Photographer updates

Post Cards

Updates, in most cases involving new CDV images, have been made to the following Victorian or Edwardian Photographers, to help with dating examples of their work.

Atherstane Basebe of Hertford, Hemel Hempstead and Watford
Misses M & A Austin of St Albans
Thomas Milburn Cooper of St Albans
Fred Downer of Watford
Thomas Benwell Latchmore of Hitchin
William Norman of Royston
Samuel Glendenning Payne of Aylesbury, Thame and Tring

An interesting Cash Book from circa 1877-1887

George Austin's Cash Book

Rickmansworth

I recently noted that some interesting ephemera linked to Solesbridge Paper Mill, Rickmansworth was appearing in dribs and drabs on ebay and decided to purchase a small cash book to see what was going on, so that as much of the relevant history as possible could be saved.

Ephemera

The book was owned by the Mill owner, George Austin and in early 1877 it was used to record payments to customers (presumably for paper products) and his two biggest customers were the printers of the Hemel Hempstead Gazette and the Watford Observer. However from 1878 to 1887 it was used to record how much money his son Herbert James Austin had loaned the business, (by not taking his weekly wages) and how much Herbert had drawn back for essential purchases. The payments stopped when Herbert was married, and it was only in 1887 that George gave Herbert as promissory note for the remaining balance - which was never cashed as George went bankrupt.

For a list of George's customers in and around Hertfordshire, and some of the ways Herbert spent his money see  George Austin's Cash Book.

Report on July activities -and some quickie reports

The original plan was that I took the month quietly but there were 29 posts and over 5900 visitor views on this newsletter, and over 22,000 to the main web site. The real problem was that I spent too much time on the site, and with holiday breaks, etc., other matters got neglected. In the next few days I will posting provisional plans for the future of the site.

Quickie Reports of  Recent Correspondence and Updates.

Thomas MARRYAT, Barnet, 1760 & "A Happy Child"

Last year I was asked about the origins of an 18th century song which turned up in America and which had a specific reference to Barnet. Paul has written to say that when Thomas Marryat was in America between 1760 and 1766 he could not have met the Geyer family in Boston. I have contacted the original enquirer, Caroline, and reviewed what we know and where further evidence might turn up.

Hatfield Local History Society Publications

I have updated the contact information for people wanting to buy any of these publications.

Apsley Football Club

Anthony Taylor has provided some additioina information

AUSTIN, Berkhamsted, mid 19th century

Audrey asked about the shop occupied by Joseph Austin (a butcher) in the 1851 census - and also about records of the location of contemporary graves in Berkhamsted. I am only able to give limited advice - can anyone else help her?

Old Hertfordshire Recipies: Dunstable Larks

Anthony Carter pointed out that my original illustration was the wrong species - and I have replaced it with a more relevant picture.

An Unusual Uniform - So what did this man do for a living?

Jon suggests that the badge could represent the letters SGC and wondered if this could be the uniform of people who worked for the St Albans Gas Company. Can anyone verify this - or come up with an alternative suggestion?

A Wig-making Factory in St Albans in the 1930s

Brenda emailed me with some more information and I have added her note as a comment.

Name Variants in Find My Past

The latest edition of the Lost Cousins newsletter contains an article about the problems of searching for people with multiple given names which you might find interesting. Every online site has its searching idiosyncrasies and it is important to find out what they are.  .

More High Resolution Post Card Images

Post Cards

Over the last few weeks I have been adding additional post cards to the web site and updating information about others.

• I have collected some more data on cards by the school photographer Percy Buchanan, including a card of Queenswood School which may well have been taken by him circa 1904 when he was working for the Photo Tourists Association.

Ickleford

• A Frith post card of Ickleford posted in 1939 has a number suggesting it was taken in 1902 - but the image is the same as one published circa 1906 by Blum & Degan - suggesting some business arrangement between the firms. - But what?
• I have posted an attractive view of Watford High Street, by Hartmann, published circa 1903.
• I have posted two additional "Children" cards by the Misses M & A Austin of St Albans



High Leigh House

• I have posted a view of the North Front of High Leigh House, Hoddesdon, (no publisher identified) with an interesting frank mark advertising the use of telephones.

• The post card of Ludgrove School, Handley Common  is now known to have been in circulation in 1910 - so cannot be later.
• I have recorded that the post card of Aston village with two girls was also issued in a tinted form.

Click here to see all recent post card images.

Misses M & A Austin, St Albans Photographers

Herts Photographers

"An Elf"

I regularly monitor ebay for interesting Hertfordshire pictures to use on this web site. I had naturally concentrated on views and as a result I have missed out on two St Albans Photographers, Miss Mary Elizabeth Austin, and her sister Miss Amy Caroline Austin, of 75 Holywell Hill. [More Information]

"A Night Harbinger"

It is clear that they concentrated on art photograph post cards, particularly of children and cats, and it is likely that the two faces shown here, of child models they used, are of children who lived in St Albans in the early years of the twentieth century. It would be lovely to identify some of their models!

In addition to the art photographs the St Albans Museums have two pictures of the St Albans Fire Brigade (one with an award they won in 1903) and post card of a lady dresses up for the 1907 pagent.