Collection: Bassetlaw Museum

Collection-level records:

• Collection history (Collection development policy)

  Bassetlaw Museum was formally set up by the District Council in 1983 in Amcott House, Grove Street, Retford and a full-time post of curator was established. His duties were to develop and administer a museum service for Bassetlaw District which covers 300 square miles and forms the northern one-third of Nottinghamshire. The Council already possessed collections of museum material inherited on its inception in 1974 from other sources. They have since been substantially increased by donations and purchases.

  Bassetlaw District Council assumed responsibility for material from three sources which together formed the nucleus of the original collections in 1983.

  1. Worksop Museum was founded in 1929 as an adjunct of the Worksop Borough Council Library Service. In 1938 a purpose-built library and museum was provided by the Carnegie Trust and flourished until wartime closure when contents were put into store. In the mid 1960s, following a report from the Midland Area Museum Service, Worksop Borough Council transferred the natural history and geology collections to Doncaster Museum and Worksop Museum was confined to local and social history items related to Worksop and its vicinity. In 1974 the Library Service, within which the museum was administered, was taken over by Nottinghamshire County Council. Archival material was given to the County Record Office and printed matter to the County Library Service. Some local and social history items were consigned to the County Education Service for circulation to schools in handling boxes. The remaining material stayed at Worksop Library, becoming the property of Bassetlaw District Council who owned the premises. This material was transferred to Bassetlaw Museum in 1983.
  2. The Wyse Bequest was given to Retford Borough Council in 1955 by local business man Lewis Wyse. It comprised pottery, porcelain, glass, furniture, early bicycles and other antique items. It was given as the intended basis for a future Retford museum. In 1974 it passed to Bassetlaw District Council.
  3. Retford and District Archaeological and Historical Society collected material in the 1970s which was exhibited and stored in Bassetlaw District Council premises. In 1983 the material passed to Bassetlaw District Council under a covenant allowing it to be incorporated into a museum service, with reversion rights to the District Council should the Society cease to exist and reversion to the Society if the council were ever to discontinue its museum service.

  Source: Collection development policy

  Date: 2018

  Licence: CC BY-NC

• Collection overview (Collection development policy)

  Archaeology

  The present collection incorporates material from the Retford and District Archaeological and Historical Society comprising local archaeological material. This has subsequently been added to by the results of fieldwork including excavations of local sites. The collection includes:

  • Prehistoric material in the form of Mesolithic, Neolithic and Bronze Age flint and stone artefacts; prehistoric pottery comprising three Early Bronze Age Beakers and Iron Age pottery, Bronze Age metalwork and Iron Age coins.
  • Roman pottery; personal items and dress accessories including writing material, brooches, jewellery, hairpins and cosmetic equipment; building materials including tesserae and painted wall plaster; coins, items of a religious nature including a miniature votive axe from the Roman fort at Littleborough on Trent and other local sites.
  • Burial material including a Roman lead coffin section and late Roman burial assemblage both from Worksop.
  • Late Roman or Anglo-Saxon dug-out boat. This is extremely rare and of national importance.
  • Anglo-Saxon metalwork, pottery sherds and Viking artefacts
  • Medieval material including personal items such as brooches, belt fittings and rings; seal matrices including silver examples; spindle-whorls; horse harness pendants; pilgrim flasks, decorative mounts from religious items; pottery; coins.
  • Post medieval items including pottery, metalwork and coins.
  • River Idle dredging material. There is an eclectic group of material recovered from dredging the River Idle which includes material spanning the Roman to Victorian periods.

  Bassetlaw Museum will continue to collect archaeological material of all periods from within the Bassetlaw District. Material will be accepted from fieldwork, metal detecting and as casual finds. Excavated artefacts will be accompanied by the paper site archive unless unusual circumstances require special provision. Exceptional finds may be purchased, particularly through the Portable Antiquities Scheme. Funds will be raised from donations and grant application.

  Bassetlaw contains part of the nationally important Palaeolithic site of Creswell Crags. Should Bassetlaw Museum be offered finds from the site we will confer with Creswell Crags Visitor Centre to decide which repository is most appropriate.

  No finds will be acquired unless the donor or vendor can show provenance and prove legal title.

  Local History

  The basis of the collection was provided by the Retford and District Archaeological and Historical Society and Worksop Museum. It has subsequently been enlarged by donations from members of the public. It comprises:

  Artefacts, ephemera and products relating to Bassetlaw, including

  • Trades and Industry
  • Rural Crafts
  • Agriculture
  • Education
  • Railway, river and canal transport
  • War
  • Religion
  • and other aspects of local community life.

  The Museum will continue to collect items relating to the specific history of Bassetlaw District.

  Bassetlaw is strongly connected to the Mayflower Pilgrims (Pilgrim Fathers). At present the museum has little to illustrate this story. Should any relevant material become available, the Museum would consider acquiring it but only through consultation with any other museums or public organisations who might also wish to make such an acquisition.

  Social History

  This incorporates material from Retford and District Archaeological and Historical Society and Worksop Museum. It has subsequently been enlarged by donations from members of the public. It comprises items related to

  • Domestic social history including food and drink and household items
  • Entertainment and leisure including sports, games and toys, radio, television, hobbies and needlework
  • Personal accessories

  The museum will continue to collect material of this nature but with the emphasis on filling gaps in the collection. Items such as radios and mangles will only be accepted if they are either not of a type already represented in the collection or have a specific association with Bassetlaw, such as a local maker.

  Photographic Collection

  This comprises:

  • Cameras, photographic equipment and projectors
  • Stereoscopes and stereoscopic photographs
  • Albums, prints and negatives
  • The Welchman Collection of 20, 000 negatives, including glass plate, nitrate and safety film.
  • The Pegler Collection of images, particularly significant as Pegler owned Amcott House and many photographs show either its interior or exterior or other members of his family who lived here. The collection is also particularly strong in autochromes, very early colour photographs.

  This is an area worthy for particular development. Any as yet un-represented images taken by Welchman, Pegler will be prioritised. Acquiring material by other local photographers of the area is highly desirable, particularly any representing the Worksop side of the district. Not only is the present collection important in its own right but it is highly beneficial to the museum because it portrays many local people whose families still live here. It has provided a real bond and sense of ownership between the local population and the Museum.

  Costume and Textiles

  The collection consists of 4000 items of costume and includes the Alec Daykin Collection. The collection includes

  • Women’s, children’s and men’s wear from 1740
  • Hats, shoes and other accessories
  • Uniforms including military and civil
  • Domestic textiles
  • Samplers
  • Lace and lace-making equipment

  The Museum will continue to collect costume and textiles to supplement its present collection. However, it will actively seek male costume, which is significantly under represented.

  Art

  The majority of the art collection was acquired from Worksop Museum which was given twenty five works by The Contemporary Art Society during the 1950s. The remaining items in the collection are mostly by amateur local artists except for

  • 24 pictures by Worksop professional artist James Walsham Baldock (1822-1898)
  • Local prints and engravings

  The art collection requires planned development. Bassetlaw Museum will build on its existing art collection as and when sufficient funds can be found. This is in order to be able to mount exhibitions from within the collection from time to time rather than being reliant on loaned exhibitions. The collection will also reflect and record aspects of the artistic life of Bassetlaw District. As works are likely to be purchased from the donations fund, it is unlikely that the finances available will be substantial. Acquisition must conform to at least one of the following:

  • Works by a local, preferably Bassetlaw artist such as James Walsham Baldock, or Charles H. Marshall
  • Works exhibited in Bassetlaw Museum
  • Works of a Bassetlaw subject, either place, person or something originating from the district
  • Work felt to be essential to compare or contrast with an important work already in the collection.

  Decorative Art

  Much of the decorative art was acquired via the Wyse bequest. It is composed of eighteenth and nineteenth century

  • Glass-ware
  • Chinese porcelain
  • English porcelain and pottery

  Due to the limited space for display and the relative cost of acquiring this material it is not envisaged that the museum will collect extensively in this area. Decorative art material from Bassetlaw and English ceramics of local or regional interest and items filling gaps in the collection will be considered.

  Numismatics

  These items tend to be dispersed through other parts of the collection but include:

  • Coins of antiquity
  • Local tokens, checks and tallies
  • Medals awarded to Bassetlaw people.

  Items will be added only on the basis of local provenance.

  Archives

  Bassetlaw Museum has archive material generated by the former local authorities absorbed into Bassetlaw District Council in 1974. Main elements of the archive are:

  • Retford Borough Council Civic Plate
  • Retford Borough Charters dating back to the medieval period.
  • Council documents including minute books, account ledgers, burial records, plans etc
  • Valuation property books compiled by local estate agents Henry Spencer and Joshua Walker
  • Parish Council minutes
  • Local newspapers
  • Maps of the Bassetlaw area
  • Village history archives produced by local groups
  • House deeds, wills and personal papers

  The Museum will continue to collect the records of Bassetlaw District Council and predecessor authorities and ephemera relating to Bassetlaw District. The Museum will liaise with Nottinghamshire Archives over acquisition to ensure that the most appropriate repository secures the material for public benefit.

  Handling Collection

  Bassetlaw Museum is currently developing a more active approach to education, life-long learning and exhibition. Therefore, handling material is required. This is at greater risk of loss, theft or damage. Aspects of the handling collection will either be drawn from duplicates or poor examples from the permanent collections or specifically acquired for this purpose. If material is offered for donation and it is not suitable for the permanent collection, it may be useful for handling. The Museum staff will explain this to donors and seek their express permission, which will be recorded on the entry form.

  Handling material will be uniquely marked so that its source can be identified. Reviews will take place regularly and there may be occasions when material is moved from the handling collection to the permanent collection.

  Source: Collection development policy

  Date: 2018

  Licence: CC BY-NC