April 09, 2004

Rousseau in Staffordshire?

Posted by Chris

As part of a series about philosophers and places, BBC Radio 3 will be broadcasting a programme this Sunday (21.30 GMT, so internet listeners should adjust for location) in which Jonathan Ree discusses Rousseau in Staffordshire . I’m rather hoping that this will clear up a little dispute I had with Chris Brooke . Chris emailed me soon after my Rousseau book came out to tell me that I was mistaken in writing that Rousseau had lived in Derbyshire . Chris wrote, correctly, that the village of Wootton near where Rousseau stayed, is in Staffordshire and that, since the county line there is set by the River Dove, Wootton was almost certainly in Staffordshire in the 18th century too. We both set to consulting out various works of reference, only to reach a stalemate. So for, for example, this 1776 account of Hume’s life has Derbyshire, as does Rousseau himself in correspondence, but other reputable sources insist on Staffordshire. I’m sure you’re all intruigued by this antiquarian mystery! I shall be listening with attention.

(And see The Virtual Stoa for a map of the area).

Posted on April 9, 2004 10:37 AM UTC
Comments

village of Wootton near where Rousseau stayed, is in Derbyshire
Shoud this be “Staffordshire”?
—your friendly neighborhood ex-copy editor.

[Right! Now fixed, thanks! CB]

Posted by Matt Weiner · April 9, 2004 03:32 PM

(who can’t spell “should”)

Posted by matt weiner · April 9, 2004 03:33 PM

I’m interested. Locate the bugger!

Posted by Anthony Jukes · April 9, 2004 04:21 PM

What an interesting subject. And how tiresome that Radio 3 doesn’t archive (it still doesn’t, right? That’s one reason I don’t pay much attention to it so wasn’t aware of this series, which sounds fascinating.).

Posted by Ophelia Benson · April 9, 2004 05:17 PM

You want to make sure they didn’t make little fiddly adjustments to the borders around 1880, 1890. Here’s an example of something in the same general area that was transferred from Derbyshire to Staffs back then.

So here’s an 1851 description of Ellastone in Staffordshire, of which Wootton was a part, detailed enough that if there were any odd boundaries or dispositions they’d probably be mentioned.

Posted by NW · April 9, 2004 05:22 PM
Followups

This discussion has been closed. Thanks to everyone who contributed.