Genuine 'Family History Stuff'! Here is a list of siblings of James Archer (the founder of AC&Co), who appears halfway down the list, which reached me via Dad's family history folder that he passed on to me. At a guess this was written at the time (say 1846, from the last person on the list), and before my actual ancestor was born, Alfred George Archer in 1848. Here are twelve births, recorded in black ink, probably with a wooden-handled steel-nibbed dip-pen, occasionally dipped into a well of ink possibly lodged in a corner opening in a writing desk, in the manner of the school desks with which I was familiar in the 1940s at Christ Church Cathedfral Choir Schoo;l, in Brewer Street, off St Aldates, Oxford. And mentioning St Aldates reminds me that this family lived in St Aldates street, Oxford, probably (I need to look it up again) at Folly Bridge (which may not strictly be 'St Aldates', but where it has become 'Abingdon Road') at 'Isis House' actually on the bridge, or rather the island round which the Thames/Isis divides and flows, and over which St Aldates/Abingdon Road passes, as Oxford metamorphoses into Berkshire on the west bank of the river.
Here are two 'Matildas', the first living only from May 16th 1840 (178 years and 2 days ago, as I type this on 20.5.2018) until 20th September 1841, and the second being born on 12th June 1846, and becoming, so I recollect, Mrs 'Tilly' Saunders, and there being a photograph of her in the records here, that it would be relevant to find and include here. Not many of these Archers have photographs in my collection, the exceptions being James and Alfred George, and, as I say/believe, thea aforesaid 'Tilly'.
Such a large family! Compared with my family of two children. And ditto our children's families. Things change. Birth control. Enough said. (20.5.2018).