Bishopsgate Institute
Archive & Special Collections · London EC2A 4BH
Accession Reference
BGI/ALD/2021/037
Catalogue Entry / Archivist's Description The Aldgate Manuscript
§ 1 — Identity Statement
Reference Code BGI/ALD/2021/037
Title The Aldgate Manuscript
Date(s) of Creation c. April–May 1889
Date of Accession 9 April 2021
Level of Description Item
Extent and Medium 4 leaves; handwritten in iron gall ink on laid paper
§ 2 — Acquisition Details
Source Recovered during renovation works at 47 Aldgate High Street, London EC3
Method of Acquisition Discovered behind a false panel in a disused coal cellar
Accession Number BGI/ALD/2021/037
§ 3 — Provenance

Recovered from a concealed compartment at 47 Aldgate High Street, a late Victorian commercial property formerly associated with the wine and spirit trade. Located with a wooden crate marked "C. Hill & Co." and a folded receipt dated 1887 bearing the name "T. A. Davies." No prior record of archival deposit or private collection was associated with the property.

§ 4 — Physical Description
Format Four unlined quarto leaves
Dimensions Approx. 25 × 20 cm
Materials Laid paper; iron gall ink
Condition Moderate foxing Edge wear Minor brittleness Ink stable, oxidised
Signature Final page signed "Thomas Alexander Davies" with discovery address
§ 5 — Scope and Content

First-person narrative attributed to Thomas Alexander Davies, written approximately six months after events dated 25 November 1888 in Bishopsgate. Describes a violent incident involving individuals named PC James Thomas Reeve, Sergeant Arthur Melrose, and Clara Fenwick, and mentions retired Chief Inspector Percival Kerr. The manuscript refers to contemporary press coverage. Physical and geographical references are consistent with the period; the historical claims are unverified.

§ 6 — Biographical / Historical Note

Thomas Alexander Davies appears in late Victorian electoral registers and parish rate books as tenant of 47 Aldgate High Street from 1888. A notice in the London Gazette (21 July 1908) records commercial activity under the style "Christopher Hill, Wine and Spirit Merchant." These records confirm residence and trading identity associated with the address.

§ 7 — Conservation and Handling
  • Stabilisation Air-dried and stabilised under controlled conditions following recovery
  • Storage Housed in an acid-free folder within a humidity-controlled unit
  • Transcript Full transcript prepared; high-resolution digital imaging in progress
  • Handling Handle with nitrile gloves; support cradle recommended during consultation
Open for Research
Access under supervised conditions.
No forensic testing undertaken; further analysis may be required to confirm origin and authorship.
Reproduction subject to Bishopsgate Institute permissions and copyright policy.
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