JRPHistory - a history of kingston & HM Customs & Excise

JRPHistory - an exploration into the history of kingston Upon Thames & HM Customs & Excise

Welcome to the website of JOHN R PINK.

John is a historian, lecturer & publisher. Since 1993, he has produced over a dozen books & booklets & a score of talks, covering aspects of the history of the ancient royal town of KINGSTON UPON THAMES & the CUSTOMS
(1200 AD onwards) & EXCISE (1643 onwards).

The purpose of this site is to inform & promote interest in these subjects.

A selection of comments received from readers:

"Your book on the Excise Officers is excellent... I'm sure the House of Commons Library would appreciate a copy." - The Rt Hon Lord Denis Healey - Chancellor of the Exchequer 1974 - 1979, commenting on : "THE EXCISE OFFICERS & THEIR DUTIES IN AN ENGLISH MARKET TOWN - KINGSTON UPON THAMES 1643 - 1973."
"John Pink has found a treasure trove in the records of the Royal Borough, relating to Coroner's Inquests; these reveal some very interesting patterns of life & death." - Rt Hon Kenneth Baker, Ex Home Secretary commenting on : "CORONER'S INQUESTS - VIOLENT, UN-NATURAL OR SUSPIOUS DEATHS IN KINGSTON UPON THAMES & SURROUNDINGS 1700 - 1750."
"John Pink has done it again; this booklet is a transport of pure delight - with court reports, cartoons & photographs interwoven to take us back to an age when 20mph was 'deemed excessive speeding...'." - Edward Davey, MP for Kingston upon Thames commenting on : "Kingston Upon Thames Police Versus London Motorists 1903 - 1913 ."
"John has the knack of taking a topic - here a million pound fraud in today's money - & with, research, illustrations & official records - working like a geologist on a piece of rock - he finds a complete fossil beneath the surface." - Mark Bullen, Editor of the Customs & Excise History Newsletter, commenting on : "THE EDINBURGH BEER DUTY FRAUD 1926 - 1933 - THE FULL STORY."
"This delightful booklet about Victorian Surbiton is a revealing piece of social history, particularly what it tells us about households in two very different roads at the time." - Baroness Blackstone, Master of Birkbeck College, University of London. One time Sociology tutor commenting on : "TWO ROADS IN VICTORIAN SURBITON GLIMPSED FROM CENSUS RETURNS 1861 - 1891 (Grove Road & Westfield Road, Surbiton)."
"I get a frisson of delight when I see another booklet by John Pink. He always takes us into fascinating new territory, blending printed sources with his own original research, to give us a fresh approach to our local past." - June Sampson - Features Editor, Surrey Comet commenting on : "'COUNTRY GIRLS PREFERRED' - VICTORIAN DOMESTIC SERVANTS IN THE SUBURBS".