Market Place Update!
A month or so ago I wrote about pubs in the Market Place, and shops too. I got some wrong (though thought I was correct at the time, having done some research!) After chatting to members of the Wisbech Heritage Forum (on Facebook) I corrected myself, which is how research into any part of history evolves. It’s all about where you look, who you talk to, and what records you have to hand at the time.
With thorough research by Andy Ketley, (who has been working on histories of Wisbech Inns and Taverns for over 20 years), it is now more certain that the building in the photo used to be a pub, the Talbot Inn. This was originally thought to be at the end of the street, on the corner, but Andy has worked out that it was actually in the middle of the row, in this building, and he has also worked out why it was thought to be on the corner. He produced a folder putting together all his research and shared it with me and the two shops now occupying the Talbot Inn building, and we all agreed it was fascinating to see the research and historical information. As locally owned small businesses they are already embedded in the community with regulars enjoying their company, but they now have another topic of conversation to share with their customers!
This kind of research is an absorbing hobby, and indeed career. Andy showed me how he checked other sources, followed leads and thought about possible errors. This is how he found out that the likely mistake in originally thinking the Talbot was on the corner was that both sites were attributed to a Mr Brackenbury. I think the skills one can learn through this kind of hobby would be really useful in any work, it also shows it is important to check your sources, and try to find as many as possible before making an assertion that you’re right. You’d also of course enjoy reading fascinating stories about people and the places they lived. I expect trying to stay on track is pretty difficult, though, as just looking through the documents for this one place has me asking all kinds of questions!
Creative thinking, solving problems and carefully analysing data are all skills that are now in demand in many industries, so join some local groups and get researching!