This small red book is embossed in gold lettering on the front “Sale of Mr T Evans’s Stud of Horses Aug 9,1833”. It seems to have been used by Thomas Evans for a large part of his life as an account book. In the early years he would have been still living at Pendeford Hall but latterly he moved to Gunstone House or Gunstone Hall (both appear).
It contains four or five pages of horses bought and sold in the 1830’s in the first section of the book. The date 1833 probably marks a watershed in the history of the coaching business as the spectre of the railways was clearly going to make a significant impact. After that date Thomas’s agricultural interests would appear to diversify.
After 1840 he uses the book as a general ledger for some of his accounts, with particular customers. The 1850’s entries are accounts of general trade in livestock and feedstuffs.
There are two pages that list the content of his wine cellar and the cost of various bottles by the dozen and casks. It is mainly Port and Sherry, but also Madeira and Claret, some of it over ten years old.
He also lists the ‘Silver Plate’ in his possession in 1841. This does not appear to be directly connected with the silver (hallmarked in the 1820’s) that belonged to his brother at Pendeford Hall, although it may be a lost subset of a larger Pendeford Hall collection of his father who died in 1841.
Over time with entries after 1851 the copper plate handwriting is replaced by scrawly writing and the livestock are mainly sheep, cows and pigs.
The book shows Thomas to have dealings with J Hellier, presumably James Shaw-Hellier, Jnr, his brother-in-law. He also deals with his brother Richard Evans on at least two occasions. In total, it names about thirty individuals with whom he traded with, as well as the names of horses and their pedigree.
Some more detailed photos of particular pages will be added here later.
List of Horses sold by Thomas Evans in 1833