Good Book on the history of the Forest of Dean

Hi,
My name is Ellie Perry and I live in Seattle, Washington USA. I am tracing my ancestors back to the Forest of Dean. I was hoping someone could suggest a good
book on the history of the Forest of Dean I could pick-up in the states. So far, I am finding connections to the surnames : ASTON,AMBREY,THOMAS,FOX,JONES,BOURNE,KEAR,MADDOX and SMITH.
Thank you.

One good book I've recently read on the Forest of Dean - especially if you're interested in the surname KEAR - is BERMUDA DICK (written by Averil Kear). It's the story of six Forest men transported to Bermuda, after a particularly horrific rape in the Oldcroft, Viney Hill area of the Forest during 1851.

The book (ISBN 1 899889 08 6) is reviewed on this website under Forest of Dean Resources / Books.

I'm also researching the MADDOX families in the forest, and would be interested in your connection.

Forest of Dean Family History - eBooks
http://www.forest-of-dean.net/?eBooks

Historical Articles
http://www.http://www.forest-of-dean.net/joomla/resources/historical-articles

A History of the County of Gloucester:
Volume 5 - Bledisloe Hundred, St. Briavels Hundred, The Forest of Dean
http://www.british-history.ac.uk/source.aspx?pubid=97

Forest of Dean Books
http://www.lightmoor.co.uk/forest_of_dean.htm

Thank you. I'll check it out.
Ellie

If you would like to read some autobigraphical novels about the area these, no doubt familiar to British people but perhaps not to someone in the USA, are well worth reading as they give a good picture of the people, the customs, culture and their dialect -
Winifred Foley - A Child In The Forest -1st published in 1974. Though written about a childhood after World War I, much of it is about the area and gives a good view of the people of the Forest of Dean, particularly the mining community. (She was born in 1914)
Laurie Lee - Cider With Rosie. Laurie Lee was brought up in Gloucestershire and attended Slad village school before leaving home and going to Spain (around the time of the Spanish Civil War). (His childhood would be around the same time as Winifred Foley's). This is a very well known book in Britain and is, or at least used to be for several years, a set text for 14-16 year olds in schools.

Thank you very much. I will look for both books.
Ellie

Wishing you all best for reading the books.
HB

Re: "Winifred Foley - A Child In The Forest
Laurie Lee - Cider With Rosie. "

I got both books from eBAY!

How about the best book of all:

Coleford, The History of a West Gloucestershire Forest Town by Cyril Hart

ISBN O 86299 091 2 Published by Alan Sutton 1983

Not sure if it is still in print or available on Ebay?

Or his many other books on forest history, especially concerning the free miners are very interesting.

check out new site I found on British local history
www.britishlocalhistory.com
got lots of historical books.

"Coleford, The History of a West Gloucestershire Forest Town by Cyril Hart
ISBN O 86299 091 2 Published by Alan Sutton 1983
Not sure if it is still in print or available on Ebay?"

Again, I got my copy from eBAY, but I can honestly say, I've only seen it listed, once. So don't hold your breath!

Check out the geographical search, on www.britishlocalhistory.com

Forest of Deans Books

http://www.britishlocalhistory.co.uk/Default.aspx?tabid=8771&language=en-US&sea...

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