Trowbridge

Article summary

Trowbridge ( ) is the county town of Wiltshire, England, situated on the River Biss in the west of the county, close to the border with Somerset. The town lies south-east of Bath, south-west of Swindon and south-east of Bristol. The parish had a population of 37,169 in 2021. Long a market town, the Kennet and Avon canal to the north of Trowbridge played an instrumental part in the town's development, as it allowed coal to be transported from the Somerset Coalfield; this marked the advent of steam-powered manufacturing in woollen cloth mills. The town was the foremost centre of woollen cloth production in south-west England in the late 18th and early 19th centuries, by which time it held the nickname "The Manchester of the West". The parish encompasses the settlements of Longfield, Lower Studley, Upper Studley, Studley Green and Trowle Common.

Key claims

1. date of birth: 1176 — source: Wikipedia · confidence 0.95
2. date of birth: 1816 — source: Wikipedia · confidence 0.95
3. date of birth: 1905 — source: Wikipedia · confidence 0.95
4. date of birth: 1939 — source: Wikipedia · confidence 0.95
5. date of foundation: 1963 — source: Wikipedia · confidence 0.95
6. date of foundation: 1990 — source: Wikipedia · confidence 0.95
7. population: 5,799 inhabitants — source: Wikipedia · confidence 0.95

Discussion questions

1. Summarise the article in your own words. Which single claim would you verify first, and why?
2. The record states that the date of birth is "1176". What evidence would count against this claim?
3. The record states that the date of birth is "1816". What evidence would count against this claim?
4. The record states that the date of birth is "1905". What evidence would count against this claim?
5. The record states that the date of birth is "1939". What evidence would count against this claim?
6. The record states that the date of foundation is "1963". What evidence would count against this claim?
7. The record states that the date of foundation is "1990". What evidence would count against this claim?
8. The record states that the population is "5,799 inhabitants". What evidence would count against this claim?
9. Which claim in this article is most likely to be revised as the sources update? How would you check its current status?
10. If two sources disagreed about one of these facts, what would you need in order to trust one over the other?

Bibliography

1. Wikipedia https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?oldid=1364609848