So I'm posting this from the Casa tonight, with the aid of the house's WiFi which I bit the bullet and decided to pay for (although I was able to persuade the landlord to charge me half the usual rate, so it's actually much less than I'd expected). I just couldn't face another crummy skype with the flickering access from my aircard.
As you can guess, I've now spent a decent chunk of the evening drooling over the acres of data this gives me access to, including the process of scoping out the research that I mentioned previously, and which I think really has legs if it's kept properly contained. The documents I have in mind appear to be chiefly held in the National Archives in the UK and Canada. The Canadian documents are minimal, but the UK documents would, I suspect, be some thousands of pages. I'm thinking - if I didn't say it yesterday - that something in the social history line would be suitable. As I said before, I'm interested in the 102nd Regiment of Foot, and particularly its time in Maine during the War of 1812. My correspondent there pointed me to a Project Gutenberg copy of a history of that region which I skimmed over this evening, which covers the occupation in some detail. Intriguingly, for example, not only the officers but the rank and file appear to have brought wives and children with them. In a slightly surreal passage in the history I just mentioned, it describes how within 18 hours of the troops landing at Eastport, they enquired with the locals whether the town had a school. I imagine the good burghers of Eastport must have found this almost as bewildering as I do:
"A ... school? ... Hang on, you're meant to be an occupying power aren't you? 'Cause right now you just seem to be moving into the neighbourhood ... What do you mean 'what night do the rubbish bins go out?'"
Yeah, I think this is a topic that has legs.
OK, I guess it's time to turn in. Busloads of work to do tomorrow. Spending a huge whack of the day preparing for meetings has messed up my plans a little.
See you tomorrow.
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