Collection: Museum in The Park: Stroud District Museum Service

Collection-level records:

• Collection history (Collection development policy)

  The Museum was established by the will of William Cowle when upon his death in 1899 a sum of money was left towards the establishment of a museum for Stroud. This was originally located in two rooms set aside in perpetuity for the purposes of a museum in the School of Science and Art, Lansdown. For the first 30 years the Trustees operated without any professional paid staff. The first curator was appointed in 1929 (along with the museum opening to the public). A series of curators thereafter ran the independent museum until it ran into difficulties and in 1983 the District Council entered into a partnership to deliver the Museum Service with the Cowle Trust. This also meant a formal expansion of the collecting areas of the museum to cover the whole District.

  The first Trustees collected according to their own individual areas of interest and so the early collections were comprised of natural sciences, coins and other ‘hobby type’ collections. The early curators also collected according to their own areas of specialism resulting in strong geological collections from the 1930s and good collections of decorative art and literature from the 1940s. The third curator was responsible for expanding the collections to encompass the wide range of subject areas that they cover today, and for introducing the first collecting policies to the museum.

  Source: Collection development policy

  Date: 2019

  Licence: CC BY-NC

• Collection overview (Collection development policy)

  Geology

  The geology of the Stroud District is of international importance. It is the key to understanding the landscape, natural environment, human settlement and activity.

  Geology forms about 13% of the museum collections, made up as follows:

  • Fossils 82.5%
  • Rocks 7.5%
  • Minerals 10%

  The scale, scope and quality of the collection are exceptional for a local museum. Much of it was donated from the collections of well-known local geologists such as Linsdall Richardson, Mrs Hutton, Dr H.W.Hills, S.L.Randolph, S.S. Buckman, E.N.Witchell and Charles I.Gardiner (the Museum’s first Curator (1929-1940).

  Fossils

  Local Jurassic, Cretaceous and Tertiary invertebrates are well represented. There are also dinosaur and crocodile specimens of national and international scientific importance. More recent molluscs, sub-fossil mammal teeth, tusks and bones from Pleistocene and recent gravels & alluvium are also significant. The collection includes some fossils from other classic British localities (particularly the Lias of Lyme Regis and Whitby). There are a few specimens from further afield (e.g. Four fish from the lithographic limestone of Solenhofen).

  Rocks

  The collection includes specimens from most of the formations which outcrop in the district & some comparative material from other localities.

  Minerals

  The mineral collection includes agates, aluminium, calcite, calcium, copper, gold, iron, lead, manganese, nickel, quartz, silica, strontium, sulphur. Of local interest is a lead water pipe blocked by calcium carbonate, Nailsworth (DP.202). Material from local collectors Harold Brinkworth of King’s Stanley and V.P.Kitchin of Painswick is included. There is also a collection of minerals from the river gravels of the Malagarasi River, Tanzania, 1920s (1969.80).

  Natural History (Excluding geology – see above)

  This small collection forms about 3% of the total. It comprises locally acquired individual specimens and antiquarian collections, plus a few exotic specimens. The strongest areas are birds, birds eggs and nests, herbaria, birds and, of the insects, the diptera and coleoptera specimens.

  Archaeology

  Archaeology forms about 9% of the collections, ranging from the Palaeolithic to the 20th century. The Roman is the best represented period. The majority of the collection originates from the Stroud District. There is some material from other areas of Gloucestershire (e.g. Adlestrop barrow and Kingscote Roman Villa), arising from relationships between local excavators and the various Gloucestershire museums during the 19th & 20th centuries. Sometimes material was ‘shared out’ between museums (e.g. The Salmonsbury ‘currency bars’). There are only a few pieces of non-British archaeology (notably stone tools from Thebes, Madras and Mexico in the V.P. Kitchin collection).

  There are 3 categories of material:

  • Stray, field-walking & metal detecting finds
  • ‘Antiquarian’ collections, mainly from local 19 Century collectors
  • Archives from systematic professional & amateur excavations (including developer funded archaeology)

  Many excavation archives are documented only to box level, so a full analysis of objects is not possible. However, the records do indicate the relative strengths of the Museum’s holdings. At present there are a number of objects within the Archaeology classification which have not been identified as coming from a specific era – this is a task to be addressed in the future.

  Prehistoric

  A high proportion of the collection comprises flint and stone tools and the waste products of tool manufacture. The earliest and most important are the Palaeolithic stonework from Eastington (2012 & 3079), Salmon Springs (1975.133) & Elkstone (1969.108).

  There is a small series of post-glacial microlith flintwork and associated flakes particularly from Nailsworth, Avening and Eastington. A human femur (1950.242) provides extremely rare evidence of early humans in the area and is thus of national importance. Ox, deer, horse and sheep or goat bones from the Stroud Gas Works site are also important.

  A small number of stone implements from the Neolithic and early Bronze Age periods provide evidence for tree-felling and land clearance (including polished stone axes from Nailsworth (1985.84.1-2), Farmhill (1983.115), Brimscombe (1961.237), Stonehouse (3734) and Nympsfield (1974.177)) .

  The second millenium BC is represented by a fine Beaker and the skull of a boy from Ivy Lodge Barrow, King’s Stanley.

  There is a small series of bronze implements: axeheads and 2 early Bronze Age socket-looped spearheads from Rodborough Common.

  With the notable exception of the pair of late middle Bronze Age bracelets found at Coaley Peak, evidence from the first millennium BC is largely confined to Iron Age material.

  Roman

  The collection of Romano-British religious & funerary stonework is of regional significance. It includes 6 Altars found in a round barrow on Bisley Common (4549), an altar to Mars from near Avening (2047), a tombstone from Horsley (1960.53) and a cist and lid with fragments of a glass cinerary urn from the Woodchester Villa site (2051).

  There are also some good pieces of Romano-British metalwork and small finds of glass, bone etc from local well-known sites such as Kingscote, Eastington, Wortley Villa, Uley Temple and Woodchester Villa and chance finds such as the bronze hand found in a pond at Eastington (1960.133)

  Early Medieval

  The Saxon & Norman periods are much less well-represented but the collection includes a few very fine pieces:

  • A Saxon (550-650) gilded bronze saucer brooch with chip-carved decoration and a central cross is of national significance (1986.153).
  • A Saxon-early Norman tomb slab with arcaded sides, Bisley Churchyard (1966.81).
  • A Saxon bone comb from Eastington Gravel Pit (2069)
  • Oolithic limestone carving, possibly from a cross shaft, depicting ?Adam holding a spade, Whiteshill (1971.54).
  • An 11th century bone draughtsman from the churchyard at Newington Bagpath (2799)

  Medieval

  The medieval period is represented by a fairly large and complete archive from King’s Stanley moated medieval manor by Carolyn Heighway and finds from excavations at St Peter’s Churchyard, Frocester including a chalice and patten from a burial (1960.48 & 49). Stray finds include a roof tile inscribed as 9 Men’s Morris board (DP.132).

  Post-Medieval

  The local tobacco clay pipe industry is extremely well-represented. With a few notable exceptions (e.g. finds from Arlingham Court and the 17th century glassworks at Woodchester) other aspects of the post-medieval period are less well-represented.

  Antiquarian & Foreign

  There is a small collection of non-local and foreign archaeology. This is mainly antiquarian and ‘Grand Tour’ or souvenir material. It consists mainly of stone tools and run-of-the-mill Roman clay lamps and glass vessels etc brought back by local people from East & West Africa, North America, Italy, Greece, Cyprus, Jordan, Egypt.

  The Museum holds material collected by the following individuals:

  • V.P.Kitchin, comprising mainly pre-Neolithic material from some of the world’s most famous archaeological sites e.g. Swanscombe, Grimes Graves, Egypt, Thebes (Greece), India and bone tools from the Swiss Lake Villages
  • Worthington G. Smith, a noted Victorian antiquary (including prehistoric stone tools from Ireland, S.E. England and Mexico)
  • E.N.Witchell, the prominent local geologist (flints: local, Sussex and Egypt.
  • Rev H.G.O.Kendall
  • Samuel Lysons ( a small selection of material from Woodchester Roman Villa)
  • Sir Leonard Woolley (Carnelian sickle teeth found in the Nile delta (1962.16)

  Social History

  About 64% of the collections relate to social history. It is the largest single category within the collections and is classified as follows:

  1. Domestic life 5%
  2. Community/Corporate life 31%
  3. Personal life 13%
  4. Work 15%

  The social history collections are rich & varied. They are of regional significance. They include some rare early ‘folk life’ material (e.g. an 18th century wig stand (2325) and a coopered plunger type butter churn (2833). The majority of objects have been donated as individually or in small groups. Notable exceptions include:

  • The ‘Duncan Young Collection’, a group of about 3500 items of mixed quality and subject matter donated and purchased from the late Chalford farmer who had a ‘museum’ of his collections at the Chalford Round House
  • The Wathen bequest of the Palling firearms, pewter plate and oriental export ceramics
  • The Underwood bequest of 18th-19th century musical instruments (a small but interesting collection)
  • The Neville Chanin Archive of around 400 objects which includes trophies, medals, documents and photographs relating to the life of this local amateur cyclist who clocked up more than a million kilometres cycling all over the world

  Community & corporate life

  The collections contain small groups of material related to:

  • Customs and folklore including an Aunt Sally game (1968.162), Christmas and Valentine cards, funerary items.
  • Entertainment including cinema items, dance and whist cards and programmes
  • Local government including poor relief, election material and the Grant of Arms for Stroud Urban District Council (1974.54)
  • Churches and religion including monuments and fittings, Bibles, parish magazines and ephemera and the silver from White Court Chapel Uley (1974.191).
  • Societies and sports clubs including photographs of sporting events and a collection of embroidered silk banners from choral and madrigal groups in the Cam, Uley and Stinchcombe areas.
  • Education including material associated with Brimscombe Polytechnic, chemistry laboratory equipment from Marling School, needlework samplers and exercise books from Badbrook School for Girls, children’s books, the teachers desk from Slad School, a limited range of abaci, black boards, writing slates (mostly 20 Century) and a wooden back board used for discipline and to improve posture (1970.109)
  • An unusual 18th century cock fighting chair and associated material
  • The Burge collection of Physics on Stamps – a collection of almost 6000 stamps and first day covers from all around the world featuring physicists and scientific topics such as the space race.
  • The Wilf Merret Photograph collection of around 3500 postcards, photographs and other items of paper ephemera featuring views of and relating to the local area

  The Palling collection of firearms (about 35 pieces) from Painswick is noteworthy. This comprises 18th century flintlock pistols, blunderbusses, fowling guns and late 17th century muskets. The collection includes some guns which are the only known surviving examples by that particular maker.

  There is a small range of domestic architecture fixtures and fittings, the highlights being a collection of moulds for making decorative plaster and material from an 18th century house at Wallbridge including 2 shell-hooded painted buffet cupboards. There are a number of church fixtures & fittings, including a brass weathercock from Painswick Church, a wooden example from Minchinhampton and an 18th century church clock from Coaley.

  With the exception of 2 tricycles, the Cathcart collection of cycling material, the Neville Chanin collection, a Braune mobility scooter, locally made Pedersen bicycles and a sand yacht sailed across the Sahara by a Stonehouse man, there are no full-size vehicles. A range of small items illustrates the road, rail and canal communications within the District (e.g. Canal mile plates, rail station fittings and tickets, paintings, drawings and photographs.

  Domestic and personal life

  The material is very wide ranging and includes some unusual domestic items such as the rare late 17th century/ early 18th century wooden candle holder (1956.47) and an 18th century brass flour dredger (CM.738). There are, however, a number of significant gaps.

  There is an excellent collection of laundry and lighting equipment and a reasonable collection of cleaning equipment and materials. The range of cooking equipment is somewhat patchy, although it does include rare pieces, such as the unique 17th century roasting jack by Pearson (CM.823) and 17th century firebacks. A rocking bath made at Woodchester is unusual and locally distinctive. There is little furniture.

  There are some good musical instruments (the Underwood Bequest) and a moderate range of clocks including 4 late 17th century lantern clocks by the respected Stroud clockmaker, William Holloway and long case clocks by Richard Merrett of Stroud and 2 Chalford makers Jones (1790-1810) and Crook (mid 19th century).

  The collection includes early gramophones and televisions but, overall, the 20th century collections are patchy.

  There is a good range of

  • typical personal effects and memorabilia such as photograph albums, spectacles, writing and smoking paraphernalia
  • medical glassware and equipment
  • needlecraft equipment (including a tools and examples of work, especially by children)

  Dolls & Toys

  The collection contains approximately 80 dolls, accessories and a smaller number of assorted toys and games, mostly of Victorian and early 20th century dates. The highlights are a very important late 17th century/ early 18th century male doll, 2 early 18th century female dolls, a 19th century half-tester dolls bed and furnishings, a well documented funeral doll. Toys include a large collection of penny toys from the late 19th/early 20th century, children’s books, card games, unusual early 19th century peepshows, magic lantern slides, a toy fort and small groups of lead soldiers, ambulance crew and Queen Alexandra’s Royal Nursing Corps nurses (1971.164) and some very good examples of children’s/ dolls ceramics.

  Personal Costume

  The costume collection includes both men & women’s clothing. Of particular interest are costume relating to work (domestic service, brewing, textiles and agriculture) and leisure (archery coats and waistcoats from the early 19th century, and Stroud Harriers Athletic Club vest, shorts and belt (late 19th century), riding boots, a good range of cycling clothing and accessories, motorist’s gauntlets and dustcoat). There is a good collection of infant’s and children’s costume, including some unusual pieces such as a boy’s dress c1830 (2642) and an unusual boy’s jump-suit c1810-15 (1951.11), but is not comprehensive.

  Working Life

  Crafts

  There is a diverse range of material representing rural and town crafts: woodworking, leather working (including both saddlery and shoe-making), blacksmithing, rope-making, and masonry.

  Trades

  This section is very wide ranging. Small but important collections relating to:

  • Edwin Clark & Co and Abdela & Mitchell, boat builders
  • Ropemaking
  • Holloway Bros, clothing manufacturers of Stroud
  • Sweet-making (moulds)

  Modest, but good quality collections relating to:

  • Blacksmith tools from forges at Cainscross and Longfords Mill
  • Plumbing tools
  • Stone quarrying and masonry
  • Leonard Stanley Tannery
  • Stickmaking
  • Stonehouse, Dudbridge and Brimscombe brick makers (products only).
  • Cobbling tools from a shop in Minchinhampton
  • Clothiers marks, trade signs and packaging materials relating to local trades including food, medicines, cosmetics and other household items including Morelands’ England’s Glory matchboxes.
  • Veterinary tools
  • Local trade and advertising signage

  A modest collection of

  • Office equipment

  Good sized collections of:

  • Material from the Stroud and Cordwells Breweries (Cainscross) and Niblets Mineral waters comprising tools, equipment, documents and trade literature, photographs, costume and many items from local public houses.
  • Glass and stoneware bottles relating to local dairies, breweries and mineral water suppliers. These number about 1000 and are certainly the largest and could be regarded as the Museum’s ‘single most impressive collection’ (Eveleigh, 1989).

  Agriculture

  The strongest aspect is the dairy equipment which includes a good range of material. There is a representative collection of farm hand tools and some associated material to illustrate aspects of agriculture and rural life, for example:

  • painted wooden name plaques for cow stalls
  • shepherds crooks, folding bar bells etc
  • cultivating hand tools: seed lips, rakes, hoes
  • harvesting hand tools: flails, hay knives etc

  Due to considerations of space and in recognition of the interests of the Cotswold Countryside Collection there are no large agricultural implements or machines.

  Industry

  The Stroud District area has an industrial and commercial past which is quite distinct from the rest of the County. The collections contain a few large industrial items, but are stronger in smaller scale material relating to local industries, notably the brewing industry and include occupational costume, photographs, trade samples etc. which could be interpreted effectively in a social history context. The material is not of sufficient range or scope to enable a history of technology approach to interpretation.

  The Stroud District contained several engineering companies of some eminence. Most of those close to Stroud began manufacturing textile machinery and later specialised in unusual branches of gas engineering, notably Wallers, whose products were known worldwide. At Dursley, R.A. Lister Ltd was established to manufacture agricultural and food industry machinery, later branching out into stationary engines for which their name is still internationally known. The museum’s small but extremely important collections provide a good representative picture of the local engineering industry. Of international importance are:

  • The Lewis cross-cutter c1815, the cloth napping machine which inspired the development of the lawnmower (L.65).
  • Budding lawnmowers and adjustable spanners, the products of the Phoenix Iron Foundry at Thrupp, The Museum also holds the associated patent documents.
  • The Lister high-speed milk separating machine
  • Casein based plastics manufactured by Erinoid Ltd and related photographs
  • Dursley Pedersen bicycles (1969.73, 1976.172, SW.217 (frame only)).
  • Danarm chain saws and related literature
  • Large photographic archives relating to the engineering companies Wallers and Daniels.

  The Stroud area was world famous for the production of West of England woollen cloth, billiard cloth and ‘scarlet’ for military uniforms. The Stroud Valleys contain abundant reminders in the shape of mills, many of which have been converted for other purposes. The textile industry is well-represented in the collections. A variety of material has been collected by the museum including fulling stocks, a Scottish fly shuttle hand loom (L.43), the Lewis Cross-cutter, a large number of pattern books, cloth sample cards, bale seals, a small number of tools including bale skewers (1969.59), photographs etc.

  A Collection of oral history tapes made by anthropologist Dr Jacqueline Sarsby is significant because the opportunities for obtaining first hand accounts are diminishing.

  The Museum does not collect large textile machinery. This forms the majority of the collection of the Stroudwater Textile Trust. The two collections are complementary.

  Fine Art & Decorative Arts

  Together fine and decorative art account for approximately 5% of the total collections, the two designations are almost equally split with approximately 52% being decorative art and 48% being fine art.

  Fine Art

  The fine art collection consists of paintings and drawings, prints, engravings and photographs. There are a few sculptures and other works.

  Several large topographical paintings are of local and regional significance:

  • Late 18th century View of Wallbridge (artist unknown) (1948.500)
  • View from Rodborough Fort, its gun emplacements occupy the foreground, the town in the distance and the fort itself depicted in a cartouche at the top left corner (1948.504)
  • A view of Stroud, by A.N. Smith. (1974.53)

  Portraits include a full length portrait in oils of Sir Paul Baghot of Lypiatt, Bisley, early 19th century, English School (1987.363).

  There are several interesting local inn signboards, including The Adam & Eve, The Clothiers Arms and the Blue Boys Inn.

  Numerically the largest element are watercolours, pencil & chalk drawings by the local 20th century artist Miss J. West. There are also works – again predominantly watercolours – by other local artists (e.g. the Misses Stanton and Ferrabee). Engravings of works by members of the Smith family also feature significantly. There is at least one good group of botanical watercolours.

  Recent acquisitions include a large bronze and other works by local sculptor Alan Thornhill.

  Decorative Arts

  They include British and foreign ceramics, glass, and metalwork (woodwork, furniture, costume, textiles, clocks, musical instruments, toys and dolls are classified elsewhere). The collection is not comprehensive. There is no complete, or near complete, historical series of any type of object represented and, with the exception of the Wathen bequest, no large and distinct personal collection. There are, however, a significant number of rare and fine specimens.

  Other than an unfinished William Rothenstein sketch and the illuminated address presented to Charles Holbrow on the completion of Stroud School of Art (& Museum), Lansdown (3589), there are no objects or records connected with the Arts & Crafts movement in the Stroud area.

  Ceramics

  There are several distinct groups of ceramics in the collection:

  • Rural pottery from Winchcombe, Prinknash, Cranham and other local potteries. Within this category are some examples of work by Michael Cardew, Bernard Leach, K. Pleydell-Bouverie
  • The Rev. Huckett collection of around 300 pieces of Prinknash pottery, many hand-thrown and dating to the earliest phase of manufacture at the Abbey.
  • A fair number of pieces, especially tea services especially from British makers: Worcester, Wedgewood, Coalport, Crown Derby, Royal Doulton, Spode, Minton, Bristol, Leeds, Staffordshire, Lambeth, Lowestoft, Poole; Swansea
  • A few excellent examples of slipware and Delft (tin-glazed earthenware tiles, a posset pot and an Adam & Eve Charger)
  • Creamware, hard and soft paste porcelain, lustreware including 5 early dated pieces which ‘could be considered of national significance’ (Carruthers, 1989).
  • Several good sets of children’s and dolls china, including a dinner service of 29 pieces (1977.101)
  • A few items are specifically associated with the Stroud area, including a ‘Barge’ teapot ‘of 1890’ (1974.277) and a creamware jug ‘Tho.Sims Stroudwater 1801 (3482). There is a reasonable range of sanitary ware including wash sets, toilet pans and pedestals, toothbrush holders etc.
  • Coronation and commemorative wares, several produced in response to local events
  • Oriental ceramics, mainly of export wares: Ming, Nanking (approximately 60 pieces from the Wathen bequest), Chi’en Lung; and a fine Ting ware bowl of the Sung Dynasty (960-1279 AD) (1948.27)

  Glass

  There is a small collection of 19th century coloured glass, including pieces made at Nailsea (a bell, walking sticks, rolling pin etc.), also cruets and decanters in green glass with meander border in gold leaf. There are good examples of wine bottles from the 17th century onwards and some 18th century tableware (custard glasses (CM.1-2), stirrup cup, cordial glass). Of considerable local interest are glass items (2100) made by Powells of Whitefriars as reproductions of 17th century glass found at Woodchester Glassworks.

  Numismatics

  Coins, medals and tokens form about 6% of the collections.

  They range from the Iron Age to the 20th century. The collection has grown up through gifts of single coins and bequests of private collections from Mr J. Francillon, Mr S. Marling, Mr G. Wenman FRIBA, Mr D.J. Bird, Dr H.W. Hills, Mr B. Gardner, Mr R. Hale, Mrs Caruthers-Little, Mr G.H. Pavey-Smith, Mr P. Woodland and the former Curator, Mr S.D. Scott.

  The particular strengths are Roman Imperial coins, English Regal coinage from the late Saxon period onwards, English trade tokens and checks of the 17th-19th centuries and coins from the Ashbrook Hoard of James I. There are no major hoards.

  There are approximately 220 medals and medallions comprising:

  • Wartime service medals belonging to local people.
  • Medals awarded as prizes for 19th century international trade exhibitions at London, Paris, Chicago and Melbourne.
  • Medals commemorating famous people, events and royal occasions.

  World Cultures

  There are a small number of objects from other cultures, deriving from collections of curios & memorabilia, rather than systematic anthropological field work. These include, for example, a rhino skin shield from Somalia and a 4 legged African stool (1956.1), both from the Marling collection. In total objects from other cultures comprise less than 1% of the collection.

  Library

  Printed & manuscript materials of historic importance are accessioned as collection objects. In addition the museum has a library of approximately 3500 books, journals & similar items. This is used to research and manage the collections, respond to enquiries, develop displays, learning resources and other public services. The approximate percentage of holdings by classification is as follows:

  • Geology 8%
  • Natural History 6%
  • Archaeology 20%
  • Social history & local studies 20%
  • Fine & decorative arts 1%
  • Coins, tokens & medals 1%
  • World cultures 0%
  • Museum studies & general reference 22%
  • Other incl architecture and fiction 22%

  Source: Collection development policy

  Date: 2019

  Licence: CC BY-NC