Bøker av Mark P. Henderson

William Dickenson, man of business to the earl of Shrewsbury, knows that raising the rents on farmholds will ease his master's cash-flow problem. But Lord Shrewsbury imposes such huge increases on one manor, Glossopdale in the Derbyshire Peak District, that none of the tenants can pay. "Black Harry" Botham, of Storth Farm in the Glossopdale hamlet of Simmondley, knows the courts won't oppose those rent increases; Lord Shrewsbury is too powerful. So accompanied by a few followers he walks to London, determined to complain to the Queen's Privy Council.Will this desperate venture cost him his family, his freedom, his livelihood - even his life? Told partly by Tom "Spiderlegs" Booth, Harry's brother-in-law and close friend, and partly from William Dickenson's perspective, Black Harry recounts one of the most remarkable David and Goliath episodes in Elizabethan England.

The Peak District is noted for its beautiful and varied scenery, its fascinating history, and its abundance of folktales. The sixty-two pieces in this collection include both wonder tales (fairy tales) and local legends, together with a few genuinely historical stories that have caught the popular imagination. Some of the tales are tragic, some are comic; some are very short, some are longer; many (even the historical ones) have ghost-story elements, which readily attach themselves to real-life stories. What they all have in common is that they reflect aspects of Peak District life, character, scenery and history. All the stories in this collection are written with recitation in mind, because folktales are for telling aloud. Notes at the end of the collection explain the sources and significance of each tale. Sketch maps are included to indicate the locations in which the tales are set, so interested readers can visit the scenes, most of which are illustrated by the author's photographs. Many of these locations are easily accessible by road, but some involve significant walks through the countryside that gave birth to the stories. Folktales of the Peak District will charm its readers and enhance their appreciation of this lovely part of England.