Purchases assisted by the Friends of Lancashire Archives
Lathom House Scrapbook DP509
The purchase of this delightful scrapbook for Lathom Hall closely followed the acquisition of the Red Book for Lathom.
The album contains sketches, poems, letters, newscuttings, and programmes relating to theatrical productions at Lathom House and elsewhere, and includes a licence granted to the Earl of Lathom for the performance of stage plays at Lathom House.
[Purchased by the Friends of Lancashire Archives in 2005 at a cost of £750]
Humphrey Repton’s ‘Red Book’ for Lathom House DP504
One of the most expensive purchases ever made for Lancashire Archives was the ‘Red Book’ for proposed improvements of the landscape at Lathom House, produced by Humphrey Repton [1752-1818] for the Bootle Wilbraham family. Repton, one of the leading landscape architects of his day, carried out the survey at Lathom in September 1792. It is one of his few commissions in the North West. This ‘Red Book’ is not bound in red leather but does have the ‘before’ and ‘after’ views which are a feature of his work.
[Purchased in June 2004 with financial assistance from the Museum, Libraries and Archives Council, the Victoria and Albert Purchase Grant Fund, the National Art Collections Fund, the Heritage Lottery Fund, Friends of the National Libraries and the Friends of Lancashire Archives, who contributed £5,000 to the $75,000 price]
Rothwell papers DP 493 acc 9060
William Talbot Rothwell was a merchant operating in Liverpool and Smyrna during the period c 1830-45. This collection of papers relates to his trading interests, his estate at 'Foxholes' in Ellel; and the property and trading interests of Thomas Cock in Barbados.
This small but very interesting collection is not yet catalogued. It will require someone with knowledge of French, Italian, Greek, and possibly Turkish.
Volunteers welcome!
[Purchased by the Friends of Lancashire Archives in 2001 at a cost of £425]
Anthony Hewitson’s diaries and other records DP 512
The Friends of Lancashire Archives once again came to the rescue in 2006 when the County Archivist was offered a chance to purchase some of the diaries of Anthony Hewitson and his recollections of his earlier life. At the time the records were in Australia but their transfer was negotiated and the Friends agreed to buy them.
Hewitson (1836-1912) was a well known Preston journalist and local historian. He owned the Preston Chronicle between 1868 and 1890 and wrote for it under the pen name Atticus. His diaries are therefore a rich source of information about Preston life between 1865 and 1912. Unfortunately the series of diaries is incomplete and no diary exists for a Preston Guild year.
Margaret Dickinson and Andrew Hobbs have transcribed the diaries and volunteers from the Friends have assisted in checking the transcriptions
[Purchased by the Friends of Lancashire Archives at a cost of £2250]
Townley of Townley archive collection DDTO
One of the first challenges for the newly formed Friends of Lancashire Archives was to raise money to help secure the Townley collection for Lancashire. They raised money through a wide range of events and activities and, in October 1990, contributed £2500 of the £60,000 required to buy the collection, which was already deposited in the record office.
The archive relates to the Townley family of Townley Hall, Burnley and contains a large collection of mediaeval manuscripts, including the oldest document held at Lancashire Archives. This is a grant by Henry I to the bishop of Lincoln made in 1115 – almost 900 years ago.
The Forton charters DDX 161
The Forton charters have experienced several changes of ownership over the last 25 years and have been in and out of Record Office care. These mediaeval documents relate to lands and privileges in Forton, mostly belonging to Cockersand Abbey. The collection was finally secured in 2009
[Purchased with the assistance of the Friends of Lancashire Archives who contributed £1250 of the £5000 purchase price]
Letters Patent appointing a Guide across the Sands DP 526
The most recent document purchase by the Friends of Lancashire Archives was a £1000 (56%) contribution towards the cost of this George II parchment document appointing John Carter junior as the official guide across the sands of Morecambe Bay in 1728.
This document was in poor condition when it arrived and has been given conservation treatment by preservation staff at Lancashire Archives. A copy of the document will be displayed at the Maritime Museum in Lancaster.
Abbot and Co, stained glass manufacturers of Lancaster DDAB
The Friends contributed £500 towards the Heritage Lottery funded purchase of this important archive in September 1996. Abbots designed and made stained glass windows and other glass features for many churches, public buildings, commercial premises and private houses.
The archive is not complete but includes a wide range of records - day books, workmen's time books, order books and other financial records, correspondence and several boxes of designs. There are also cartoons – preparatory drawings for the windows, often drawn at the actual size. These present a huge conservation and storage problem.
The archive has not yet been catalogued, but several years ago the Friends of Lancashire Archives used designs from the collection to create a tea towel and greetings cards.
Lancaster Canal Papers DP483
The main section of the canal, from Preston to Tewitfield, opened in 1797 so this miscellaneous collection of printed Lancaster Canal Company material comprises some of its earliest records. It includes details of shares, 1793-1816; committee and annual reports 1795-1819; receipts 1793-97; and plans. The collection has not been listed and would make an interesting project for a willing volunteer.
[Purchased by the Friends of Lancashire Archives for £550 in 1999]
Civil War letter DP 491
This letter to Colonel John Moore, Vice-Admiral for Lancashire, from Robert Rich, 2nd Earl of Warwick, commander of the Fleet for Parliament, relates to an incident in the River Wyre in 1645.
[Purchased by the Friends of Lancashire Archives for £341 in 2001]
Records of Standish family of Duxbury DP 502
Material relating to the Standish family frequently appears on the market because of the connection with Miles Standish, who travelled on the Mayflower in 1620 as military advisor for the settlers of Plymouth Colony.
This interesting collection of records includes
· a militia list for Duxbury dating from 1448
· a letter signed by the inhabitants of Chorley for the removal of their school master 1691
· a rental 1770
· an account book of Sir Frank Standish for1778
[Purchased by the Friends of Lancashire Archives for £941 in 2004]
Hylda Baker's archive DDX 1683 acc 10465
Hylda Baker (1905-1986) appears to have kept everything - all her scripts, fan mail, bills and theatrical ephemera - and a large part of her archive was deposited at the Record Office in 1997.
When an additional cache of material was offered for sale in 2008 the Friends of Lancashire Archives contributed £500 towards the £3500 purchase price.
Joan Langford collection - Barrie document DDX2681 acc 10749
Specification of William Barrie for the invention of an improved reflective leveller, 7 Jul 1856
[Purchased by the Friends of Lancashire Archives for £177 in 2010]
Pointing the way
The Friends support Lancashire Archives in many other ways and in January 2012 agreed to pay for much-needed street signage to the record office building.
Law Family Papers DP 522
This collection relates to the Law family of Hawkshead, particularly to the business activities of George Law in Jamaica.
DP 522/1/2, for example, includes 63 copy business letters from George Law of Kingston, Jamaica, mainly to suppliers in England (some including abstracts of cargoes) and also copy invoices for goods shipped from Liverpool to Kingston. All give vessel name and a detailed cargo list.
Also included is DP 522/4/3, a rare and possibly unique "sessions book" which records meetings of Justices of the Peace in Lonsdale Hundred in the early 1790s.
[Purchased with a £3,000 contribution from the Friends of Lancashire Archives in 2010]