This book offers a fresh perspective on British history in the long
nineteenth century through the lens of a study of Sevenoaks and the
surrounding area of West Kent. It considers, in particular, how the
risks faced by the people of this region, and the choices they made to
try to mitigate them, shaped their lives and relationships. During a
period of often dramatic change, the economic, social, political,
religious, and cultural interests of individuals were subject to
different risk factors; the responses they made (and the reasons for
those choices) provide valuable insights and enable the writing of
highly nuanced local history.