57/1

This framed certificate was issued by the Wokingham Agricultural Assocation to William Palmer, Plough Boy, awarding him 4th prize on 4 October 1841. The ceritifcate consists of two small vignettes - ploughing, and harvesting with a sickle - and is engraved 'W. Gotelee, Wokingham'. The Association existed for the 'encouragement of agricultural labourers and servants'.

Certificate: paper: wood

MERL 'Handwritten accession' form (Institute of Agricultural History) - 'Standard museum name: CERTIFICATE // Accession number: 57/1 // Classification: SOCIETY Association // Negative number: 35/25797 //Acquisition method: GIFT //Acquired from: MRS. Adey, Sutton Courtnay, Abingdon, Berks.// date: 1957 // Description: Certificate of Wokingham Agricultural Association 1841 to William Palmer Plough Boy. 4th prize Framed in black wood. 2 small vignettes 1) Ploughing 2) Harvesting with sickle Engraved: W Gotelee, Wokingham // Dimensions: 28.0 cm wide x 24.5 cm high // Associated information: This certificate was handed to Ms. Grugeon at The N.F.U. office in Reading by another N.F.U. member - see correspondence. Mrs Adey was the daughter of William Palmer.', MERL ‘Associated information’ form – ‘Name of Object: Certificate // Age...: 1841 // Name and address of present owner: W. Grugeon Esq. Acriculture House, 121 Oxford Road, Reading. // Description of use to which it was put…: Certificate of Wokingham Agricultural Association 1841. Framed, measurements 10 x 11 inches. Handed to Mr Grugeon by a member of the N.F Union. See correspondence.', Letter, David Grugeon, County Secretary for the National Farmers' Union, to The Curator, MERL, 19 December, 1956 - 'Dear Sir, I have had handed to me by a member, a framed Certificate, issued by the Wokingham Agricultural Association which was at that time for the encouragement of agricultural labourers and servants, certifying that one William Palmer was the winner of a prize in the 4th October 1841, as plough-boy...', Letter, David Grugeon, County Secretary for the National Farmers' Union, to Mrs. E. M. Cornwall, Secretary to the Keeper, MERL, 10 April, 1957 - '...You may recall that in January last I handed to you a Ploughing Certificate dated 1841 which had been obtained from Mr. J. L. Mathews of 1, Harwell Road, SUTTON COURTENAY, Abingdon, Berkshire...Mr Mathews received the certificate from the late Mrs. Adey of Sutton Courtenay, for whom he acted as Executor, and it is interesting to note that Mrs. Adey was the daughter of the recipient, William Palmer. The two generations, therefore, bridge a considerable span in years.

1841 - 1841