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Documents from the Archives of William Brown & Co Auctioneer & Land Surveyor, High Street, Tring |
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Documents from the Archives of William Brown & Co Auctioneer & Land Surveyor, High Street, Tring |
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The records of estate agents and solicitors can be a very valuable source of local history, linked to individual properties and y local people. Extensive information about some documents from the office of William Brown not only provide a valuable sourse of information about the Tring area, but also demonstrate the kinds of information that may sometimes be available. |
In 2007 a number of historically important documents, which must have come from the archives of Brown & Merry, of Tring, appeared for sale on ebay. Several volumes were acquired for the Tring and District Local History & Museum Society, and details are given here.
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The most important was a Client Account General Ledger for the period 1851-1860. This includes details of work done for a wide range of customers, from valuations for probate through to estate management for Tring Park, and provides a lot of valuable information on what was going on in the area at the time. As a result there are many references to people and places in both Hertfordshire and nearby Buckinghamshire. The ledger is Volume "C" and the location of earlier and later volumes is not known, assuming they have survived. All 283 folios are reproduced on this site, as is the manuscript index and they may be accessed via the calendar. I am in the process of expanding the Calendar to include all personal and place names, and also preparing detailed reports on particular topics. So far these are:
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A series of minute books for the Tring Agricultural Association were purchased covering the period 1853 to 1884. (Later volumes going to an unknown buyer.)
The completeness of the record varies from year to year, but for some years there will be minutes, details of the classes for the Tring Agricultural Show, including lists of entrants and winners, and a list of members of the Association.
Tring Agricultural Association - 1853-1861 (Summary, plus selective pages reproduced and in some cases transcribed and/or indexed) Tring Agricultural Association - 1868-1876 (Summary Only) Tring Agricultural Association - 1876-1882 (Summary plus transcript of one set of minutes) Tring Agricultural Association - 1883-1884 (Summary plus three sample pages) |
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Several maps were purchased on ebay (separated from any relevant documentation). For an example see
A visit to the store of the Dacorum Heritage Trust shows that they hold many other 19th and early 20th century documents, including maps, relating to William Brown and the Tring Agricultural Show. An initial survey covers additional documents held in the Beds, Bucks and Herts Records Offices. |
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| December 2010 | Page created |
