DAYS GONE BY: St Neots man left warming pan in his will

Although the museum only collects items with a local connection, the collections are growing and need to be carefully stored to keep them safe for future generations.

Over the last 200 years, society has lived through an amazing consumer revolution and the number of items that people own has grown dramatically, hence there are far more items for museums to collect and store.

Recent donations have included: local guide books, photographs, ice skates, tools, toys and clothing.

Workers at Bellamy Brothers in St Neots in 1937. (Image: ST NEOTS MUSEUM)

Evidence of the small number of possessions even quite wealthy local families possessed in the 1600s was uncovered by local historian, Bert Goodwin, who transcribed many local wills, including that of William Wye of St Neots written in 1614.

In his will William leaves ‘one cupboard, one bedstead, one chaire, one warming pann and one pestill and morter’ to another family member.

The fact that he mentions these items in his will suggests they were important family items, even though he was a well-off man who left possessions valued at £321.00 when he died in 1615.

It would probably have been the wooden cupboard or a locked chest in which he would have stored any important possessions.

Once museum items have been given their own unique number they need good storage conditions.

Like precious family possessions they need to be kept in a dark, cool, dry place, because sunlight can dramatically fade items and a damp environment can led to destructive mould growth.

As long as all the items in the museum’s collection are stored safely we can continue to share the stories they tell with both local and not so local audiences.

Recently we had an email from a woman in Staploe who now lives in New Hampshire, USA, so we know that the museum’s collections are keeping the stories of the town alive across the globe.