Accessions Report 2016-2017
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It is again my great pleasure to introduce the annual Acquisitions Report, put together by Christopher Whittick and his team, which chronicles the vital work undertaken in a twelve-month period to preserve the history of East Sussex, including Brighton and Hove. As well as its other activities FoTKA, like its predecessor FESRO, is ready to assist when archival material needs to be purchased. We are not the only source of funds, and we pay tribute to the role of national and other organisations, as well as generous individuals. The report begins with the East Sussex accessions, followed by those for Brighton and Hove.
Two significant events have taken place during the year under consideration – the award of Accredited Status to The Keep by The National Archives, and the retirement of Elizabeth Hughes as County Archivist. At a ceremony at The Keep on 22 February 2017 (photo above) Peter Field, the Lord Lieutenant and Custos Rotulorum of East Sussex, representing the three partners, accepted the award from Jeff James, Keeper of the National Archives. I can do no better than to repeat some of his remarks. Accreditation defines good practice in the world of archives, and sets agreed standards for archive services across the UK; in so doing, it encourages and supports the development of the services who measure up to its exacting standards. |
Here in East Sussex, we know we have an archive service which is second to none, and an archive building – The Keep – which must rival any such repository in the country. It is gratifying to see our convictions, which could be described as partial, confirmed by The National Archives, which is the arbiter of standards for archives throughout the UK.
The Lord Lieutenant went on to say that the bulk of the exacting work which the application entailed was largely undertaken by Elizabeth Hughes, who retired in November 2016, and that in doing so, in this as in so many areas, she had laid a secure foundation on which her successors might build.
Elizabeth came to East Sussex from Berkshire, where she had been involved in designing the public service side of the new Record Office. She vividly remembers the first month at Lewes: ‘Twelve days after I started, the town flooded and so did the warehouse where the modern records were stored. I learnt the hard way about how to salvage archives – in wellies, boiler suits and masks! I also learnt things about insurance and team building that I hadn’t known before.’
In 2006, following an inspection of The Maltings in Lewes by The National Archives, the County Council recognised that a new building was needed. It was a project which ended only when The Keep opened its doors in November 2013 and it represented an enormous personal achievement. Having watched the process from beginning to end, including a series of false starts over 20 years, Christopher Whittick is convinced that only Elizabeth Hughes could have brought the project to fruition.
Following Elizabeth’s departure the County Archaeologist Casper Johnson took over the service, with the designation Team Manager for the Archaeology Section, Modern Records Management and The Keep archive. It was felt to be important to retain the title of County Archivist, and on Casper’s appointment Christopher Whittick succeeded to that role, as the tenth County Archivist of East Sussex.
I hope you enjoy browsing this report, and even more that you are able to explore what The Keep can offer you in pursuing your own interests.
Lady Teviot, Chairman of FoTKA
The Lord Lieutenant went on to say that the bulk of the exacting work which the application entailed was largely undertaken by Elizabeth Hughes, who retired in November 2016, and that in doing so, in this as in so many areas, she had laid a secure foundation on which her successors might build.
Elizabeth came to East Sussex from Berkshire, where she had been involved in designing the public service side of the new Record Office. She vividly remembers the first month at Lewes: ‘Twelve days after I started, the town flooded and so did the warehouse where the modern records were stored. I learnt the hard way about how to salvage archives – in wellies, boiler suits and masks! I also learnt things about insurance and team building that I hadn’t known before.’
In 2006, following an inspection of The Maltings in Lewes by The National Archives, the County Council recognised that a new building was needed. It was a project which ended only when The Keep opened its doors in November 2013 and it represented an enormous personal achievement. Having watched the process from beginning to end, including a series of false starts over 20 years, Christopher Whittick is convinced that only Elizabeth Hughes could have brought the project to fruition.
Following Elizabeth’s departure the County Archaeologist Casper Johnson took over the service, with the designation Team Manager for the Archaeology Section, Modern Records Management and The Keep archive. It was felt to be important to retain the title of County Archivist, and on Casper’s appointment Christopher Whittick succeeded to that role, as the tenth County Archivist of East Sussex.
I hope you enjoy browsing this report, and even more that you are able to explore what The Keep can offer you in pursuing your own interests.
Lady Teviot, Chairman of FoTKA
