Books about the history of the town
N.C. Joseph Ltd: The Aluminium Works & Stratford Produce Canners
Green, Martin & Joseph, Brian (compilers)
2nd ed. Hughes & Co., 2025, 224pp
An illustrated history of N.C. Joseph, The Aluminium Works and Stratford Produce Canners (1932-1962), formerly sited on Birmingham Road, Stratford-upon-Avon. Follow this link to obtain a copy.
Shadows of a Lost Poet
Ellie Stevenson
Rosegate Publications 2022, 380pp
An inheritance mystery (novel) set in Edwardian Stratford-upon-Avon, with recognisable streets and a house, Issington Manor. Issington Manor was inspired by Avonbank, a real house, occupied by Sarah and Charles Flower (of the brewing family) and, later, the Melvilles (Canon Melville was the vicar of Holy Trinity Church). As well as the house, Marie Corelli also appears in this fictional story. Obtain a copy here.
Minutes and Accounts of the Stratford-upon-Avon Corporation
Volume VII 1610-1620
Robert Bearman, Editor
Dugdale Society, 2023, 774pp
Seventh volume of the series transcribing documents held in the town archive, including minutes of the Corporation and other borough records.
Stratford-upon-Avon Wills 1348-1701 (two volumes)
Stephanie Appleton and Mairi Macdonald (editors)
Dugdale Society, 2020, 466+513pp
Monumental two-volume set with transcriptions of the wills of residents of Stratford, shedding light on their lives and social conditions. Complements the inventories.
It's Not About Shakespeare
Val Horton
YouCaxton Publications, 2019, 200pp
Aspects of ordinary life in Stratford-upon-Avon, 1775-1915, including the extension of the franchise, the development of hospitals, and the position of women.
Minutes and Accounts of the Stratford-upon-Avon Corporation
Volume VI 1599-1609
Robert Bearman (editor)
Dugdale Society, 2011, 588pp
Sixth volume of the series transcribing documents held in the town archive, including minutes of the Corporation and other borough records.
The Register of the Guild of the Holy Cross, Stratford-upon-Avon
Mairi Macdonald (editor)
Dugdale Society, 2007, 586pp
Register of members of the medieval Guild, from 1403 until 1535, including some 8,000 names from all levels of society.
Clopton Bridge: A short history of the gateway to Stratford-upon-Avon
Maurice Ribbans
Lulu Publishing, 2005, 51pp
A wealth of information and previously unpublished history about the medieval stone bridge over the Avon built by Hugh Clopton.
Stratford-upon-Avon Inventories 1538-1625 (two volumes)
Jeanne Jones (editor)
Dugdale Society, 2002, 351+395pp
Two-volume set with transcriptions of the inventories of residents of Stratford, complementing their wills in the probate process.
The History of an English Borough: Stratford-upon-Avon 1196-1996
Robert Bearman (editor)
Sutton Publishing, 1997, 218pp
Eleven contributions from leading historians on crucial periods of the town's development, published to commemorate the 800th anniversary of the granting of the borough charter.
The Civil War in Stratford-upon-Avon
Philip Tennant
Sutton Publishing, 1996, 202pp
Experiences of the residents of Stratford, who found themselves on the frontier between the Royalist and Parliamentary forces during the English Civil War 1642-46.
Family Life in Shakespeare's England
Jeanne Jones
Sutton Publishing, 1996, 172pp
A detailed picture of everyday life in Stratford, with chapters on where and how people lived, what they did for a living, and their possessions, beliefs and attitudes
The Shakespeare Tercentenary of 1864
Richard Foulkes
Society for Theatre Research, 1984, 64pp
The grand festival organised for the 300th anniversary of Shakespeare's birth pitted local pride in Stratford against metropolitan scorn in London, and paved the way for the building of the memorial theatre.
History of St Andrew's Parish Shottery
John Winterburn
Duplicated typescript, 1984, 60pp
Charming history of Shottery and Bishopton back to medieval times, with maps, drawings and many insights.
Domesday Book, Warwickshire
John Morris
Phillimore, 1976, 120pp
New translation of the Latin text, with a map, indices and an explanation of the technical terms.
Women's Capabilities
Robert Bearman
Duplicated typescript, 1976, 32pp
Occasional Paper No. 1, Warwickshire Local History Society
An anthology from the town archives, mostly from the 19th and early 20th centuries, casting light on the lives of women of Stratford-upon-Avon.
Shakespeare and the Bawdy Court of Stratford
E. R. C. Brinkworth
Phillimore, 1972, 184pp
The Ecclesiastical Court, more often known as the 'Bawdy Court' because of its pre-occupation with sexual offences, presided over a wide range of behaviour of the townspeople and exerted an influence on Shakespeare.
