Hobnob Press
@hobnobpress.bsky.social
Independent publisher of historical non-fiction. Follow us for stories pulled from the archives. HobnobPress.co.uk
It is Halloween🎃tomorrow!! And we have the perfect 👻read.... www.hobnobpress.co.uk/books/p/the-...
The Rise of the English Poltergeist, by Andrew Pickering — Hobnob Press
‘I know what I heard and saw’. It is 1650 and something is very wrong in your house. Pots and pans are flying through the air. Invisible hands are pelting your family with stones. Doors slam shut on t...
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Short 🧵 by @hobnobpress.bsky.social on #poltergeist lore #PhantomsFriday
Hobnob Press@hobnobpress.bsky.social · last yr.Spot the AI generated poltergeist quote: "Something he thought, stopt both his breath and held down his eye lids" "All the pewter was found in a heap in the yard, tho’ no thief could have passed the door" "There was such stamping over the roof of the house, as if 1000 horse had been there trotting"
We love this book! Discover Compton Chamberlayne's hidden past—centuries of feudal life, family conflicts & rural struggles in Wilts chalk country. Through manor records, wills & court cases, explore how forgotten families shaped this village. #LocalHistory www.hobnobpress.co.uk/books/p/thes...
These Humble, Unremembered Lives: Stories of Families passing through Compton Chamberlayne, by Elise Langdon-Neuner — Hobnob Press
Compton Chamberlayne's social history over four centuries, recounted through the forgotten stories of over twenty families who lived there for different periods, presents an authentic example of bygon...
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Another new title. This history of 120 inns and other drinking establishments, past and present in Weymouth, Dorset, details the many families who ran them, drank in them, and were hauled out of them by the constable to appear in the police courts. www.hobnobpress.co.uk/books/p/booz...
Booze, Brawls and Bawds: A Social History of Weymouth Inns, by Mick Davis — Hobnob Press
This book presents in alphabetical order brief but meticulously researched illustrated histories of 120 inns and other drinking establishments, past and present, in the seaside and naval Dorset town o...
hobnobpress.co.uk
Another new title. This history of 120 inns and other drinking establishments, past and present in Weymouth, Dorset, details the many families who ran them, drank in them, and were hauled out of them by the constable to appear in the police courts. www.hobnobpress.co.uk/books/p/booz...
Booze, Brawls and Bawds: A Social History of Weymouth Inns, by Mick Davis — Hobnob Press
This book presents in alphabetical order brief but meticulously researched illustrated histories of 120 inns and other drinking establishments, past and present, in the seaside and naval Dorset town o...
hobnobpress.co.uk
We have been quiet the last few months, but we have actually been very busy publishing some lovely new books, including this by @lrylandepton.bsky.social www.hobnobpress.co.uk/books/p/lang...
Langley Burrell and Kellaways: a History, by Louise Ryland-Epton — Hobnob Press
Through riots and revelries, poverty and prosperity, the people of Langley Burrell and neighbouring Kellaways in north Wiltshire have adapted to centuries of change. In this thematic history of the pa...
hobnobpress.co.uk
Spot the AI generated poltergeist quote: "Something he thought, stopt both his breath and held down his eye lids" "All the pewter was found in a heap in the yard, tho’ no thief could have passed the door" "There was such stamping over the roof of the house, as if 1000 horse had been there trotting"
UPDATE! For anyone interested in more Hobnob Press news & exclusive excerpts from our newest release 'The Rise of the English Poltergeist', please note that we have just started a Substack account! Available via the link below. thehobnobpress.substack.com?r=5xmhbn&utm...
Hobnob Press | Substack
Your independent publisher of historical non-fiction - follow us in unearthing the strangest corners of history! Subscribe for exclusive excerpts & obscure non-fiction Check out our website here - htt...
thehobnobpress.substack.com
“I know what I heard and saw…” It's 1650. Stones fly through the ceiling. Doors slam in the night. And a great black dog walks upright. This isn't folklore. These are real accounts by respectable people. Pre-order 'The Rise of the English Poltergeist' now! www.hobnobpress.co.uk/books/p/the-...
The Rise of the English Poltergeist, by Andrew Pickering — Hobnob Press
‘I know what I heard and saw’. It is 1650 and something is very wrong in your house. Pots and pans are flying through the air. Invisible hands are pelting your family with stones. Doors slam shut on t...
hobnobpress.co.uk
So pleased to see that this excellent @vchlondon.bsky.social book (our first collaboration with @hobnobpress.bsky.social), is out soon - the book tracks the first transformation of modern Basingstoke (there have arguably been two since with a third under way). This is #LocalHistory today.
Hobnob Press@hobnobpress.bsky.social · last yr.We could not be prouder to publish this fantastic book on behalf of our friends at Hampshire VCH! A huge congratulations to them for this great piece of local history. #VCHPartnershipPublications @vchlondon.bsky.social www.hobnobpress.co.uk/books/p/basi...
We could not be prouder to publish this fantastic book on behalf of our friends at Hampshire VCH! A huge congratulations to them for this great piece of local history. #VCHPartnershipPublications @vchlondon.bsky.social www.hobnobpress.co.uk/books/p/basi...
Basingstoke Reinvented, 1800–1925: from Agricultural Town to Manufacturing Centre, edited by Jean Morrin — Hobnob Press
Basingstoke is frequently seen as a modern town, the product of the last decades of the 20th century. In reality it has a long, rich and prosperous history dating from the medieval period. This study ...
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It is #LocalHistoryMonth & Local History is what we do. So, here is another one of our fabulous titles.😊Chris is a great advocate for Chippenham and a fantastic local historian. www.hobnobpress.co.uk/books/p/chip...
Chippenham on this Day, by Chris Dallimore — Hobnob Press
Chippenham on this Day contains 366 days of events from the history of Chippenham in north Wiltshire. As you work through the calendar you will discover a wide range of subjects: tragedies, celebratio...
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Today is our annual #VCHDay where colleagues from around the country gather for a catch up and to share ideas, experiences and new publications. Here's a preview of our next book, a proof of 'Basingstoke Reinvented, 1800-1925, soon to be available from @hobnobpress.bsky.social. 🗃️ #LocalHistory
It is #LocalHistoryMonth & Local History is what we do. So here is one of our fabulous titles (we love the contents, but are also very proud of this cover).😊The mysterious Wansdyke is one of the great linear, bank-and-ditch earthworks of England. Recommended! www.hobnobpress.co.uk/books/p/the-...
The Quest for Wansdyke, by Alan Soldat — Hobnob Press
Wansdyke is one of the great linear, bank-and-ditch earthworks of England. From end to end it stretches 35 miles across Somerset and Wiltshire. Only the Devil’s Dyke, near Newmarket, is higher. Archae...
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We are delighted to publish👇The Costs of Pleasure explores the dual meaning of 'costs' through the lens of Jacob and Priscilla Franks' visits to Bath 1777-1808, examining both their expenses for leisure activities & the colonial exploitation that funded it. www.hobnobpress.co.uk/books/p/the-...
The Costs of Pleasure: Visiting Georgian Bath and other Spas, the Family & Excursions of Jacob & Priscilla Franks, by Colin Fisher — Hobnob Press
The costs of the pleasures of visiting Bath in the Georgian period were not only the price of tickets to the balls, of tips for the Sedan chairmen and many other expenses, but also the external costs ...
hobnobpress.co.uk
It is #LocalHistoryMonth & we thought we should promote some of our newest titles. This is a fabulous book on #Swindon. It focuses not on trains 🚆but rather at the people who made them 😲 www.hobnobpress.co.uk/books/p/made...
Made in Swindon: a Social History, 1840s – 1940s, edited by Philip Garrahan — Hobnob Press
A small market town in rural Wiltshire became a leading centre for manufacturing in the century after 1840. This is Swindon, a creation of the Great Western Railway which built its trains there. Behin...
hobnobpress.co.uk
We are thrilled to publish this! The first biography of the naturalist John Leonard Knapp (1767-1845) and the previously unpublished 5th edition of his nature journal. Knapp may not be well known now but his journal was a bestseller when it was first published. www.hobnobpress.co.uk/books/p/gilb...
Gilbert White’s Disciple: a Biography of John Leonard Knapp (1767-1845) together with his The Journal of a Naturalist, 5th edition (previously unpublished), by George S.J. White, Bt — Hobnob Press
Revd. Gilbert White published his revolutionary Natural History of Selborne in 1789, an entirely new insight into the natural world. John Knapp was the first to follow White's successful format, publi...
hobnobpress.co.uk
We have been swamped at Hobnob Press working on new books but consequently have some amazing titles coming out including this fabulous history of #Swindon which focuses not on the #trains but on to the people who made them. www.hobnobpress.co.uk/books/p/made...
Made in Swindon: a Social History, 1840s – 1940s, edited by Philip Garrahan — Hobnob Press
A small market town in rural Wiltshire became a leading centre for manufacturing in the century after 1840. This is Swindon, a creation of the Great Western Railway which built its trains there. Behin...
hobnobpress.co.uk
I have my proof of this beauty! The previously unpublished c17 travel writings of John Walker, edit. by Anthea Jones. Walker travelled England, Scotland, Wales, France & more. It is fab. #17thCenturyTravel www.hobnobpress.co.uk/books/p/john...
John Walker's Commonplace Book: A Traveller in the 1670s, edited by Anthea Jones — Hobnob Press
Travelling for pleasure in the 1670s required plenty of stamina. John Walker, a well-to-do country gentleman in his early thirties, rode many miles on horseback through England, Wales and Scotland, an...
hobnobpress.co.uk
Interested in Jane Austen? Check out the exhibition at Seacity Museum, Southampton. It ties perfectly with our new release on Austen's Southampton Circle by Cheryl Butler. Available from the museum soon or from our website! www.hobnobpress.co.uk/books/p/firs... seacitymuseum.co.uk/whats-on/jan...
Jane Austen Exhibition
Step back in time to learn more about Jane Austen, who is considered a pioneer in fiction, breaking new ground in subject and style.
seacitymuseum.co.uk
Discover 17th century travel through the eyes of John Walker in our new release. Edited by Anthea Jones. www.hobnobpress.co.uk/books/p/john...
John Walker's Commonplace Book: A Traveller in the 1670s, edited by Anthea Jones — Hobnob Press
Travelling for pleasure in the 1670s required plenty of stamina. John Walker, a well-to-do country gentleman in his early thirties, rode many miles on horseback through England, Wales and Scotland, an...
hobnobpress.co.uk
We are thrilled to have just published this fabulous book on #JaneAusten & her Southampton connections. www.hobnobpress.co.uk/books/p/firs...
First Impressions: Jane Austen's Southampton Circle, 1780–1820, by Cheryl Butler — Hobnob Press
Jane Austen’s writings often reflect on the influence of mothers, of parental failings and the dynamics of family relationships. This book reflects the potential influence of her Southampton networks ...
hobnobpress.co.uk
We @hobnobpress.bsky.social are shortly publishing this beauty. It tells the story of a Cotswold church that lovingly weaves evidence from the standing remains, archaeological excavations and documentary sources inc. churchwardens’ acc. & eyewitness records. www.hobnobpress.co.uk/books/p/your...
‘Your Church Newly Built…’ a History of the Church of the Holy Trinity, Minchinhampton, Gloucestershire, by Chiz Harward — Hobnob Press
The church of the Holy Trinity in the small Cotswold town of Minchinhampton traces its origins back to Domesday. The medieval church was largely demolished and rebuilt in the 1840s but the church’s so...
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We were deeply sad about the passing of our friend Ken Rogers but are very happy to publish this book he completed in collaboration with his son shortly before his death. A companion to Wiltshire & Somerset Woollen Mills, it focuses on the lives of weavers. www.hobnobpress.co.uk/books/p/wilt...
Wiltshire and Somerset Woollen Weavers, by K.H. and E.J. Rogers — Hobnob Press
Kenneth Rogers (1930-2025), archivist and historian, pursued a lifelong interest in the West Country textile industry, in which his forebears had been engaged for many generations. A native of Trowbri...
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Wiltshire & Swindon History Centre@heritagewshc.bsky.social · last yr.As celebrated by retired archivist Steve Hobbs, Ken Rogers was a towering figure in the related fields of archives and history in Wiltshire. Ken died recently, aged 94, and former colleagues have been kind enough to share a few memories of Ken’s life and career: wshc.org.uk/memories-of-...
It's only taken me 5 years to get this far but this Summer my book "Murder in the archives: The stories that crime files tell" will be published by @hobnobpress.bsky.social. Deep dive into the material culture and strange world of murder files. Find out more at angelasuttonvane.com/murder-in-th...
Just out we have a biography of John Billingsley. Best known for the General View of Agriculture in Somerset, he was also a key member of the early Bath and West Society and an authority on enclosure, and was active in wool, turnpikes, canals, & much more. www.hobnobpress.co.uk/books/p/john...
John Billingsley, 1747-1811: Entrepreneur turned Agriculturalist, by Lin Thorley — Hobnob Press
John Billingsley of Ashwick Grove in the Somerset Mendips of south-west England - agricultural pioneer and 'improver'. His story gives a unique insight into eighteenth-century rural life in the west c...
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What is going on at your favourite small publishers? Here is all our news! www.hobnobpress.co.uk/news
Great to see you on here, big fan of your books.
I spent yesterday reading the excellent Chalk Stories from @bethbpoet.bsky.social @hobnobpress.bsky.social. It is seeped in nature celebrating the #Dorset landscape with powerful memories of the past and moving personal poems too from Beth. Well done, I loved it. Recommend!
We are new to Bluesky, but excited to be here, and for the publication of this new title featured on BBC Radio Wiltshire this afternoon! www.hobnobpress.co.uk/books/p/aveb...
Avebury without the Stones: a Social History c.1550-1800, by Stuart A Raymond — Hobnob Press
In Avebury the prehistoric stone circle, together with the manor house, receive most of the attention. But what about the history of the ordinary people of the parish? Their story is just as interesti...
hobnobpress.co.uk