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REVIEW BY REBECCA GOWLAND
The town of Blackburn in Lancashire was a key player in Britain’s industrial cotton boom, which saw a quadrupling of its inhabitants during the first half of the 19th century. This volume presents the results of the 2015 excavations at St Peter’s Church and burial ground, involving the recovery of 1,959 burials and 176 memorial stones. This is one of the most substantial burial assemblages excavated outside London, and the authors should be congratulated for providing such a rich discussion of the evidence recovered.
The bioarchaeological component of this project provided new insights into infectious and occupational disease risks, supplemented through ancient DNA and stable isotope analysis. Other chapters include an analysis of the burial evidence, highlighting interesting local burial rituals, along with fragments of clothing and hairstyles. The excellent integration of the historical documentation throughout this volume is a particular strength. The analysis presented provides fascinating glimpses of the lives and deaths of people in a northern town at the heart of this critical period of British industrial history.
Living and Dying in a Lancashire Cotton Town
Julie Franklin, Matthew Ginnever, and Kimberley Gaunt
BAR, £70
ISBN 978-1407356495
