Mervyn Edwards: 10 books

Both the town of Newcastle-under-Lyme and its name almost certainly owe their existence to the building of a ‘new’ castle there in the mid-twelfth century. The town’s importance gradually grew from the twelfth to the eighteenth centuries, by which time Newcastle was referred to as the ‘Capital...

Burslem, the mother town of the potteries is documented here using evocative old and new images to record its people and places. The birthplace of Josiah Wedgwood has been home to the greatest international names in ceramics, from Davenport to Royal Doulton, just a few household names whose dinner...

Why did the young girls of Longton rush to touch lamp posts, iron pillars or railings whenever they saw the local rector? Who were the Potteries ‘resurrectionists’ involved in body-snatching from St John’s churchyard, Burslem, in 1831? Why did some Hanley people fear that the world was about...

The impact of people and places in Wolstanton and May Bank is recorded in this pictorial record that recognises the contribution of village notables, dear old friends and long-gone institutions. A wealth of photographs depicting the joys of community life mingle with contemporary pictures, showing,...

Tunstall, it would seem, has always been a town of modernity and progress, from its developing industry of the late eighteenth century to the thriving market and impressive amenities that emerged in the nineteenth century. Indeed, in a little over a century, Tunstall went from being 'the pleasantest...

China Town is one of the more flattering titles that Longton has attracted over the years, and it is a name that recognises the town's splendid reputation for ceramic production. Big businesses such as Bridgwood, Aynsley, Webberley, Wild and Tams all flourished; the pottery firing process was aided...

Hanley has been the dominant Potteries town since the early nineteenth century. From being 'a humble collection of dwellings' in the early eighteenth century, it grew into a recognisable town and ultimately emerged as the Potteries metropolis and the city centre that we know today. From 1801 it was...

Fenton is the ‘forgotten town’ in the novels of Hanley-born author Arnold Bennett. He chose to write of the Five Towns, deliberately omitting Fenton, which at the time of his writing was only an urban district. He argued that ‘five’ – with its open vowel – suited the broad tongue of the...

Stoke-upon-Trent, described as a village in 1795, grew rapidly from the 1820s and 1830s, by which time a new Anglican church had been built as well as new streets. Noted in a trade directory of 1829 as having 'many handsome houses, wharves, warehouses and earthenware manufactories', it became famous...

The pubs of Stoke are numerous, and each has its own fascinating tale to tell. While many have been lost due to time, money or misfortune, the stories and memories live on. As one of the key centres of the Industrial Revolution, the development of Stoke-on-Trent into the expanded city we know today...