings. \u003cbr\u003eDesign was important. So too were enterprising merchants and manufacturers from the early eighteenth century onwards. Although squalor and industrial and social conflict became the norm after the 1870s, prior to that Dundee was relatively buoyant economically, and greatly admired by visitors including those from as far afield as the US. In short, Dundee was one of Scotland’s industrial powerhouses – a fact too often overlooked.\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Gardners","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":56298799595893,"sku":"9781399537827","price":19.99,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0612\/7193\/3106\/files\/9781399537827.jpg?v=1786019149"},{"product_id":"9781910900970","title":"Salt","description":"Salt is a vital commodity. For many centuries it sustained life for Scots as seasoning for a diet dominated by grains (mainly oats), and for preservation of fish and cheese.Sea-salt manufacturing is one of Scotland’s oldest industries, dating to the eleventh century if not earlier. Smoke- and steam-emitting panhouses were once a common sight along the country’s coastline and are reflected in many of Scotland’s placenames. The industry was a high-status activity, with the monarch initially owning salt pans. Salt manufacture was later organised by Scotland’s abbeys and then by landowners who had access to the sea and a nearby supply of coal. As salt was an important source of tax revenue for the government, it was often a cause of conflict (and military action) between Scotland and England. The future of the industry – and the price of salt for consumers – was a major issue during negotiations around the Union of 1707.This book celebrates both the history and the rebirth of the salt industry in Scotland. Although salt manufacturing declined in the nineteenth century and was wound up in the 1950s, in the second decade of the twenty-first century the trade was revived. Scotland’s salt is now a high-prestige, green product that is winning awards and attracting interest across the UK.","brand":"Gardners","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":56308514816373,"sku":"9781910900970","price":20.0,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0612\/7193\/3106\/files\/9781910900970_87d52e69-a109-4ccd-a466-36bde38bfef7.jpg?v=1786034333"}],"url":"https:\/\/backstory.london\/collections\/author-christopher-a-whatley.oembed","provider":"Backstory","version":"1.0","type":"link"}