Thomas Pape (1872-1970) was a key historian of North Staffordshire. He produced several local history books from 1928-40, and a number of articles can also be found. Sadly the books are not on Archive.org and the publisher — Manchester University Press — has not yet scanned the extensive series of which they are a part and put them online.

His key works are:

1. Medieval Newcastle-under-Lyme, Manchester University Press, 1928. No TOCs online, but his second book for the Press gives a summary of the first…

Ten years ago the Manchester University Press published the first volume, Medieval Newcastle-under-Lyme, a history of the Castle from its foundation in Stephen’s reign until its decay in the late fifteenth century, also a history of the borough from its formation in Henry II’s reign and a history of the Manor — all to the end of the reign of Henry VII. The two most important appendices were the extended Latin transcripts of the minute books of the borough of Newcastle-under-Lyme from 1369 to 1510.

1a. “The Ancient Corporation of Cheadle” in the North Staffordshire Field Club Transactions for 1930. This actually turns out to be mostly relevant to the “Mock Mayor” tradition of Newcastle-under-Lyme. He also notes, in passing, the annual Hanley Venison Feast which he found could be traced to the 1780s.

1b. “Medieval Glassworkers in North Staffordshire“, in the North Staffordshire Field Club Transactions for 1934.

2. Newcastle-under-Lyme in Tudor and early Stuart Times, Manchester University Press, 1938. Substantial, at 350+ pages. It is partly on Google Books, including TOCs. In an appendix are to be found useful castle-location maps that took account of the latest excavations (undertaken by himself and a group of his boys, 1934-1935).

3. The Restoration Government and the Corporation of Newcastle-under-Lyme, Manchester University Press, 1940. At 63 pages this third and final work for Manchester University Press was more of a booklet, perhaps due to wartime paper shortages at a guess. Google Books appears to have no preview, but on one of the versions it offers a simple TOC, and when you click the links for that you do get preview pages…

THE INFLUENCE OF THE EARL OF ESSEX
THE CORPORATION ACT
COUNCILLORS DEPOSED
THE CHARTER GRANTED BY CHARLES II
THE LOCAL TRUSTEES
FINANCIAL DIFFICULTIES
A ROYAL MANDATE
THE OLD ORDER AT WORK

It might be useful to get all of the above republished as a single volume, with a new introduction correcting any errors of fact and updating the reader.

He also produce a history of the town’s parish church, St. Giles, seemingly published (re-published?) in 1967.

His papers and photographs are in a special collection archive at Keele University, though a list is only available on request rather than being online in public. The page does however have a basic biography…

Thomas Pape (1872-1970) was a schoolmaster, holding posts at Newcastle-under-Lyme Middle School, the Orme Boys School and Wolstanton Grammar School. Pape devoted a great deal of his time to historical and archaeological research of Newcastle-under-Lyme and surrounding areas, authoring several books and numerous articles. He was elected a member of the North Staffordshire Field Club in 1917 and served as President in 1931.

Elsewhere I also found a picture of him…

Thomas Pape photographed in old age.

He taught History at Orme (called the ‘Middle School’ before 1914) and in his second book he states that he retired from teaching in 1933. This picture might have been made on that occasion, yet he looks older than 59 and the camera lens and picture-shape looks to be from a later era. My guess is he returned to teaching circa 1942 at age 70, due to the needs of the war, and this might date from that time? He lived to 98 years old, though, so it may even be later. Judging by his hands I’d say he could be in his late 80s here.

Evidently he also published articles in the local newspaper, and one observer remarks on… “Notes by medieval historian Thomas Pape, published in The Evening Sentinel newspaper in 1935″, re: a local pottery excavation.

He and his lads also excavated: The Roman Villa at Hales, Staffordshire; Chesterton Roman Fort; and from memory I’m fairly sure he was the one who did the excavations to find the bed of the Roman Road in the vicinity of Wolstanton (Chesterton fort to Stoke station).

Update: My thanks to David Pitt for a small correction. I had been led to believe, by Staffordshire Past Track, that Pape was serving as headmaster at Orme in 1927 when the Hales Roman Villa was excavated. I am informed that he was a History teacher throughout his career. This fact has been updated.