Politics, Law and Society in Nottinghamshire: The Diaries of Godfrey Tallents of Newark, 1829-1839

An edition of the diaries of a Newark solicitor which throws light on the early days of the future Prime Minister, William Gladstone, when he was a local MP is being launched today.

Dr Richard Gaunt of Nottingham University has edited the diaries of Godfrey Tallents into one volume which mentions Tallent's friendship with Gladstone in the 1830s. "The diary also presents a vivid picture of local and national politics at the time of the Great Reform Act of 1832 and details some of the violently contested parliamentary elections in Newark."

Further information is available from the Nottinghamshire County Council website:

http://www.nottinghamshire.gov.uk/prarticle.htm?id=133096&Leisure=t;

Thoroton's History of Nottinghamshire online

Dr Robert Thoroton's History of Nottinghamshire, originally published in 1677 and re-published by John Throsby in three volumes with additions in the 1790s, has been transcribed and the full text made available on the British History website:

• www.british-history.ac.uk/source.aspx?pubid=442

Two volumes of this edition of the book are also available courtesy of the Google Books digitisation programme:

• Volume 1 - www.archive.org/details/historynottingh00thorgoog
• Volume 2 - www.archive.org/details/historynottingh01thorgoog

Online exhibition on medieval Nottingham

Nottinghamshire Archives have put together a fascinating online exhibition on medieval Nottingham. Subjects covered include:

• the town's topography
• governing the town
• churches
• guilds
• markets
• law and order
• trades

A wide range of historic documents have been included to provide insights into life in the town. I particularly enjoyed reading the complaints to the Mickeltourn Jury in 1395: it appears that Nottingham was full of traders overcharging the townsfolk for poor quality goods and the inhabitants were being reported for flinging "ordure" all over the place! Some things never change...

• Nottinghamshire Archives

The Festival of British Archaeology 2010 in Nottinghamshire

Details of events in Nottinghamshire are now available on the CBA website. These include open days at the Besthorpe and Langford excavations to the north of Newark, sessions with Finds Liaison Officers, an open day at the Calverton Iron-Age roundhouse, behind-the-scenes visits to museums, family-orientated activities etc.

Go to the What's on page of the CBA website and type in "nottinghamshire" in the search box (the interactive map doesn't seem to be working at the moment!):

• festival.britarch.ac.uk/whatson