Our last exhibition: A Victorian Farmer
As seen on BBC TV - the diaries of John White of Rickmansworth
We've now retired John White for now
The Rickmansworth farmer John White left in his diaries a remarkable record of Rickmansworth in the second half of the nineteenth century. With the support of the University of Hertfordshire's Business School, we've used his legacy to provide an exhibition showing something of what life was like round here, and in his family, between about 1840 and 1900.
Mr White was an important man, and he'll appear in various places around the area for some time to come!
John White lived here from 1841 to his death in 1904. This picture shows the house in 2024 - exactly the same as it was at their Golden Wedding in 1891, when family photos were taken in fron of this door.
A page from the diary of John White - just one of about 5,000 pages!
The farm was quite a large and complicated business, but Mr White kept very carefully detailed records, including a valuation like this every September, at the end of the farming year.