'Some Cuts Don't Heal' : University Tuition Fees 1998-2010

Currently here at the Archive we are making our way through our documents, cataloguing and storing them in professional storage boxes. It's a lengthy process but its worth it as we get to have a look through what we have, talk about documents we'd maybe forgotten about and sometimes even discover something new. This is what happened last week. Whilst sorting through a collection of newspaper cuttings regarding Bath Spa University we stumbled upon two Bath Chronicle articles about the involvement of students in protests against the introduction of tuition fees of £1,000 in October 1998.

 

Student Rally at Newton Park, 1998

 The protest was in reaction to the Teaching and Higher Education Act of 1998, which introduced the system of student loans alongside the tuition fees for students replacing the need for local authorities to 'foot the bill' for educating students. 

Incensed students protested by way of a mass walk out from classes at 11:50, Friday 30th October, in which they congregated on the green in front of Main House for a rally. They also calculated that 650 first year students would have to raise £12.6m in order to pay for their three year degree courses. This figure was then written onto a giant cheque and presented alongside other fake cheques by protesting university students at a London rally organised by the National Union of Students. 

The angry claim 'it's got nothing to do with academic ability. It's all about how much money you have' could have fallen from the lips of any student at the 2010 protests at the removal of the £3,290 cap on tuition fees, but it was said by James Warren, a Bath Spa Irish and English Studies student at the height of the 1998 protest. It's a thought that has been shared by thousands of students since, a reminder that we're not all that different to our predecessors after all. 

 

Students protest in London, 2010

Guest Blog Post - Adam

"In much of society, research means to investigate something you do not know or understand." Neil Armstrong

In this blog I will be talking about research and its possible links to the Archive.

Research is very useful for an Archive as it helps to expand the material you already have, can help to open new lines of enquiry and often provides answers for questions that come up whilst looking at the material in the Archive. It is also useful for the Archive as it can allow you to locate material that can be found in other archives in the area. As a student studying History, it is a very important and necessary skill that can help in Third Year when undertaking a dissertation, which heavily depends on research to be successful.

Map of the Atlantic Slave Trade

I am undertaking a dissertation based upon the Atlantic Slave Trade or simply ‘The Trade’ and Saltford Brass Mill which will focus on how Bristol, Saltford in particular, benefited from the brass trade and the Slave Trade. It will also look at the connection between brass and slavery to shed light on the little known story of the first part of the Triangular Trade. The Coster family owned the Saltford Brass Mill and also co-owned 6 slave ships and form the basis for the dissertation. As a result of owning the brass mill and co-owning slave ships, the Coster family were making money from the trading of goods to the African tribes, transporting of slaves from Africa to America and the shipping of raw materials from America back to Bristol.

    

The Coster family was not the only family involved in the Slave Trade. Another family involved was the Champion family, owners of the Warmley Brass Works, and were known to be involved in the Slave Trade. It was William Champion (1709-1789) who led the Warmley Brass Works into bankruptcy in 1769.    

Thomas Coster (1684-1739), owner of Saltford Brass Mill

The Merchant Venturers evolved from a Guild of Merchants which existed in the 1200s. They managed Bristol’s harbour from the 16^th Century until the early 19^th Century. During the 18^th Century, the Merchant Venturers became involved with shipping of manufactured goods to Africa and sugar, molasses and rum from America to Bristol.

Merchant Venturers Coat of Arms

The Merchant Venturers owned many of the docks in Bristol and so must have made money from the ships that took the goods to Africa. 

We have read that the Langton family of Newton Park had connections to a shipping business on the ‘Welsh Back’ in Bristol and that it created the wealth the family had. The 'Welsh Back' was where trade with Wales took place, as goods from, and for, South Wales were loaded and unloaded onto sailing barges. As the map below shows, the 'Welsh Back' is near Queen Square (built between 1700 and 1718) where some of the house were built by people linked to the Slave Trade. Could the 'Welsh Back' have been used for the shipping of slaves to Wales or the shipping of brassware to Bristol for the buying of slaves in Africa?

Map of Welsh Back, Bristol Docks

With the house at Newton Park being built in 1761 by Joseph Langton, whose brother Thomas was a Mayor of Bristol and a Merchant Venturer, could it be argued that the Langtons were involved in the Trade? Where did their wealth come from? Did the Langtons still possess a shipping business on the 'Welsh Back' during the height of the Slave Trade? Did the Langtons have any contact or dealings with the Coster or Champion families? What were the Langtons shipping to and from South Wales? Were the Gore-Langtons supporters of the abolition of the Slave Trade in 1807? Were the Gore-Langtons supporters of the abolition of slavery in 1833?

By continuing with this dissertation I hope to be able to have light shed on these questions and hope to be able to provide help to the Archives. Answering these questions can lead to more material being added to the Archives and can lead to other paths of research as a result. Without research an archive will not develop and will not gain any new information besides what may be donated or left to them.   

Guest Blog Post - Laura

This week, Laura gives her view of the last few months:

'Listen! The wind is rising, and the air is wild with leaves,We have had our summer evenings, now for the October eves!' (Humbert Wolfe)

So, summer is coming to an end and autumn is taking over, creating beautiful scenery for us to admire on our way into the office (armed with jumpers and scarves) but before I begin my final, scary, year at university, I wanted to take the time to reflect on what we have been doing over the summer, and what I have discovered so far. 

Since my first trip to Corsham on the 17^th April, I have not only learnt a lot about working at an Archive, but also about the history of Newton Park and its residents, from the Gore-Langton family, to the students who walk around the campus today.

This summer we have been busy, from completing our exhibition preparation to cataloguing each and every item in our office! In between these two jobs, we have been transcribing oral interviews, as well as going to a number of re-unions organised by the Alumni Association at the university. My first ever day at the office was spent cataloguing, and though over the summer we changed our method, it is still one of the most important tasks we do, as it ensures easy and straightforward access for future historians looking to find specific documents relating to their research. It has meant many hours sitting at a computer screen and describing and numbering each and every item we have, before placing them into special archival-standard storage boxes.

Cataloguing - so satisfying once its done!

As I joined the Archive in April most of the oral interviews we have had already been conducted, though I did have the opportunity to sit in on one of them, which was fascinating, to meet somebody and have them share their experiences of what it was like to come to the university over thirty years ago. Writing transcriptions are also interesting, especially if you were not at the actual interview, as you get to hear people’s stories and memories, however the actual transcriptions are extremely time consuming, as on average it takes seven hours to transcribe one hour of audio! However despite how time consuming they are, they are interesting, and it is an invaluable skill to gain, especially as it has increased my typing speed significantly!

July Reunion at Newton Park

July Reunion - meeting new friends, re-visiting old haunts

Having heard the memories of many individuals through listening to their oral interviews, it was a fantastic opportunity to join some of them at their re-unions in July. Whilst we were there Hayley, Kate and I were asked to talk about our experiences of being students at Bath Spa, which was great, as it meant we reflected on our time here, and realised what a lovely place this university is. I really enjoyed talking to the alumni, hearing their stories as well as telling my own! One particular memory that we learnt had been shared by many students of the university, despite their era, was sunbathing on the roof! Having overheard a lady talking about how she used to climb onto the roof of stable block to catch some rays, Hayley felt obliged to share with her that I, also, found my way onto a balcony area of my halls to catch some sun. Obviously some things never change!

The Great British Bake Off is back?

Later tonight, the third episode of the new series of 'The Great British Bake Off' will be screened.

Readers and followers of this blog will recall a mention of this programme, and particularly one of its main attractions - our former student, Mary Berry.

Mary attended Bath College of Domestic Science, and it happens that we've been cataloguing some of the college's early papers here over the past few weeks.

The college began in Bath in 1892, and its first head was Miss Lawrie. The handwritten copy of her own recipe book (Receipt Book) makes fascinating reading, although the assorted 19th century handwriting can be a challenge. Two further copies were made of her book, as presentation volumes, on her retirement in 1907. These are less tricky to read, although the inks are fading.

The recipes cover all meals, occasions, budgets and requirements. How about these two:

'For Bronchitis

1 desertsp. of Glycerine

1 desertsp. of Brandy

well mixed together, take every four hours'

'Suet Plaister

Melt some fresh suet at the fire, spread it on a piece of strong brown paper, and put it on the chest. This is good in cases of bronchitis, or any cold on the chest.'

Miss Lawrie's book of Receipts (later altered to 'Recipes')

A recipe for Cold Cabinet Pudding

Anyone heard of 'Eloise Pudding'?

One of the recipes, typed out in 1907. 'Sudden Death' for dinner?