Visibly from the artwork, this document dates from James Archer’s earliest days of working with the GWR (Great Western Railway) at Oxford, and with other railway companies also of course, for clients whose destination took them beyond the GWR’s reach.
So the document sets out the terms and conditions on which Archer & Co accepted goods from customers, as follows:
“Memorandum of an agreement between….(space for insertion of customer’s name)…of….(space for insertion of customer’s address) (designated as the Owner) and Archer and Company of New Road in the City of Oxford, Carriers and Contractors, (designated as the Carriers), upon the terms and conditions following:
1. To pack and remove the General Household Furniture belonging to the Owner from….(space for insertion of collection address), to….(space for insertion of delivery address).
The term General Household Furniture shall be defined to mean the ordinary Domestic Furniture, Household Goods, China, Glass, Ornaments, Plate, Books, Musical Instruments, Pictures, Wine, and the like. The process of packing shall include the use of Crates and Cases, Wine Baskets, Wrappers and Mats, taking down Bedsteads and Wardrobes and putting the like up again, and the use of all necessary appliances for actual peckage (sic), and the loading of the Vans. (17.4.17 - to be continued)
(Continued 05.09.2017): The process of removal shall include the use of Vans, the hire of Horses, expences (sic) of carriage by Railway, the payment of Turnpike Tolls, and the expences (sic) of the various Men employed.
2. Having regard to the distance and the circumstances of the route the charge shall be…….(one whole free line of space of the page for insertion of the rate of charge) ………………………………. ……………….. ……………….. …… …………………. …………………. ……………. ……………… for each (**) and at the bottom of the page there is shown: (**) “Insert Van Load or Ton Weight in gross as the case may be”;
or after that, rate for a proportionate part of a Van Load or Ton Weight in gross as the case may be……. ……….
and payment thereof shall be made by the Owner to the Carriers previous to the delivery of the Goods. (END OF THIS PAGE OF THE AGREEMENT DOCUMENT)
3. The process of packing and removal to commence on the …………….. day of …………………… and to be completed and delivery of the Property made at the above mentioned destination with all reasonable expedition on the part ofthe carriers……(05.9.17 - to be continued)