Miscellaneous documents
Reference: D/X 1307 Catalogue Title: Miscellaneous documents Area: Catalogue Category: Other Records Description: John Robert Watson of Stanley and Annfield Plain, saddlery, garage and hardware business
Covering Dates: 1909-1942
Related Information
Catalogue Index
Use 
and 
to reveal/hide the structure of the catalogue index (requires Javascript to be enabled in your internet browser options). Click to jump directly to information at a specific level of the catalogue.
- Miscellaneous documents
Catalogue Description
Records of J. R. Watson of Stanley and Annfield Plain, saddlers and garage owners, given15 February 2001 Acc: 2733(D)
20 March 2001 Acc: 2738(D)
Papers of John Robert Watson (died 1942)
John Robert Watson opened his saddlery and hardware shop at 16 Front Street, Stanley, in 1896. The shop continued on Front Street until 1930, when it moved to Beamish Street, where Watson had started a motor garage before 1922. The business had contracts to supply and maintain the harnesses of the pit ponies which worked in the local collieries. The garage was sold in 1961 and the shop closed as a saddlery and hardware shop in 1965/66.
The family also had a saddlery shop at Annfield Plan which started between 1902 and 1910 and ceased between 1921 and 1925.
John Watson was interested in model-making, especially trains and pit winding engines, and was a member of the West Stanley Campers group which met in the attic of the Front Street shop.
John Watson married Mary Ann Harland, referred to in his diaries as 'Mrs. W.', who died in 1940, and they had three children, Ernest, 'Ernie', 1896 - 1960; Sarah Ann, 'Sadie', 1901 - 1982; and Freda, 1911 - 2000.
Catalogue Contents
Financial records (Ref: D/X 1307/1-10)Ref: D/X 1307/1
Day book listing accounts rendered at the Annfield Plain shop, 17 June 1913 - 19 February 1917
(1 volume, leather half-bound)
Ref: D/X 1307/2Analysis book of income and expenditure for the Stanley saddlery and garage, 2 January 1922 - 31 December 1929
(1 volume, cloth quarter-bound)
Ref: D/X 1307/3Analysis book of income and expenditure for the Stanley saddlery and garage, 2 January 1930 - 31 December 1937
(1 volume, cloth quarter-bound)
Ref: D/X 1307/4Sales book for the Stanley saddlery and garage, 2 January 1935 - 31 December 1935
(1 volume, unbound)
Ref: D/X 1307/5Sales book for the Stanley saddlery and garage, 1 January 1936 - 31 December 1936
(1 volume, unbound)
Ref: D/X 1307/6Sales book for the Stanley saddlery and garage, 2 January 1937 - 31 December 1937
(1 volume, unbound)
Ref: D/X 1307/7Sales book for the Stanley saddlery and garage, 3 January 1938 - 31 December 1938
(1 volume, unbound)
Ref: D/X 1307/8Sales book for the Stanley saddlery and garage, 2 January 1939 - 30 December 1939
(1 volume, unbound)
Ref: D/X 1307/9Sales book for the Stanley saddlery and garage, 2 January 1940 - 31 December 1940
(1 volume, unbound)
Ref: D/X 1307/10Sales book for the Stanley saddlery and garage, 2 January 1941 - 31 December 1941
(1 volume, unbound)
Diaries kept by John Robert Watson (Ref: D/X 1307/11-36)Ref: D/X 1307/11Collins Commercial Diary for 1909, containing business, family and personal entries, 1 January 1909 - 31 December 1909
Includes: financial calculations on standard form pages at the front of the book
(1 volume, cloth quarter-bound)
Ref: D/X 1307/12Collins Commercial Diary for 1911, containing business, family and personal entries, 1 January 1911 - 31 December 1911
Includes: financial calculations on standard form pages at the front of the book
(1 volume, cloth quarter-bound)
Ref: D/X 1307/13Collins Commercial Diary for 1913, containing business, family and personal entries, 1 January 1913 - 31 December 1913
Includes: financial calculations on standard form pages at the front of the book
(1 volume, cloth quarter-bound)
Ref: D/X 1307/14T. J. & J. Smith's Large Quarto Manuscript Diary for 1914, containing business, family and personal entries, 1 January 1914 - 31 December 1914
Includes: financial calculations on standard form pages at the end of the book
(1 volume, cloth quarter-bound)
Ref: D/X 1307/15Lett's ¿ Rough Diary 1917, containing business, family and personal entries, 1 January 1917 - 31 December 1917
Includes: financial calculations on cash account pages at the end of the book
(1 volume, cloth quarter-bound)
Ref: D/X 1307/16Charles Lett's Popular Scribbling Diary for 1922, containing business, family and personal entries, 1 January 1922 - 31 January 1922
(1 volume, cloth quarter-bound)
Ref: D/X 1307/17Charles Lett's Popular Scribbling Diary for 1923, containing business, family and personal entries, 1 January 1923 - 31 December 1923
Includes: financial calculations on memoranda pages at the front of the book
(1 volume, cloth quarter-bound)
Ref: D/X 1307/18Charles Lett's Popular Scribbling Diary for 1924, containing business, family and personal entries, 1 January 1924 - 31 December 1924
Includes: financial calculations on memoranda pages at the front of the book
(1 volume, cloth quarter-bound)
Ref: D/X 1307/19Charles Lett's Popular Scribbling Diary for 1925, containing business, family and personal entries, 1 January 1925 - 31 December 1925
Includes: financial calculations on memoranda pages at the front of the book
(1 volume, cloth quarter-bound)
Ref: D/X 1307/20Charles Lett's Popular Scribbling Diary for 1926, containing business, family and personal entries, 1 January 1926 - 31 December 1926
Includes: financial calculations on memoranda pages at the front of the book
(1 volume, cloth quarter-bound)
Ref: D/X 1307/21Charles Lett's Popular Scribbling Diary for 1927, containing business, family and personal entries, 1 January 1927 - 31 December 1927
Includes: financial calculations on memoranda pages at the front of the book
(1 volume, cloth quarter-bound)
Ref: D/X 1307/22The Empire Diary for 1928, containing business, family and personal entries, 1 January 1928 - 31 December 1928
Includes: financial calculations on memoranda pages at the back of the book, and table layout plans for a Masonic dinner attached at the front of the book
(1 volume, cloth quarter-bound)
Ref: D/X 1307/23Charles Lett's Popular Scribbling Diary for 1929, containing business, family and personal entries, 1 January 1929 - 31 December 1929
Includes: financial calculations on memoranda pages at the front of the book, and balance sheet for a Masonic whist drive and dance, 1929, attached at the front of the book
(1 volume, cloth quarter-bound)
Ref: D/X 1307/24Charles Lett's Popular Scribbling Diary for 1930 containing business, family and personal entries, 1 January 1930 - 31 December 1930
Includes: financial calculations on memoranda pages at the front of the book
(1 volume, cloth quarter-bound)
Ref: D/X 1307/25Charles Lett's Popular Scribbling Diary for 1931 containing business, family and personal entries, 1 January 1931 - 31 December 1931
Includes: financial calculations on memoranda pages at the front of the book
(1 volume, cloth quarter-bound)
Ref: D/X 1307/26Charles Lett's Popular Scribbling Diary for 1932, containing business, family and personal entries, 1 January 1932 - 31 December 1932
Includes: financial calculations on memoranda pages at the front of the book
(1 volume, cloth quarter-bound)
Ref: D/X 1307/27Charles Lett's Popular Scribbling Diary for 1933, containing business, family and personal entries, 1 January 1933 - 31 December 1933
Includes: financial calculations on memoranda pages at the front of the book
(1 volume, cloth quarter-bound)
Ref: D/X 1307/28Charles Lett's Popular Scribbling Diary for 1934, containing business, family and personal entries, 1 January 1934 - 31 December 1934
Includes: financial calculations on memoranda pages at the front of the book
(1 volume, cloth quarter-bound)
Ref: D/X 1307/29Charles Lett's Popular Scribbling Diary for 1935, containing business, family and personal entries, 1 January 1935 - 31 December 1935
Includes: financial calculations on memoranda pages at the front of the book, and financial statements for the Coronation Masonic Lodge and the John George Gibson Masonic Chapter attached at the back of the book
(1 volume, cloth quarter-bound)
Ref: D/X 1307/30Charles Lett's Popular Scribbling Diary for 1936, containing business, family and personal entries, 1 January 1936 - 31 December 1936
Includes: financial calculations on memoranda pages at the front of the book, and financial statements for the Coronation Masonic Lodge and the John George Gibson Masonic Chapter attached at the back of the book
(1 volume, cloth quarter-bound)
Ref: D/X 1307/31Charles Lett's Popular Scribbling Diary for 1937, containing business, family and personal entries, 1 January 1937 - 31 December 1937
Includes: financial calculations on memoranda pages at the front of the book; and financial statements for the Coronation Masonic Lodge and the John George Gibson Masonic Chapter, and personal income tax returns attached at back of book
(1 volume, cloth quarter-bound)
Ref: D/X 1307/32Charles Lett's Popular Scribbling Diary for 1938, containing business, family and personal entries, 1 January 1938 - 31 December 1938
Includes: financial calculations on memoranda pages at the front of the book, and balance sheet for the Coronation Masonic Lodge attached at the back of the book
(1 volume, cloth quarter-bound)
Ref: D/X 1307/33Charles Lett's Popular Scribbling Diary for 1939, containing business, family and personal entries, 1 January 1939 - 31 December 1939
Includes: financial calculations on memoranda pages at the front of the book
(1 volume, cloth quarter-bound)
Ref: D/X 1307/34Charles Lett's Popular Scribbling Diary for 1940, containing business, family and personal entries, 1 January 1940 - 31 December 1940
Includes: financial calculations on memoranda pages at the front of the book
(1 volume, cloth quarter-bound)
Ref: D/X 1307/35Charles Lett's Popular Scribbling Diary for 1941, containing business, family and personal entries, 1 January 1940 - 31 December 1940
Includes: financial calculations on memoranda pages at the front of the book
(1 volume, cloth quarter-bound)
Ref: D/X 1307/36Charles Lett's Popular Scribbling Diary for 1942, containing business, family and personal entries, 1 January 1942 - 25 February 1942
Includes: financial calculations on memoranda pages at the front of the book
(1 volume, cloth quarter-bound)
Business and personal papers (Ref: D/X 1307/37-42)Ref: D/X 1307/37Note of property valuations, typed on J. R. Watson's headed notepaper, n.d. [c. 1925]
Originally enclosed in D/X1307/19
(1 paper)
Ref: D/X 1307/38Order of procession and form of ceremony at the laying of the foundation stone of the Coronation Masonic Temple, West Stanley, 6 October 1926
(1 booklet, printed)
Ref: D/X 1307/39'Realism in Miniature: The Art of the Model Maker' from Town and Country News, 23 August 1935
Article on John R. Watson's model making
(1 paper, printed)
Ref: D/X 1307/40Letter of condolence to John R. Watson on the death of Mary Ann Watson, from Tom Abbott, Stanley, 21 January 1940
(1 paper, typescript)
Ref: D/X 1307/41Photograph of West Stanley Campers in 1926, reproduced in the Evening Chronicle, 20 February 1995
John R. Watson is the sixth figure from the right
(1 paper, printed)
Ref: D/X 1307/42Photocopies of two photographs of Fairview Garage and two photographs of the hardware shop, both in Beamish Street, Stanley, n.d.
(1 paper)
