Published at 11:44, Wednesday, 24 October 2012

THE North West’s key role in coastal and global trade will be described in a study day being held during November by the Centre for North-West Regional Studies.

The event is called Down to the Sea in Ships and is being held in the Faraday Lecture Theatre at Lancaster University on Saturday November 10.

It gets off to an unusual start with a talk by Dr Margaret Robinson called Beasts on Boat about the trade in live cattle around the Irish Sea coast during the 17th century.

This was an era before railways and when roads were of very poor quality.

It was often quicker and cheaper to move animals by boat.

There is also a talk by Dr Peter Skidmore on Shipping and Shipowners in the North West Coastal Trade.

This will deal with the late 18th and early 19th centuries.

Dr Mike Winstanley will look at Quakers, followers of the Society of Friends, who left the North West of England to start a new life in the Virgin Islands in the period from 1750 to 1850.

Dr Rob David will conclude the talks with a look at North West involvement in whale hunting called In Search of Leviathan.

Dr Sam Riches said: “The extensive coastline of North West England has played a significant role in shaping the lives of people who have occupied these shore and also those living much further afield.

“This study day will examine a number of aspects of the maritime history of the region, including trading around the Irish Sea coast and voyages which went much further, to the West Indies and the Arctic.

“Our speakers are all steeped in the maritime history of the North West and they will share the fruits of years of research.

“The afternoon’s papers will include discussion of the

history of the Abram, a vessel built in Lancaster in 1805 which was involved in the West Indies trade and was then refitted as a whaler.

“The speakers, Dr Mike Winstanley and Dr Rob David, are the co-authors of The West Indies and the Arctic in the Age of Sail which deals with the voyages of Abram from 1806 to 1862.

You can get more details on the study day from the website at http://www.lancs.ac.uk/users/cnwrs/ or get in touch with the Centre for North-West Studies by telephone on 01524 593770 or send an email to christine.wilkinson@lancaster.ac.uk

Published by http://www.nwemail.co.uk