William Casson wrote monographs concerning the the "History and
Antiquities of Thorne, with some account of the drainage of Hatfield
Chase" in 1829, updating his accounts in 1869 and 1874. Over this
period, he provides fashinating detail concerning the state of Thorne
Moors and provides a record of vegetational chnages induced by
drainage over this period. I cannot recall specifically noting whether
he makes a call for peatland conservation, but he certainly appears
to be in no doubt that drainage was adversely affecting the
vegetation and that plants such as Potamogeton oblongata,
Utricularia minor and Scheuchzeria palustris could no longer be
found. Implicit within much of his work is that such events were to
be decried.
Martin Limbert, at Doncaster Museum is likely to be able to tell
you whether there are any further more specific references, since
he has spent a great deal of time researching the historical ecology
of Thorne and to a lesser extent Hatfield Moors. I have also looked
at a wide variety of historical literature, but cannot recall a specific
reference to peatland conservation, at least in this area, until 1969,
when the study by William Bunting, Peter Skidmore and others
was published. Certainly implicit in many of the articles concerning
the moors appears to be a wish for conservation, but I don't recall
an obvious statement.
Nicki Whitehouse
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