The Laundry at West Hill, 1824
After clothes had been washed in the wash house, they came to the Laundry, where the large fire and ‘Ironing Stove’ were used to dry and iron clothes. A sixteen foot ironing board was kept in the laundry, ...
‘Necessary Repairs Wanting at West Hill’
The Sutherland Papers contain a number of papers relating to various aspects of life at West Hill between 1825 and 1833. Amongst these papers is a document listing repairs which were needed at West Hill, ...
A Healthy Household: Surgeon's Expenses at West Hill
Amongst the vouchers and accounts for expenditure at West Hill is a huge document issued to the second Duke of Sutherland, George Granville Leveson-Gower (1786-1861) by Charles Shillito who was a surgeon ...
Benjamin Wyatt’s Correspondence
Amongst papers relating to Stafford House are a large number of letters written to George Granville Sutherland-Leveson-Gower (1786-1861), the second Duke of Sutherland, by Benjamin Wyatt, the architect ...
Cliveden 1849-1868
Cliveden in Buckinghamshire was owned by the second Duke of Sutherland, George Granville Sutherland-Leveson-Gower (1786-1861) and his wife Harriet, Duchess of Sutherland (1806-1868) for almost twenty ...
Designing the Interiors of Stafford House
The image above shows an extract from a document entitled ‘Queries to be submitted to the Marquis of Stafford relative to the completion of York House’. The document details work which was outstanding ...
Expenditure on Stafford House
The document above is a ‘Statement of Payments & Estimate for Stafford House’ which was made in November 1837. The document tells us about the people and money involved in the completion of Stafford House ...
Expenditure on the State Rooms at Stafford House
The document above is entitled ‘Statement of Payments on Account of the Estimate of £50,000 to finish Stafford House State Rooms from 1st January 1834 to August 1837’. The document provides details about ...
From Melrose Hall to West Hill, 1824
The Sutherland Collection includes the ‘particulars and conditions of sale’ for ‘that distinguished freehold estate’ called ‘Melrose Hall’. Melrose Hall was situated at West Hill, Wandsworth, ‘only six ...
From York to Stafford: Negotiating the Lease of York House
Work began on Stafford House in 1825 when the Duke of York commissioned a property which he intended to call York House. However, when the Duke of York died in 1827, the freehold lease of the property ...
George Devey (1820-1886)
George Devey is perhaps a less well-known architect when he is considered alongside men like Sir Charles Barry (1795-1860). However, Devey was an influential architect of domestic buildings during the ...
James Trubshaw (1777-1853)
Local builder and engineer James Trubshaw was born in Colwich in 1777. Best known for his work on the Grosvenor Bridge over the River Dee in Chester, Trubshaw also worked on the Wolseley Bridge in Staffordshire.
Trubshaw ...
Lady Stafford’s Bedroom
Unlike the elaborately decorated reception rooms, Lady Stafford’s bedroom at West Hill was surprisingly modest. Her private chamber housed a stove, ‘an outside canvas sun shade’ and ‘four Japanned rosewood ...
Life on the Trentham Estate: Local Tradesmen and Trentham Hall
Documents relating to life on the Trentham estate include accounts made by local tradesmen, such as butchers and grocers. In September 1776 ‘William Plant’, a miller from Trentham sent proposals to provide ...
Life on the Trentham Estate: Much Ado About Nothing
Amongst correspondence relating to life on the Trentham Estate is an intriguing letter sent to Lord Gower by a man named Richard Walklate. Richard’s letter tells us about his personal history and customs ...
Life on the Trentham Estate: Plate at Trentham Hall, 1793-1799
In 1793 agents at the Estate Office at Trentham Hall produced an inventory of plate at the Hall. The document, shown above, is annotated with writing which indicates that the inventory was correct in ...
Life on the Trentham Estate: The Stables at Trentham Hall, 1778
Papers relating to life at Trentham Hall include many documents telling us about the architectural design and layout of the Hall and its outbuildings during the late eighteenth century. The document above ...
Life on the Trentham Estate: The Steward’s Room at Trentham Hall
In 1779 renovations were made to the Steward’s accommodation at Trentham Hall. The document featured above outlines proposals for a new Steward’s room at the Hall, complaining that the present room was ...