Collection: Daventry Museum

Collection-level records:

• Collection history (Collection development policy)

  Daventry museum was formerly administered by Daventry District Council and occupied the Moot Hall in Daventry. The Moot Hall was closed about 2003 due to cuts in district council services, the collection was stored and looked after by volunteers. In 2005 the museum opened regularly to the public on a monthly basis. In 2009 the collection was transferred to the new Daventry Town Council and moved to the Councils new premises at 3 New Street Daventry where it is currently situated.

  Source: Collection development policy

  Date: 2022

  Licence: CC BY-NC

• Collection overview (Collection development policy)

  The majority of the items held within the collection relate to the area within Daventry town’s parish boundary, the history of its peoples, their trades, professions, leisure, religions and everyday lives, it also includes a historic record of the buildings and infrastructure of the town past and present.

  The collection currently includes items from the 16th century to the present day, with the majority dating from the late 19th through to the end of the 20th century; it consists mainly of photographs, documents, ephemera, objects and oral history.

  The museum is custodian to the following collections described in brief.

  Charters or Letters of Patent dated between 1576 and 1675 also the ivory Common Seal of town c1595, Maces dated between 1668 and 1722 and a Sergeant at Mace badge.

  Weights & Measures of the town c1824 and Scales dated 1796, a Winchester Bushel dated 1664.

  Coffer Fort dated 1600, Lock and Key, Leg Irons and other memorabilia from Moot Hall.

  Model of Daventry Railway Station and various plans, papers and other related memorabilia, Theatre posters, Public notices on events and entertainments, Jubilee celebrations, and various other printed ephemera.

  Record books from various organisations, memorabilia and ephemera of all aspects of Daventry its people and their lives.

  Boot and Shoe tools, books etc, also carpentry tools together with items and history on various other trades within the town.

  Army uniforms and other related items, School uniforms and related memorabilia.

  A Pike fish in glass case, model Ship and various wall plaques.

  A collection of artefacts and photographs from the BBC Transmitting Station on Borough Hill, these have attracted interest in more than the local area including representatives from the Science Museum in London.

  Archaeological specimens from Borough Hill and the surrounding area.

  The museum also holds an extensive Photographical Library of Daventry its buildings, people and past sporting, celebratory and other historical events.

  At present all items on display and in store are considered useful and relevant to the collection.

  Source: Collection development policy

  Date: 2022

  Licence: CC BY-NC