Collection: Thornbury and District Museum

Collection-level records:

• Collection overview (Collection development policy)

  The collection includes objects, photographs and archive material relating to Thornbury and the surrounding parishes of the Lower Severn Vale within the Unitary Authority of South Gloucestershire.

  The main strength of the collection is the local source of most items. These were brought together by local history groups and societies when the museum was formed. They relate to all aspects of local town and village life and reflect social, civic and domestic history as well as crafts, trades, commerce, farming and fishing. The main period represented is from the 18th to mid 20th century although a few older finds have also been collected.

  The museum was created in 1986 to display the Mary Bruton Collection, a large number of family items bequeathed by Miss Bruton to the Thornbury Local History and Archaeology Society and the Oldbury Parochial Church Council. Thornbury and District Heritage Trust was formed to administer the museum and the Mary Bruton Collection. These and other locally collected items were subsequently formally donated to the museum and form the core of the collection.

  The chance find in 2004 of the Thornbury Roman Coin Hoard renewed interest in local archaeology and a number of the coins are displayed by arrangement with Bristol Museum and Art Gallery. This display now forms a key exhibition at the museum and has attracted further donations and loans of local Roman material.

  The museum photographic collection contains approximately 4000 images including original photographs, negatives, transparencies and photographic copies. Digital images and digital copies of original material have been added to this valuable and growing research resource.

  Documents are held as both collection items and research material. Some items requiring more specialist storage than we can provide, such as a copy of the Thornbury Tithe Map, are deposited at Gloucester Archive, while ownership remains with the Trust. In the past archive material has been deposited at both Bristol and Gloucestershire Archives.

  The museum has a small handling collection of geological specimens, relating to the local strata and other aspects of geology, for use in the museum and for outreach.

  It is estimated that a total of 17200 items in all categories are owned by the museum and a further 300 are on loan for display purposes.

  The majority of the items in the collection have been donated. The number of loan items includes a group of 220 coins from the Thornbury Roman Coin Hoard. A small number of items has been purchased through fundraising.

  A quantity of agricultural equipment and tools, mainly belonging to local historical groups, has been reviewed and suitable items are being added to the collection.

  The age of items in the collection covers the entire time span relating to the collecting area, including geological time, up to the present day.

  No sections of the collection are considered as closed and additions may be sought.

  Items for which the museum has title are the property of the Thornbury and District Heritage Trust, the governing body of Thornbury and District Museum.

  Items accessed are recorded in the Accessions Registers and items belonging to the museum are identified with code TBYDM and documented according to SPECTRUM standards. Non-accessioned items are held as handling material. All items are cared for under guidelines and standards published by the ACE Accreditation Standard.

  Source: Collection development policy

  Date: 2019

  Licence: CC BY-NC