NationStates Jolt Archive

I'm currently writing a novel--whether it be short or long is yet to be determined--and I was in dire need of some information that I lack, as I am, sadly, not from or near the United Kingdom.

It takes place in Britain, mid 1880s, more specifically Yorkshire. My main character is a botanist. I was wondering what the extent of his knowledge would reach in that era, as well as what flora he would be dealing with in that part of the isle (trees, bushes, flowers, weeds, etc.). I'm also wondering what woods are in Yorkshire and where they are in relation to each other and the main cities/towns of said time period. I know of Sheffield and Doncaster, but not sure of the rest. (Also knowing if Yorkshire was heavily wooded at the time would be a great plus.) Lastly, I need to know if it was or wasn't strange or uncommon for an accountant to work within the household of his employer (especially if the employer is fairly wealthy with a mansion or hall).

And any bonus points go to you who can aid me in translating key phrases into Gaelic (hopefully classical Gaelic--as of the Celtic days).

So sorry for the trouble, but I've googled and hadn't seem to come up with anything substantial. Any help from you guys would be greatly appreciated.

Cheers!

Harrogate, York, Hull, Scarborough and Scunthorpe were all fairly important towns in Yorkshire back then. I believe it was also a single county back then.

I don't think there were any really huge forrests though. Most of the trees in England were chopped down in the 17th and 18th centuries. There are little pockets of course, but it's nothing like the East coast of the US where there are miles and miles of trees. There is just too much land dedicated to either agriculture or towns.

A victorian botanist would have had extremely detailed knowledge of local flora, and would have been able to identify pretty much all of the plants in his neighborhood. English forrests are primarily broadleaf: turkey oak, ash, alder, beech, hazlenut &c.

I also vaguely remember that Norway Spruce was grown for the mining industry, but I am not sure when that was done.

Also remember to get the counties right,

Which ridings are we talking about here, Richmond, Ripon, Northallerton and of course Scotch corner not a city but a magor route for the A1 and the A66 (A1- North South, A66 East West)

Can't move for bloody Hazel Ash Beech Chestnut, (Richmondshire,prev called Allertonshire can't remember the date of change)

Also Darlington is pretty close to here so a birthplace of Railworks, espescially with the Stephenson Foundry in Newcastle.

Also not forgetting the GNER rail, and a lot of other Rail building projects., A Lot of them might well have been responsible for the removal of forests and the opening and growth of towns villages and hamlets etc...

Yorkshire is sort of fell land and sort of Moorland.Bleak. As the previous post mentioned, most of the trees came down to make ships to fight the French & Spanish off. Setting for the TV. series 'Shouldn’t happen to a vet', 'Last of the summer wine' 'Emmerdale'.
Closest forest I'm aware of is in the lake district. You could try contacting the forestry commission, the tourist board, or just purchase an old map from the ordnance survey http://www.old-maps.co.uk/ Check the dates, it's your lucky day! Accountant working within the household? Highly unlikely probably anywhere in the world ...ever.
As for your Gaelic, be very careful as there are varying types used around the British Isles but, to the best of my Knowledge, it was not spoken in Yorkshire.
You could try the you local branch of the tourist board in the town that's your setting. Send them a letter or something, not sure if they have the internet up there yet. (that will get me into trouble)
Oh yes, Kew Gardens or the Royal Botanical Society may be able to help you on the botany side.
Actually, I cant quite picture a botanist being in Yorkshire full stop.

I forgot Dene!
http://64.233.183.104/search?q=cache:ORkI7fYZXRUJ:www.clubsaintgeorge.com/mycustompage0021.htm+%22people+lived+and+worked+in+this+huge+area+of+%22forest,+mines,&hl=en

Trees of Great Britain and Ireland - a book from 1913
http://fax.libs.uga.edu/QK488xE4/

Yorkshire is sort of fell land and sort of Moorland.Bleak.
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As for your Gaelic, be very careful as there are varying types used around the British Isles but, to the best of my Knowledge, it was not spoken in Yorkshire.
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You could try the you local branch of the tourist board in the town that's your setting. Send them a letter or something, not sure if they have the internet up there yet. (that will get me into trouble)
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Actually, I cant quite picture a botanist being in Yorkshire full stop.

True most of N Yorkshire is Glaciated Limestone crag and Till, a lot of boulderclay and peat, a lot of wonderfull moorland and fells, and they are most definately not bleak.

Gaelic is most definately not spoken around here, and the Tyke Dialect back then would have been incredibly pronounced (look up tyke for Yorkshire Pronounciation)

Yorkshire tourism http://www.yorkshirevisitor.com/ or http://www.ytb.org.uk/

But I would have thought any self respecting Victorian botanist would be off in the Colonies Expanding his collection to seek infamy in the Royal Society,

But North Yorkshire (as it is now) is a Beautiful county, Espescially where I live, in Richmond http://www.richmond.org.uk/guide/visitplaces.html Richmond hasn't changed that much since the 1600s I Imagine lol, and a lot of yorks most definately hasn't changed sine victorian time (the railways made new coal and lead mines viable)