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Consists of six handwritten note books of household accounts 1976 - 90, four diaries 1983 - 86 and one ration book 1953 - 4. A cursory view of the collection does not appear to offer any insight or recollections into any major events of the time. Indeed the collection is on a very personal basis. There is little or no autobiographical detail mentioned beyond the fact that she lived in East Croydon and the everyday activities she relates in her diaries. Although there is some mention of a creche and Age Concern her involvement is not clear but her diaries give some insight into her liking for cats and that she attended church. The intrinsic value of this collection lies in its social comment especially with regard to the household accounts which offer a good and basic insight into the prices of a variety of everyday goods between the years 1976 and 1990. It is also testament that many people still shopped everyday.

The volume includes diary entries, lists of charitable subscriptions, weekly pensioners, Christmas gifts and copies of correspondence, mainly with friends and relatives.

The pages are numbered as folios, mostly in pencil, some have been written over in ink. Since the figures seem to match the writing , it is a fair assumption that they were written by the author, a fact which is further confirmed by the use of the folio numbers in the index at the back.

The volume appears to fall into fairly distinct sections; the first few pages are reflections, followed by folios 5 to 9 which refer to the Christmas gifts given by John Blake in 1830 and further entries of monetary gifts. He lists many gifts of meat, wine and money along with the names of the recipients and their role. There is mention of his gifts of food and money to the great alms house and the Elys Daveys alms houses [ folio 7]. Since such activities may not be recorded elswhere, it is of particular interest in that he lists the names of inmates to whom he gave alms.

From folio 8 there follows a series of diary/day entries beginning January 1 1831 until May 12 1832 [folio 29] in which he records personal events of note. The next section marked Private Correspondence begins February 7 1821 [folio 43] continuing until September 29 1835 [folio 80] and largely contains copies of correspondence both personal and business sent by John Blake. The volume also includes an original letter placed loosely inside addressed to John Blake from W Hexter? of Eton College dated 26 September 1841complete with seal. A further loose page, seemingly added much later, numbers the letters which total 42 most of which seem to be to a Henry Cummins.

The next part is entitled Soup making for the poor [folio 87] listing ingredients and costs, covering the period from December 12 1839 to January 5 1841and has all the appearance of yet another charitable activity that John Blake was involved in. Thereafter, follows a section entitled Miscellaneous Memoranda [folio 105] beginning in December 1820 written at intervals until December 1844 [folio 116]. Here John Blake recounts events of everyday life ranging from the death of an acquaintance and the cause [folio 114] to the purchase and subsequent sale of a horse after a bad fall [folio 114] This also includes a section marked Trusts I hold for deceased persons and survivors [folio 113] which covers the period 1832 to 1841.The final section entitled Annual Subscriptions begins at folio 120 covering the years 1820 to 1848 and includes mention of those subscriptions made to the Croydon Literary and Scientific Institution [folio 122]. The volume ends with a short index at the back.

Two further items worthy of particular note for their information and social comment are in the first instance, an account of a journey from London to Birmingham headed Journey to Birmingham by the Crown Prince Coach which leaves the Kings Arms Inn at Snow Hill at half past six am. The document lists names of places on route, along with time of arrival, distance from London, expenses and occasional remarks. The dates of the journey are verified on the reverse Birmingham journey. Left London May 20 1826 and act.d? on Tuesday the 23. The second is the note written on the inside front cover which reads 3 July/45 signed a paper against the Wandle Water Company Scheme M Wade latterly of ... A cursory view of the rest of the volume fails to offer any further explanation of this comment.

John Blakes charitable subscriptions are testament to his philanthropic activities. He appears to have been a man of some social standing living in reasonable comfort with three servants and from the contents of his letters and diary entries was often asked to assist friends and neighbours in an official capacity by acting as godfather [August 17 1832] [folio 77] , executor [April 1832] [folio 113] and trustee [April 1832 - September 1841] [folio 113]. Although many of the entries relate to personal events, John Blakes diary/commonplace book stands as a fair social comment on the time.

Notebook and photographs belonging to Mary Neville-Kaye, a teacher from Overbury School evacuated to Lee, near Ilfracoombe in Devon, 1940 - 1942.

Mainly arithmetic. Belonged to Leslie Robinson, of 20 Page Crescent, Croydon, who attended Selhurst Grammar School.

Members and Visitors attendance register, 1983 - 1994

Account book 1970 - 1994

Cash Books 1994 (3 vols)

Log books covering the period July 1942 until the post became inoperative in December 1944. Also included is much contemporary correspondence including a note signed from the staff on 30 December 1944 to commemorate their years of service under Mr Douglas. In addition There are three badges owned by Mr Douglas. Also included is a biography written by his son, Dr Roy Douglas

Letter on pre-printed note paper addressed to F.M.Roberts, Hon Sec of the CNHSS: I am so busy with books and correspondence that I cannot say anything about your Society, and I have quite forgotten that I was a member, but I have a recollection of attending the Annual Microscopical Meetings. It is certainly a new idea to have a Sociological148 Committee in a Local Nat. Hist. Society, and I hope it may do good. Yours very truly, Alfred R. Wallace. P.S. I left Croydon I think in 1880. ARW.

The letter is mounted on card with a note of explanation.

5 certificates for shorthand qualifications issued by the Society for the Encouragement of Arts, Manufactures and Commerce (at the County Polytechnic, Crodyon) and London Chamber of Commerce

Minute books of Sanctuary Pride of the Sea, no 4300 of the Ancient Order of Shepherds friendly society

Ledger of books issued 1902-1953; cash book 1902-1953 (with card detailing dates of Society meetings for 1788)

Financial records of J R Bex, builders and undertakers, of 23 Wyche Road, Croydon

Volume containing 3 terriers of the lands of the Archbishops of Canterbury as Lords of the Manor of Croydon, 1492/3; 1516/17; 1543; with related material and annotations.

There is some question about the date of the second terrier ('Warhams). The date is entered as 'ao Henr octavi viii; but there may have been an attempt to alter the 'viii to a 'iii. Both Quaritchs cataloguer and CG Paget believed this, and therefore dated the terrier to 1511-12; but it seems more likely that no alteration was intended, and the terrier is therefore dated here to 1516-17. The 1492-3 terrier (including the c1490 rental) and the 1516-17 terrier are on paper bearing the same watermark, and were presumably entered in the same original book, although they are in two different hands. The 1543 terrier has been bound in with them later, and the various indexes and the series of extracts from court rolls also appear to have been bound in at this later date.

The three terriers are surveys of the lands of the Archbishops of Canterbury in the parish of Croydon. None of the terriers include the town of Croydon, Croydon Park, or Croydon and Norwood Commons; and only that of 1543 includes the manor of Waddon. The name of the tenant, and the acreage, are given for each landholding. In 1492-3 the quit rent payable (a sum of money, in lieu of manorial services) is also given: quit rents are mainly of the order of two or three pence per acre. The arrangement of the 1492-3 terrier follows a rough perambulation around the parish. The 1516-17 terrier is arranged by 'Burrowes (borghs, or tithings), and brings together the holdings of each tenant within each borgh. The 1543 terrier closely follows that of 1492-3, but attempts to bring it up to date (not always successfully).

Contents:

f1 Terrier 1492 - 3

f26 An elder rental (arranged by tenants names) c.1490

f29 Index to field names in 1492-3 terrier

f30 Index to tenants names in c.1490 rental (2 copies)

f32 Extracts from court rolls, deeds etc (C13; 1467 - 1549)

f36 Terrier (Warhams) 1516-1517

f61 Terrier (Cranmers) 01 Jan 1543

f81 Single folio from later survey (1558 - 1590)

f88 Index o tennants names in 1543 terrier

f90 Summary of acreages held by Nicholas Heron/Herne

The text contains numerous annotationsin later sixteenth century hands, some dated to 1566.

Pages have been numbered in a ?sixteenth century hand, but inconsistently (perhaps on account of rebindings). Folios have been numbered in pencil in a twentieth century hand, and these are the numbers followed here.

Collection consists of minute books, annual reports, register of members, membership cards, gala programmes file and newspaper cuttings.

The collection consists of minute books for the various committees and miscellaneous documents relating to the Croydon Mothers and Infants Welfare Association. They are; Executive Committee Minutes [AR402/1] Convalescence Committee Minutes [AR402/2] Nursery Schools Committee Minutes [AR402/3] St Marys Maternity Hospital Committee Minutes [AR402/4] Baby Welcomes Committee Minutes [AR402/5] Home Helps Committee Minutes[AR402/6] and Hostel Committee Minutes [AR402/7]. In addition there are miscellaneous items [AR402/8] which include a Baby Week Sub-Committee Minute Book, several loose pages in a binder including memos and leaflets and a volume listing names and addresses for which the purpose is not clear.,

Waghorne and Miles, carriagebuilders: album of coats of arms, crests and monograms; with 63 additional stencils on loose slips of papers; used in carriage painting.

Three letters, eight gift tags, six greeting cards, three receipts, two delivery cards, one newspaper cutting and one telegram.

Club for women in the Services, opened 19 January 1943. Register of members 1943-46; album of photographs; loose photographs; 2 cuttings. 1 small box.

Plans, photographs and other papers of Croydon Foundry Ltd.

Letter: John Rendall of Coombe Lane, Croydon, to Mr Stodhart of 12 Regent Street, Pall Mall. Rendall was acting on behalf of a Mr Tidemarch, in a dispute apparently relating to the estate of the late Colonel Chisholm.

Letter: from Maria Mee Cooper to Fred, her son, while he was at school. The letter contains references to gifts from pupils to Mr (Alfred) Twentyman (a school proprietor); Addiscombe Races, prizes given by an Indian Prince to Addiscombe cadets and Cookes Gymnastic Performing Elephants in Croydon.

5 volumes of records of the Foxley Hatch-Reigate Turnpike Trust, 1 volume of the Gatton Lodge-Povey Cross Turnpike Trust, and 1 volume of the Surrey Sussex Turnpike Trust. Share books and Trustees declarations.

2 Fire Brigade Occurrence Books from No 6 Station, Broad Green. 1887-1896; 1903-1905

Notebook containing general information useful to Croydon Reference Library staff, compiled by Jenny Hierons (library trainee); mainly copied from training cards compiled by Peter Glover, Reference Librarian.