The blog for the Borthwick Institute for Archives at the University of York.
Written by Neil Adams, Archives Assistant ‘Not a dry eye was to be seen, and the dreadful shrieks and sobs of the bereaved widows and the fatherless, in passing the habitations of the sufferers, were such, as to beggar all description – truly it was the scene of desolation’ (Yorkshire Gazette) Shortly after one in … Continue reading The Stillingfleet Tragedy
Written by Alexandra Medcalf, Project Archivist for the Yorkshire Historic Dictionary Interactions between Scotland and Yorkshire were clearly, from the surviving terms in the dictionary, many and common-place. Those words which explicitly reference Scotland seem mostly to do with trade between the two areas, as Scottish men brought wares down from their home country to … Continue reading For Burn’s Night, Scotland in Yorkshire
The author of this blog is anonymous Walking through the strongrooms within the Borthwick, you never know quite what you will find. There is a Crown of Thorns, an ostrich egg, and a box simply labelled ‘Hair cuttings (family).’ So I was not surprised to learn that within the archive of the Wood family (later … Continue reading Food in the Archives
The author of this blog is anonymous This is the sixth in a series of blog posts celebrating the Retreat archive as we publicise the availability of the digitised archive. As we have worked on this digitisation project there have been many items that have caught our eye along the way. In this blog post, … Continue reading Eyewitnesses to History in the Retreat Archive
Written by Graham Hughes, Archives Assistant. Anyone attending the Great Industrial Exhibition in London in 1862 could have been forgiven for passing by the sight of two circular blocks of glass, 26 inches in diameter and two inches thick, standing on their edges being displayed by Messrs Chance of Birmingham. Impressive though they were these … Continue reading The World’s Largest Telescope
Written by Sally-Anne Shearn, Genesis Project Archivist Recently I added the archive of the Unitarian Chapel on St Saviourgate, York, to our online catalogue Borthcat. I knew next to nothing about the chapel or the archive when I began, not even that it was the oldest surviving non-conformist place of worship in the city, dating … Continue reading 5 Things: The St Saviourgate Unitarian Chapel, York
Written by Jane Rowling, Retreat Digitisation Assistant This is the first in a series of blog posts celebrating the Retreat digitisation project as it nears completion. Over the last two and half years, staff at the Borthwick have been working through the Retreat archive, updating the catalogue, preparing the documents for digitisation, carrying out conservation … Continue reading Spotlight on the Retreat Archive: A Window on the 19th Century Pharmacist
Written by Sally-Anne Shearn, Genesis Project Archivist, with thanks to Major Graeme Green of the York Army Museum for his invaluable help and advice. In 1860 Major Alexander Elliot exhibited a new painting in London. Entitled ‘The Charge of the Heavy Brigade, Balaklava, Ukraine’, it commemorated a remarkable but often overlooked action of the Crimean … Continue reading ‘Scarlett’s Three Hundred’: The Charge of the Heavy Brigade at the Battle of Balaclava
Written by Gaby Davies, Borthwick Summer Intern (and York history student). Whilst looking through the York Medical Society records, it was interesting to find the York County Hospital ‘Wines and Spirits book’ 1861-1865. The pages contain lists of names of doctors, rooms and incidents, and the corresponding number of servings of port, sherry, brandy or … Continue reading Just what the Doctor ordered?
Written by Gary Brannan, Access Archivist Saturday 19th and Monday 21st September 2015 will see us undertake one of our yearly highlights – the annual University Open Day. Aimed primarily at students thinking of applying to study here in the near future, Open Day provides us with an opportunity to show off some of the … Continue reading Treasures on display: York University Open Day displays, 19th and 21st September