Switch to English Switch to French

The Open University  |   Study at the OU  |   About the OU  |   Research at the OU  |   Search the OU

Listen to this page  |   Accessibility

the experience of reading in Britain, from 1450 to 1945...

Reading Experience Database UK Historical image of readers
 
 
 
 

Record Number: 1783


Reading Experience:

Evidence:

'In his isolated rural community Gregory never imagined that he might aspire to a higher profession. Now he returned to his old school for evening classes in chemistry, arithmetic, and mining engineering, where he won a prize book of world history and was introduced to Lyell's Principles of Geology. These two volumes taught him to think in evolutionary terms, and he began to read widely on the historicity of religion and the development of capitalism'.

Century:

1900-1945

Date:

unknown

Country:

England

Time

evening

Place:

county: Somerset
other location: school

Type of Experience
(Reader):
 

silent aloud unknown
solitary in company unknown
single serial unknown

Type of Experience
(Listener):
 

solitary in company unknown
single serial unknown


Reader / Listener / Reading Group:

Reader:

George Gregory

Age:

Adult (18-100+)

Gender:

Male

Date of Birth:

1888

Socio-Economic Group:

Labourer (non-agricultural)

Occupation:

miner

Religion:

n/a

Country of Origin:

England

Country of Experience:

England

Listeners present if any:
e.g family, servants, friends

n/a


Additional Comments:

n/a



Text Being Read:

Author:

Charles Lyell

Title:

Principles of Geology

Genre:

Science

Form of Text:

Print: Book

Publication Details

n/a

Provenance

unknown


Source Information:

Record ID:

1783

Source:

Print

Author:

Jonathan Rose

Editor:

n/a

Title:

The Intellectual Life of the British Working Classes

Place of Publication:

New Haven

Date of Publication:

2001

Vol:

n/a

Page:

69

Additional Comments:

n/a

Citation:

Jonathan Rose, The Intellectual Life of the British Working Classes, (New Haven, 2001), p. 69, http://www.open.ac.uk/Arts/reading/UK/record_details.php?id=1783, accessed: 15 October 2024


Additional Comments:

See George Gregory's typescript in Brunel University Library. Book that inspired him to take evening classes was Smiles's Self Help.

   
   
Green Turtle Web Design