AN IMPORTANT collection of New Forest records has been gifted to the national park's records hub.
The Crosthwaite-Eyre archive contains an extensive collection of deeds and estate records,
including the hugely significant correspondence of George Briscoe Eyre, a key figure in the
struggle to save the New Forest from enclosure.
Mr Briscoe Eyre fought for the 1877 Act or ‘Commoners’ Charter’, which protected Commoners’ rights and reconstituted the court of Verderers. Mr Briscoe Eyre topped the poll in the first ever Verderers election, whilst his daughter, Dorothy, became the first female member of the Court.
Other material in the archive includes the cash books of George Eyre who purchased
Warrens estate in 1789 and had a new house built there in 1800-1802. The books detail
various aspects of his life including travelling, dress and housekeeping. There are also papers
and photographs relating to cattle breeding and archives from Eyre and Spottiswood, Her
Majesty’s printers, which was the family business for over 200 years.
Ecademy Project Officer Dr Katharine Walker, who is based in the Christopher Tower
Reference Library at the New Forest Centre, will be cataloguing the archive with help
from volunteers. "We are seeking grants to help with this process and are grateful for the
initial contribution by the Crosthwaite Eyre family," she said. "Comprising over 50 boxes of material, this will be a large job in terms of conservation, cataloguing and ultimately digitising where possible, to make it publicly available."
Oliver Crosthwaite-Eyre, who served as Official Verderer for nine years and is Chairman of
the New Forest National Park Authority said: “I’m so pleased that this archive is now in safe keeping at the Christopher Tower Reference Library at the New Forest Centre and is being expertly cared for. The collection will be accessible to the public in perpetuity, as a valuable historical resource, rather than being locked away at home.”
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