[George Crowther junior, land agent and surveyor.] Manuscript ledger giving detailed itemised accounts with customers including railway companies (for example the Leeds, Dewsbury and Manchester Junction Railway Co.). With additional matter inserted.

The records of the firm of G. and G. H. Crowther, Land Agents and Surveyors, Huddersfield, are in the West Yorkshire Archives in Kirklees, which also holds other Crowther material in the papers of the Clarke-Thornhill family of Fixby Hall. Local historian Edward J. Law points out that the Crowther family 'have a unique local record in the continuity of occupation as land agents and surveyors' in the Huddersfield area, with 'seven generations of the family involved with estate management for over 175 years', the first being the father of the author of the present volume, George Crowther senior (1780-1829), 'son of a gamekeeper on the Fixby estate, who is said to have commenced with the Thornhill family as their resident land steward about 1808. [...] When the father died in 1829 George junior [author of this volume] was able to continue the practice [...] in 1837 he is recorded with offices in King Street. In 1838 he was appointed Surveyor for the new reservoirs being planned by the Holme Reservoir Commissioners. In the 1840s he was the surveyor for the Leeds, Dewsbury and Manchester Railway, and in the 1850s for the Dewsbury, Osset and Wakefield Railway.' The present volume is 476pp., 8vo, with an additional index of 22pp., 8vo, in a makeshift pamphlet held together with a brass stud, loosely inserted. Headings are written across the openings of the volume (misnumbered 1-240). Internally in good condition, on aged paper, in heavily worn vellum binding, with red label on spine, stamped in gilt with the word 'LEDGER'. Index heavily worn. Each of the hundreds of sets of accounts in the volume is made up of detailed itemised entries, with totals and record of settlement. In addition to the usual charges (attending on clients, travelling, making surveys, drawing plans, valuations, attending meetings), the entries also convey a mass of valuable and unusual information, giving a clear impression of the explosion of economic growth in the area during the Victorian period, and at times reading like diary entries. For example, in the account of the 'Huddersfield Water-Works - Commissioners of', on 2 February 1852: 'In Consequence of the bursting of one of the Holme Reservoirs, considerable Excitement prevailed in Longwood as to the Safety of those belonging the Water Works, - accompanying a Deputation of Commissioners, to meet Messrs. Wm. Shaw, and Jno. Broadbent, when we made a careful Examination, and all Parties came away perfectly satisfied with present State of Repair of the Works, and confident in their perfect Security [£2 2s 0d]'. An entry relating to the 'Huddersfield & Manchester Railway and Canal Company', 23 May 1845, begins with a description of the job: 'Agreed with Mr , to make the Survey for the working or Land plans, and draw the same to a Scale of 2 Chains per Inch from the Junction with Manchester and Leeds Railway, near Cooper Bridge to the West End of the Marsden Tunnel, at X, for the Sum of 15£ per Mile, I paying all Expenses and finding all materials the Length being 14 Miles 33 Chains'. As an another example, here are the accounts of 'Messrs. Barret, Sol[icito]rs. Leeds & Otley or C. H. Jones Esq.' These relating to the 1853 House of Commons 'Select Committee on the Huddersfield Election Petition', before which Crowther was examined twice, on the second occasion giving an 'Explanation as to the sites of the different public-houses where the treating was carried out on the late election, as laid down upon the map before the Committee', and a 'statement as to the preparation of that map'. The entries read: '1853 | Feb. 5 Mounting Ordnance Maps of the Town and Neighbourhood of Huddersfield for Reference befor the Committee on the Huddersfield Election Case [£1 10s 5d] | [Feb.] 21 Engaged on Plans, & making out List of Public Houses within Radii of 200 & 500 Yards fm. Polling Booths [£1 1s 0d] | [Feb.] 25 Attending Jno. Barret & the Committee at Mr. Boothroyds and engaged on Plan of the Town and Environs [£2 2s 0d] | [Feb.] 26. 28. Mar. 3. Engaged colouring 7 Copies of the Borough of Huddersfield and surrounding Townships, and marking the Inns & Beerhouses, and Journies [sic] to Sheepridge, Deighton, Bradley[,] Marsh, Paddock, Royds Hall, &c, inspecting the Position also examining the Beer Houses &c in the Town not shewn on the Ordnance Maps also Journies to Dalton, Almondbury, Honley, Lockwood Linthwaite & Lindley getting amounts of the valuation for Parochial purposes [£6 6s 0d] | Pd. R[ai]l[wa]y Fares & Exp[ense]s &c [£0 12s 9d] | [Mar.] 3 to 12. Left Home, on Thursday Evening 3d. March, and Attendance in London, on the Huddersfield Election Committee, up to Saturday Evening the 12th. [£18 18s 0d] | Pd. Rly Fare & Cab up £1. 19s. 6d. down £2. 4s. 10d. [£4 4s 0d] | Pd. Mr. Riddle (who has the custody of the Committee Rooms) for Frame, & putting up Plans 10/- | Cab, & sundry Expenses 7/1'. Another entry among the thousands in the volume reads: '[Huddersfield Water-Works] | 1847 | July 26 To Longwood with Mr. Wrigley, inspecting the 10 Pipes and Valve at the Compensation Reservoir, and drawing Diagram of these Pipes & writing Messrs. Graham | Evening attending Meeting of Committee at the Water Wks when the Testimonials of the Candidates for the Situation of Manager were examined [£1 1s 0d] | Pd. Cab to & fm Longwood [£0 5s 6d]'. The accounts begin with six pages relating to 'Thomas Thornhill Esq' and 'Jn. H. Ramsbotham Esq. for the Trustees of Miss Clara Thornhill' (and there is further material relating to the Clarke-Thornhills at points in the volume). Seven pages on Sir John William Ramsden Bart. follow, and a short entry on the Overseers of Hunshelf (Penistone Union)'. Among the hundreds of other private and commercial accounts in the volume are in excess of 100pp. relating to the railways. These include around 35 pp. concerning the 'Leeds, Dewsbury, and Manchester Junction Railway Co.' (around a quarter of which relates to the 'Wakefield Extension', and with a sub-entry on the 'Birstal Branch'), and in excess of 30pp. on the 'London and North-western Railway Company' (with a subsection on the 'Greenfield & Oldham Contracts'). Other railway accounts: 'The Provisional Committee of the Huddersfield and Ashton Railway and Canal', 'Mrs. Ashworth (Mr Kerans Agent) & the Lanc[ashire]. & Y[orkshire]. R[ai]l[wa]y Co.', 'The London and York Railway Co.', 'Huddersfield and Sheffield Junction Railway. Darfield Branch', 'Huddersfield, Halifax and Bradford Union Railway (Dewsbury Water Works)'. The other accounts in the volume include: 'The Earl of Dartmouth, and Sir Josh. Radcliffe Bart.', 'Huddersfield and New Hey Turnpike Road (Trustees of)', 'Netherthong Township Proprietors of respecting Tithe Commutation', 'Ainleys Brick Works', 'J. H. Beaumont Esqr. by his Agent Mr Dunderdale Surveyor of Estates for Sale in Mirfield', 'Mr. Radcliffe Atkinson's Ex[ecut]ors. Aspley Mill', 'Mr. Godfrey Berry (Newtown Brewery)', 'The Directors of the Ilkley Water-Works', 'The Huddersfield Banking Co.', 'Directors of the Dewsbury &c. Water-Works', 'Bradley Mills Weir (Repairs of)', 'Wilson v. The Bradford Water-works Co.', 'The Overseers of the Township of Huddersfield', 'Mr Ashworth, Bramwith Hall, near Doncaster. Robt. Baxter Esq. Trustee', 'The Overseers of the Township of Wadsworth', 'Mr. Jabez Brook, Clerk of theh Commissioners of the Huddersfield Water Works', 'Mr. George Ellison. Coal Proprietor, Birstal', 'Lyons Kerans Esq. Agent for and Son-in-Law of Mrs. Ashworth', 'Messrs. Fenton and Jones', 'Messrs. Brook, Freeman and Batley', 'The Commissioners of the Holme Reservoirs', 'Late Captain Fenton's Trustees, & Mr Thos Beaumont', 'Messrs. Starkey Brothers, Longroyd Bridge', 'The Hamlet of Fartown (Surveyors of Highways of)'. 27 manuscript items are loosely inserted in the volume, including: Autograph Letters Signed to Crowther from his brother Robert (Rochdale, 1844), nephew Frederick (Rochdale 1870), John Brooke of Hyde Park, London (two, both 1863) and Joseph Firth of Huddersfield (1857); itemised 'Private Account' of Frederick Holroyd with 'George Crowther, Surveyor, &c', re 'Estates of Mr. and Mrs. Clarke Thornhill', 1862; a similar set of accounts with 'Messrs. George Higham & Son', re 'Clifffe v. Tolson', 1853; and receipts on letterheads from: the London & North Western Railway Company (5 items, 1853 to 1861); John Scott, Tailor and Draper, Huddersfield (1847); Joseph Sutclifffe & Sons, Importers, Dealers in Foreign and British Spirits, Halifax (2, 1857 and 186<?>).