Catchy title!!

[Merry]

I just found that my 3xg-grandfather, David Maynard, was a contributor to a book entitled:

Retrospect of philosophical, mechanical, chemical, and agricultural discoveries; being an abridgment of the periodical and other publications, English and foreign, relative to arts, chemistry, manufactures, agriculture and natural philosophy; accompanied, occasionally, with remarks on the merits or defects of the respective papers; and in some cases, shewing to what other useful purposes inventions may be directed, and discoveries extended, beyond the original views of their authors.

Vol. VI.

:D:D:D

[Lindsay]

Snappy title! And was it a best seller? :)

[Olde Crone]

O WOW Merry, go on, read us a bit!

*Goes into the garden*

OC

[kiterunner]

Can you imagine going into a book shop and asking for it? :d

[Merry]

I think I would like to read the previous five volumes too!!!

[kiterunner]

Here's volume VIII:

Google Books (http://books.google.co.uk/books?id=gNw4AAAAMAAJ&pg=PP7&lpg=PP7&dq=Retrospect+of+philosophical,+mechanical,+chemic al,+and+agricultural+discoveries;+being+an+abridgm ent+of+the+periodical+and+other+publications,+Engl ish+and+foreign,+relative+to+arts,+chemistry,+manu factures,+agriculture+and+natural+philosophy;+acco mpanied,+occasionally,+with+remarks+on+the+merits+ or+defects+of+the+respective+papers;+and+in+some+c ases,+shewing+to+what+other+useful+purposes+invent ions+may+be+directed,+and+discoveries+extended,+be yond+the+original+views+of+their+authors.&source=bl&ots=mgyxRJTczw&sig=Dl6mgzTohWPME-qfkWTDFGzF39Q&hl=en#v=onepage&q=Retrospect%20of%20philosophical%2C%20mechanical% 2C%20chemical%2C%20and%20agricultural%20discoverie s%3B%20being%20an%20abridgment%20of%20the%20period ical%20and%20other%20publications%2C%20English%20a nd%20foreign%2C%20relative%20to%20arts%2C%20chemis try%2C%20manufactures%2C%20agriculture%20and%20nat ural%20philosophy%3B%20accompanied%2C%20occasional ly%2C%20with%20remarks%20on%20the%20merits%20or%20 defects%20of%20the%20respective%20papers%3B%20and% 20in%20some%20cases%2C%20shewing%20to%20what%20oth er%20useful%20purposes%20inventions%20may%20be%20d irected%2C%20and%20discoveries%20extended%2C%20bey ond%20the%20original%20views%20of%20their%20author s.&f=false)

[Merry]

*sticks fingers in ears*

[Phoenix]

If that is the abridged version, what was it like unabridged?:rolleyes:

[marquette]

OH's 3xg grandfather, Henry Sanderson was similarly long-winded.
in 1826 he wrote a booklet called
"Considerations on the proposed communication by a navigable canal between the town of Sheffield and the Peak Forest Canal; with remarks and calculations tending to prove the superiority of an Edge-Railway for passing over a mountainous district and a comparative account of the several practicable lines which have hitherto been pointed out. "

The sentences are just as long, making it tedious reading.

Maybe it was just the style of the times to have really long titles ?

[Merry]

Well done for having a go at reading the booklet, marquette!

Maybe it was just the style of the times to have really long titles ?

My OH woud say it's the opposite of the dumbing down we seem to be subject to these days!

I just has a look at the transcription I have of David Maynard's memoirs, the first part of which he wrote in 1807. He mentions his agricutural discovery which is later published in that book in 1811. I'm quite glad it only warranted one paragraph!

[Asa]

Hope you're going to read it thoroughly, Merry :-)

[marquette]

Well done for having a go at reading the booklet, marquette!


It was interesting but I kept getting confused about whether he was writing about canals or railways ! He was examining the different routes proposed and kept talking about tunnels of two and three miles long under the Peak District.

Or up to 80 locks to go up and down over the hills. This seemed quite impractical due to needing lots of water on hand in reservoirs to fill the locks !

I was quite concerned about how the people who were on the boats would manage (didn't they lay on their back and "walk" on the tunnel roofs to propel the boats through ? - three miles !!!)

Di

[Merry]

if you have a look at this waterways map:

http://www.waterexplorer.co.uk/gmaps/interactivecanalmap.aspx

and find Sheffield and then look across to the left you will see New Mills (just under Glossop), Stockport a bit further left and Macclesfield a bit further south. The bit of canal between those last few places is the Peak Forest Canal and Sheffield is where he was going with it - as you see there's a vast blank bit in between where all those locks and tunnels might have been!

I agree about walking the narrow boats - can't say I'd fancy that much in the pitch dark with water and goodness knows what else dropping on you!!

[Rosie Knees]

*has a whip round to get Merry the full set for Christmas*

[Merry]

*checks secondhand book shop still needs me to give them more stock* :rolleyes:

[Kit]

Those titles are the reason I was born now and not back then. I'm now entirely sure I understood the titles and I have no desire to read the contents. ;)