1898 invoice from Messrs Ashwood & Co, Coal Merchants to Archer & Co for services relating to haymaking at James Archer’s farm at Grandpont for the horses etc that provided the motive power of his removal business:

Phil’s History:

A ‘work in progress’ family history website starting from an Archer family of South Oxford, who were freemen, brewers, haulage contractors, and first ‘Archer & Co’ then ‘Archer Cowley & Co’ furniture removers in the 19th and 20th Centuries, inter alia, to whom are linked by marriage the Penfolds and Wells of Southwark and Surrey, the Reeds of Devon, the Gilders of Oxford and Hinckley, the Morgans of Petworth, Sussex, the Garners of Middleton, Lancs and many others. There are connections via Phil and the present generation (born 1930s/40s) with a patent law firm known as "UD&L" with motor-racing and Scottish antecedents.

This invoice is marked in red: “Farm account”, and lists the following items: (to show the cost of hay-making at the Grandpont farm):

June 18th 1898: Man and Horse Teddering Hay: 10 hours: (sum written in pencil and not readily legible);

June 20th 1898: Ditto : 12 hours (sum written in pencil and not readily legible);

June 22nd 1898: Ditto: 12 hours (sum written in pencil and not readily legible);

June 22nd 1898: 3 Men, Hay Cart, 4 horses, 7 hours each: 21 hours: (sum written in pencil and not readily legible);

And so on….in a similar vein showing much more hay-making being done in the summer of 1898 from June 18th to July 7th, a total of 239 hours;

I note that Ashwoods are located at Littlemore, close to Headington, in the eastern suburbs of Oxford, where (later perhaps) the well-known Littlemore Hospital (for mental conditions) was located, certainly in my young days (1940s and 1950s).

Phil’s History:

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1898 invoice from Messrs Ashwood & Co, Coal Merchants to Archer & Co for services relating to haymaking at James Archer’s farm at Grandpont for the horses etc that provided the motive power of his removal business: