Dr Kirsten Leach – Industrial Folkways

Industrial Folkways explores how industrialisation transformed folk traditions in and around the Derwent Valley during the 1700s and 1800s. It investigates historic environments for traces of magic and ‘superstitions’; and examines seasonal and life-cycle customs; seeking to share discoveries in creative ways, including storytelling and crafts.

Find out more at the Industrial Folkways Public History Project Blog

Studying folk traditions can reveal much about past world-views, perceptions, experiences, and environments – vital, if seeking to understand the social and cultural effects of the Industrial Revolution. Contemporaneous learned commentators portrayed widespread, rapid, decline of customs in the face of intensified industrialisation and urbanisation – which ongoing research suggests is an over-simplification. Their assumption that the beliefs and practices of the ‘vulgar’ and ‘ignorant’ (as they frequently called the labouring classes) represented ‘survivals’ of the folk traditions of ancient ‘primitive’ societies, led to misinterpretations that tended to overlook and obscure local variations, and change over time. Yet, their works continue to shape popular understandings today. Moreover, given their typical exalted social status, and the often-intimate nature of folk magic and beliefs, Georgian and Victorian scholars may have been unaware of many localised, sporadic, rites that, though sometimes secretive, represent the everyday activities of ‘ordinary’ people, situated within and beside Christian beliefs. Archaeological investigations are increasingly uncovering evidence for such ‘hidden’ popular practices – including in and around the study area. It is anticipated that further studies will yield more data that may well advance what we know about the effects of change on the beliefs, hopes, and fears of industrial communities.