Collection: Milford House

Collection-level records:

• Collection history (Collection development policy)

  The collection began with three black bags of photographs collected by past pupils and former teachers of the Manor House School which owned Milford House from 1936 to 1966. The Trust began cataloguing them. During an exhibition in 2005 in the Old Schoolhouse the Rev. John Miller gave his grandmother Harriette McCrums dress on loan which he subsequently donated. Since then various members of the Miller family (descendants of Robert Garmany McCrum the creater of Milford House) in particular the Rev. John Miller and his wife have continued to give many family items.

  For the first three years the collections were stored in the bedroom of Stephen McManus while he had to sleep on the sofa. In 2007 to 2009 the collections were displayed at Milford House Gate Lodge which the Trust restored as home for the collections. In 2009 the owners required the Gate Lodge back and the Trust was forced to leave the Gate Lodge. The museum opened in 57 William Street Milford- an Edwardian millworkers house built c.1912 by the McCrum family in the model village of Milford which they created.

  In 2013 the museum was awarded Full Museum Accreditation by Arts Council England. It was rebranded Milford House Collection in 2014 thanks to a grant from Northern Ireland Museums Council. It moved to 3 Victoria Street in the prestigious Mall conservation area of Armagh city in 2016. The Trust restored this derelict property as a permanent home for the collections. It has extremely strong historical links as this was where William McCrum of Milford House spent his last years in poverty (the house was then a run down boarding house).

  The McCrum grave is further up the street and it is near other prominent homes of members of the McCrum family. It is now developed into a historic house with museum accreditation. It is always hoped that someday the collections will return to Milford House. However as Milford House is one of the top ten listed buildings at most serious risk in Northern Ireland and its owners refuse to work with either the government or the Milford Buildings Preservation Trust, it will take many years before Milford House could be saved.

  Source: Collection development policy

  Date: 2024

  Licence: CC BY-NC

• Collection overview (Collection development policy)

  The current collections is a historic house collection from Milford House Co. Armagh. The Trust seeks to acquire, protect, and conserve furnishings, works of art, possessions including costumes, archives and papers, silver china and porcelain which came from Milford House and belonged to the Mc Crum family and Manor House. The Trustees state that the rooms must be presented a welcoming family home, furnishing the rooms to reflect different aspects in the history of Milford House. Much of the contents of Milford House were dispersed at auction in 1930. In the absence of the original contents the Trust acquires items which compliment the existing collection. In 2020 the Trust acquired a copy of the Milford House November 1930 Auction Catalogue from the family of the chauffeur of William McCrum. It lists the contents of everything in Milford House. The Trust is using it to accurately represent each room in Milford House 3 Victoria Street to accurately show what Milford House originally looked like.

  It is the presentation policy of Milford House to accurately represent the rooms according to the 1930 Auction Catalogue. The items from Manor House School will be displayed throughout the house and where possible in their original locations.

  Source: Collection development policy

  Date: 2024

  Licence: CC BY-NC