The Roy F Burrows Midland Collection Trust

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ITEMS OF INTEREST IN THE COLLECTION

When we originally posted this illustration of Crown Derby china on the website we were not sure of its use. It is some 18 inches high and subsequent research has established it is a "slop pail". In the days before en-suite facilities were the "norm" at all hotels wash stands were provided in the hotel bedrooms complete with a large bowl, water jug, soap dish etc. A slop pail was also provided into which was emptied the dirty water after washing for the maids to clear from the room afterwards.

The china bowls, jugs, pails etc were sold by the manufacturers in sets and the major hotels often commissioned their own designs. The Midland Grand was no exception and went one further. There is evidence that different designs were ordered for bedrooms on different floors - the most elaborate designs were provided for the most expensive rooms and the plainer, simpler designs sufficed for the cheaper rooms.

Chamber pots were also provided as part of a bedroom set and it is certain that the design employing gold leaf shown in this illustration would have been used on wash stand sets in the most expensive rooms at the the Midland Grand.

This is the last in a set of six books from the Distance Diagram Office of the Midland Railway which was part of the Estate Agent's Department. These are called "Signal Alteration Books" which is something of a misnomer in that they cover much more than "signal alterations". They are in fact, the original record books kept by the staff in the Distance Diagram Office of all changes to the track layouts affecting distances (which was virtually everything) and from which were made the official amendments (and re-issues) of the ubiquitous distance diagrams. They are therefore original source documents of some significance. They also contain much other related information. For example actual dates after the grouping when the Western Division of the LMS took over various engineering responsibilities for the former Midland lines in South Wales (and Herefordshire).

These six books are as follows:

No. 1 1890-1893	No. 2 1893-1898
No. 3 1898-1902	No. 4 1902-1907
No. 5 1907-1918	No. 6 1918-1928

These are now available for reference at the Study Centre.

A royal train timetable from the Victorian era and printed on silk . It gives details of two royal train journies on the Midland by Queen Victoria in 1849. The first from Normanton to Derby took place on 28 September and the second from Derby to Gloucester the following day. Almost certainly the Queen stayed at the Midland Hotel overnight as she did subsequently in 1852. On that occasion the Dinner Menu was also printed on silk and this item (pictured) is also in the Trust's collection. The silk timetable would have been for use on the royal train as would the third item pictured - an undated but early map of the Midland Railway carrying the royal arms and also printed on silk and recently acquired by the Trust.

Click images to see larger versions
Silk Menu	Silk Timetable
Silk Map

A number of Midland Railway lamps has been loaned to the Trust and are at the Study Centre. They included some unusual and rare items, three of which are illustrated.

A Midland Railway candle lamp (stamped M R Co)	An unusual ex War Department (WD) lamp mounted on a stand with brass owner label "Midland Railway MR6" whilst retaining the original embossed "WD".
A small copper ducket lamp stamped M R Co.