author

John Randall

1810–1910

A self-taught local historian, china painter, and amateur geologist, he spent a remarkably long life recording the people, industries, and landscapes of Shropshire. His books are valued for the vivid way they preserve the world of Madeley, Coalbrookdale, and the Severn Valley in the 19th century.

4 Audiobooks

Handbook to the Severn Valley Railway Illustrative and Descriptive of Places along the Line from Worcester to Shrewsbury

Handbook to the Severn Valley Railway Illustrative and Descriptive of Places along the Line from Worcester to Shrewsbury

by John Randall

History of Madeley including Ironbridge, Coalbrookdale, and Coalport

History of Madeley including Ironbridge, Coalbrookdale, and Coalport

by John Randall

The Clay Industries, Including the Fictile & Ceramic Arts on the Banks of the Severn with notices of the early use of Shropshire clays, the history of pottery, porcelain, &c. in the district

The Clay Industries, Including the Fictile & Ceramic Arts on the Banks of the Severn with notices of the early use of Shropshire clays, the history of pottery, porcelain, &c. in the district

by John Randall

Old Sports and Sportsmen; or, the Willey Country with sketches of Squire Forester and his whipper-in Tom Moody

Old Sports and Sportsmen; or, the Willey Country with sketches of Squire Forester and his whipper-in Tom Moody

by John Randall

About the author

Born in 1810 and living to 1910, he became closely associated with Madeley in Shropshire and is remembered as a local writer and historian. Research on his life describes him not only as an author but also as a china painter at Coalport and an enthusiastic amateur geologist, interests that shaped the close attention to place and industry seen in his writing.

His best-known work is History of Madeley, along with other books on the Severn Valley and the Ironbridge area. Rather than writing grand history from a distance, he focused on the everyday life, trades, inventions, and stories of his region, which gives his work a grounded, firsthand feel that still appeals to readers interested in local history.

What makes him especially memorable is the breadth of his life: artisan, observer, collector of local memory, and long-lived witness to enormous change across the 19th century. For listeners who enjoy regional history, industrial heritage, and books built from deep familiarity with a place, his work offers a rich window into Victorian Shropshire.