Author Archives: William Savage

About William Savage

Author of mystery stories set in Georgian Norfolk.

The Future

Posted on July 10, 2022 by William Savage

Posting here has been sporadic for some time, often non-existent. I have now decided to slowly close this blog down. All new posts will appear on http://www.ashmolefoxe.co.uk.

Posted in Uncategorized | 2 Comments

Belated Update

Posted on December 6, 2021 by William Savage

I have been absent from this blog for over a year. Partly this has been due to increasing age. I can no longer manage as much as I could once, especially when you include all the necessary research. Partly it … Continue reading →

Posted in Uncategorized | 10 Comments

Working for the Georgian Customs

Posted on March 14, 2020 by William Savage

It wasn’t job you could just walk into. Before you became a Customs officer you had to embark on six months training. This took place at some of the more important ports in the country, including Yarmouth and Lynn in … Continue reading →

Posted in Crime, Keeping the Peace | Comments Off on Working for the Georgian Customs

A Hiatus in Posting

Posted on January 15, 2020 by William Savage

There will be fewer posts over the next few months. I am immersed in completing the sixth Adam Bascom mystery and that must have priority. It picks up Adam’s life after he has married Lady Alice and been made a … Continue reading →

Posted in Writing | 4 Comments

Stannard & Taylor: A Lesson from History

Posted on December 4, 2019 by William Savage

How the collapse of a Norwich cloth merchant through rash over-expansion and foreign adventures helped trigger the decline of the trade in Norwich “Stuffs” (fine worsted fabrics), which was further accelerated by changing technology and new materials. Philip Stannard was … Continue reading →

Posted in Commerce, Textiles | Comments Off on Stannard & Taylor: A Lesson from History

Norfolk Fends off Napoleon

Posted on November 20, 2019 by William Savage

Fears of a French invasion were not new to late-eighteenth century Englishmen. There had been at least three credible invasion threats between 1744 and 1783, and various steps to counter invasion had been taken. How likely Norfolk was as a … Continue reading →

Posted in C18th Norfolk, Military | 3 Comments

Uses and Abuses of the Press Gang

Posted on November 6, 2019 by William Savage

The purpose of the Impress Service, as the Press Gang was called officially, was to secure the men needed to keep the Royal Navy’s ships at proper fighting strength. Given the conditions on board, and the chances of dying from … Continue reading →

Posted in Keeping the Peace, Military | 2 Comments

Georgian Ghosts

Posted on October 23, 2019 by William Savage

With Halloween approaching, I thought it might be interesting to look at the rise of the ghost story in Georgian England. The nineteenth century marked the summit of popular interest in ghosts and spirits, thanks to the advent of photography. … Continue reading →

Posted in C18th Norfolk | 4 Comments

“If You Want A Job Done Properly …”

Posted on October 9, 2019 by William Savage

Turning once again to the pages of the Ipswich Journal for April 15th, 1721, we find this fascinating report of a criminal trial held in Edinburgh, at which one James Campbell of Burbank, “late of the Stores in Edinburgh Castle”, … Continue reading →

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“Great Cry and Little Wooll …”

Posted on September 25, 2019 by William Savage

One of the joys of looking through editions of early eighteenth-century newspapers is finding the unexpected. Only last week, I was browsing through the pages of the Ipswich Journal for April 15th, 1721, when I came across this gem: the … Continue reading →

Posted in Theatre, Tid-bits | 2 Comments