The annual National Archives “Explore Your Archive” campaign from 14-22 November helps archives to promote their services and collections, and encourages people to visit archives for research or general interest. We would like to encourage all mill researchers to visit our Archive and Reading Room in Reading, just like Graham Allen did when he visited us last week.
Graham was researching the Giffords who were millers in Hampshire and Dorset for over 200 years. He had contacted us a few weeks before asking whether we had any more information about this family or the mills in which they worked. We encouraged him to visit as we have a lot of information on Hampshire and Dorset mills but only a small percentage has been catalogued in detail.
Archives have far more material available in their strong rooms than can ever be catalogued thoroughly. The Mills Archive is no exception. Only some of our Archive collections have been catalogued or listed to item level; many catalogue records simply record that we have a file or a folder of material. So there is much to be discovered, as Graham found to his delight.
Graham joined as a Friend before he came on his visit, so he could ask us to do one hour’s preparatory research for him to find the material that would be particularly relevant amongst the vast amount of material we have on Hampshire and Dorset. We were able to find more material on the mills he was interested in, as well as getting out the best archival material on the mills of Hampshire and Dorset in general.
Graham sat to do his research in the Library and Reading Room which is light and airy. Our professional staff were on hand to answer any questions and find other resources that could help him in his research. As a Friend, he was able to freely photograph some of the material such as maps and sketched drawings.
The Library is broader in scope and reflect the wider interests of the Archive collectors. Whilst it contains a copy of most mill books and journals, there is plenty of background reading on a wide range of topics, including social history and the industries or manufacturing processes that were powered by mills.
During the day, Graham discovered why many of his millers were also spinners and weavers. They diversified to survive lean times, taking advantage of the growing prosperity and business opportunities available in the developing woollen and cotton industries in the area. The Giffords seemed to be particularly involved in flax milling which will be an area to research next time Graham visits us.
We welcome Graham as a new Friend and thank him for supporting us. His research into his milling ancestors that began as family history, is part of the growing interest in the social and economic history of mills and milling. As a result of visiting the Mills Archive, he found out more about the lives and occupations of the Gifford millers, the history of the mills they occupied, and their links with other local industries in Hampshire and Dorset.
We were delighted to meet Graham and would like to thank him for agreeing to be the subject of this blog. Little did he realise that the slogan on his sweatshirt would be so apt that day, “Never stop exploring…”
