Description:There are hundreds of documents in the Sutherland Papers that tell us about the important philanthropic role of the Leveson-Gower family in Staffordshire. Amongst gifts of land for public use and records of charitable donations are a number of Lodge Porter's books from Trentham Hall.
The Lodge Porter at Trentham Hall had numerous responsibilities including security patrols and recording the names of people who went in and came out of the hall overnight. The Lodge Porter was responsible for recording unusual activity which occurred after hours in and around the grounds of the Hall.
One of the Lodge Porter's most important responsibilties was overseeing the distribution of 'Bread & Beer' to the 'travelling poor' who came by Trentham Hall when the family was in residence.
The Lodge Porter's Book records that Porters had to distribute the bread and beer 'conscientiously' and only for a 'charitable purpose'.
Click on the images on the left to find out more about what we can learn from the Lodge Porter's books.