99/28/1-9

A large plywood egg box, for transporting eggs by rail - and labels on the lid indicate it was delivered to Winnersh and Sindlesham, Berkshire. It is made of plywood and the edges have been strengthened with wood and metal. It has a hinged lid and eight cardboard separators inside. The box could hold 20 dozen (240) eggs. The donor's father ran a poultry farm at Sindlesham in Berkshire.

1 egg box: wood; metal; cardboard; good condition- needs cleaning

MERL 'Handwritten accession' form (Museum of English Rural Life) – 'Standard museum name: EGG BOX // Accession number: 99/28 // … // Recorder: JMB // Date: 15.9.99 // Description: Large lightweight wooden box (plywood) with edges strengthened with wooden & metal. It has a hinged lid and two clasp fastenings. There is an old railway label on the lid – Winnersh Halt & Sindlesham Halt. // Stamped (stencil): EGGS 20 DOZ (on each side) // There are 8 cardboard separators inside the box. Each would hold 30 eggs i.e. 240 total = 20 dozen. // Dimensions: 58 x 31 x 34 cms // Associated information: Used for transporting eggs by rail. // See attached information’, MERL Miscellaneous note – ‘Sweethaven, the property on Mole Rd, where Mr G. Morris lives is a former three acre smallholding that will shortly have house built over it. // The property was purchased by Mr Morris’ father, C. H. Morris, in 1934 as a smallholding and poultry farm. C. H. Morris was born around 1880 and lived until the early 1960’s. He came from a wealthy stockbroking family in London – the firm was called Livermore, Morris and Spurling. However, he suffered from bad health and while in his early twenties was given medical advice to get out of London and pursue a more open air lifestyle. So he went first as a pupil in poultry farming to Sussex, subsequently as poultry manager to Broughton Castle near Banbury, where he met and married his wife. Later, he had a spell as farm manager to the Colebrook family in Shinfield, then as poultry manager on the Minley Estate, near Sandhurst. He left in 1934 to set up on his own at ‘Sweethaven’ in Sindlesham.’

Wood, Metal