A Good Price for Fareham: A life in times of war, plague and fire

In 1721 William Price, a timber merchant, left his wealth to establish a "Blue Coat" Charity School for the poor of Fareham in Hampshire. "Price's School" existed from about 1725 to 1989, and the William Price Charitable Trust continues. Produced as part of the Society of Old Priceans' celebration of the 300th anniversary of the school's foundation, this book adds substantially to the little previously known about him. It is the result of much new research on him and his father, another William Price, a barrel-maker from Titchfield, and events in the area in which they lived.

The Prices lived in turbulent times - through the English Civil War, the Great Plague of London, the Great Fire of London, to the Restoration of the Monarchy. England was involved in seven wars covering more than half of William's adult life. Starting from almost nothing, he made his fortune selling timber to Portsmouth Royal Naval Dockyard, and bought land in Gosport, Fareham and Portsea Island. His will left these assets to found a school where "... the poore Boys and Girles of the said parish of Fareham ... shall be taught to read in the English Bible, and be otherwise Instructed in the Doctrine and Principles of the Church of England".

A Good Price for Fareham brings new information scoured from many sources including the Hampshire County, Portsmouth City and National Archives to anyone interested in the local history of the areas where the Prices lived. It sheds light on their early days in Titchfield, William's life in Fareham, and his business and civic activities, and draws some parallels between the Prices' times and the present day.