William J. Ashworth  : ‘The Legacy of the Chemical Industry in Northwest England, 1824-1863’ (23 nov.)

Jeudi 23 novembre 2023 à 17h

William J. Ashworth (U. of Liverpool) : ‘The Legacy of the Chemical Industry in Northwest England, 1824-1863’

Abstract : My institution, the University of Liverpool, is based in an area associated with the heart of the country’s chemical industry. It is also one of the most polluted and deprived regions of the country. My talk is based on a project I am hoping to put together looking at the history and legacy of this industry within this region. The aim is to document the impact of the industry on the landscape, health, and economy of the north-west of England: Merseyside, Widnes, Runcorn, St Helens and Newton-in-the-Willows. Why did the industry commence here on such a large scale during the early nineteenth century and what industries did it serve? The focus here will be on textiles in Lancashire, soap in Liverpool, Runcorn and Warrington, and glass in St Helens.

William J. Ashworth est Reader en histoire contemporaine à l’université de Liverpool. Ses travaux portent sur l’histoire de l’industrialisation, des sciences, des technologies et des finances en Angleterre entre 1640 et 1850. On lui doit notamment The Trinity Circle Anxiety, Intelligence, and Knowledge Creation in Nineteenth-Century England (University of Pittsburgh Press, 2021); The Industrial Revolution: The State, Knowledge and Global Trade (Bloomsbury, 2017), et Customs and Excise: Trade, Production and Consumption in England, 1640-1845 (Oxford UP, 2003).