The Wiltshire and Swindon Record Office is home to a remarkably complete collection of invoices from two branches of the Pyke family of nineteenth century Wiltshire. This article highlights just how much information can be drawn from a simple source like a bill or a voucher. Through these sources, archivist Steven Hobbs provides a window not only into the household economy and estate expenditure of the two farms, but also into the local community. A full spectrum of local trades and skilled workers are revived in this short article, along with information about the kinds of products that were available in nineteenth century Wiltshire.
Tag: archive
Building the University
This article by Sarah Whittingham covers a unique archive of architectural drawings and correspondence that was acquired by the University of Bristol. The correspondence relates to the practice of the University architect Sir George Oatley; the University already held several drawings by Oatley and his partners, but this material transformed the collection.