Fishing Shiel

Old paper catalogues often have miscellaneous sections. This is sometimes because the catalogue is a work in progress – the records have a proper place in the collection but it hasn’t been located yet. Or it might be the place where records are put that don’t quite fit the collection. Unfortunately, a miscellaneous category tends to hide rather than reveal what’s put there – whereas a meaningful title or class description facilitates discovery.

Plan of the water supply to Hide Hill 1835
B10/41 Miscellaneous Guild letters and papers

Waifs and strays

The new catalogue of the archives of the Borough of Berwick-upon-Tweed will not have miscellaneous sections – records will relate to the body that created them. This will make them more accessible and put them in the correct context.

Miscellaneous unreferenced record – Plan of proposed North Bells Fishing Shiel, 1895

First task

I have begun to check some of the boxes of miscellaneous records to estimate the scale of the job ahead. In the main, the miscellaneous records relate to the class they have been placed with but, at some point, bundles have split and become mixed up or pages have been detached from their volumes. In all cases the records are unlisted individually – so none of the documents depicted here, for example, can currently be easily found by using the handlist. A researcher would have to rely on the knowledge of the archivist or browse all miscellaneous records with a relevant date.

Corporation Mathematical School inventory 1804 (C15/1-98 Miscellaneous Papers) showing items handed over by Mr Rae to Mr Todd who had taken over as master of the Mathematical School. The Corporation Academy was completed in 1800 bringing into one place the separate schoolmasters that had taught at different rooms in the town. Only Freemen’s children were admitted. Initially each master reported directly to the Guild but in 1844 a Rector was appointed by the Town Council following research into how Edinburgh and Glasgow schools had been reformed (John Scott History of Berwick, 1888 p.407; Janet D. Cowe The Development of Education in Berwick -upon-Tweed to 1902, 2018 pp 83-95).

Unintentional curators

However, some bundles contain a medley of documents that don’t follow a particular time sequence but contain the sort of records that might be selected when writing a book or article. For example, references to a theatre in Hide Hill, a case of infanticide or a list of books at the Mathematical School. It is not that uncommon to find ad-hoc curation in collections given to Archives – someone will have already found them useful but forgot to note where they came from or did not understand the need to return them to their original place.

Part of a bundle of records relating to the investigation of a charge of infanticide against Margaret Dryden (C15/1-98 Miscellaneous Papers)

Authentication

Detaching a record from it’s original place in the archive not only makes it harder to find but can break the custodial chain that gives a record authenticity and a traceable provenance. It is the reason why archives are listed hierarchically and in such great detail. If they were not, it wouldn’t be too hard to slip in a fake deed or receipt or remove unique and valuable evidence.

How to prepare a prisoner for transportation by hulk to a penal colony 1814 (C15/1-98 Miscellaneous papers)

Licencing Hide Hill Theatre 1794 (C15/1-98 Miscellaneous papers )

John Robinson…man of mystery (C15/1-98 Miscellaneous papers)

A man of mystery, a clothing account and how to maintain a fire engine

The reluctant release of John Robinson, a man with a mysterious past as a ship-hopping vagrant, a list of green clothing purchased and instructions on how to maintain a fire engine are a few examples of miscellaneous items in the current handlist that must be correctly relocated.

Account for clothing (C15/1-98 Miscellaneous papers)

When the catalogue is complete it should be much easier to to find them and understand how they fit into the history of Berwick-upon-Tweed.