Please note: I have added 38 photos to the end of this listing to try and show them item in as much detail as possible so please take the time to view them all carefully.
Two antique books which came in together which I have decided to keep together since they relate to the same subject and are really fascinating if you are into WESTERDALE - Yorkshire local history or if you are studying family history and place names of the same area.
Both books are titled Johnson's Surveyor of the Highways Account Book.
With spine and corners in leather and covered board covers. Marbled inner page and then specially printed inside by William Richardson, district surveyor, parish of charlton, Kent. 45th edition of the book type. Published by Shaw & sons fetter lane London.
So quite a few of the pages at the front are printed on how to fill in the accounts book as well as a page on Remarks and suggestions on repairing old roads.
It is interesting too on how to fill the book in with examples of wording used on the pages.
These have both been filled out and handwritten by a
James Mortimer and Joseph Petch in the Parish of Westerdale in County of York, 2nd April 1866.
and
James Mortimer & John Hebron in the Parish of Westerdale, County of York dated 1st April 1867.
They both relate to a stretch of road 16 miles long and it then gives you how much it has cost for the year being £107-3-5/2 in 1866 and slightly more £130-8-8/2 in 1867...and both years repaired with quarry stone.
It gives a layout on the page printed out and then hand filled in by the two surveyors... with the following ... day labour & when performed - labourers names - where employed - nature of employment - number of days - rate per day - total amount - total weekly expended - signature of party.
Really fascinating and these should really be in a serious collectors book case to later write up into a book for all to read or in a museum archive. I very much doubt there are any known COPIES of these books anywhere else.
In collectable condition with normal signs of age and use wear. The spines are worn and damaged on both, one is slightly better than the other. The 1866 book cover and first few pages are nearly fallen off.. so you will have to be careful when opening etc.
Please see pictures for more details and visual confirmation of condition.
They both measure approx. 13 inches x 8 inches in total.
NOT all pages are filled in but those that are filled in will make very interesting reading - research for some people without a doubt.
Right at the back of the book it has more local men signatures and they daily rate per man was about 2 shillings and 6 pence. Jobs to mend the roads included breaking stones - guttering - getting up cinders - unloading cinders - cutting snow - loading stones - spreading stones - walling - laying new bridge stone.
The stones came from various places including Monkton Moor Lime from Castleton Depot. Interesting the labourers were on 2/6 per day and one of these new account books cost 6/6.
