Journal and related papers describing places and farming in Patagonia, Argentina,1905-1949
Bookmark:https://archiveshub.jisc.ac.uk/data/gb159-ms731
GB 159 MS 731
[T.W. Armitage]
The volume contains photographs, manuscript notes, and newsprint cuttings. The manuscript notesin the volume appear to have been written during a visit to Patagonia, Argentina. They refer brieflyto the background of the Anglo-Chilean Pastoral Company Limited at Rio Frias, and the Lochiel SheepFarming Company Limited at Lochiel Estancia. The subject of interest is clearly the sheep farmingbusiness of the area. A brief daily journal from 6 April to 8 July 1906 records an expedition onhorseback from Lochiel estate to Sarmiento, Chile. There are also notes recording the visit toPatagonia by HMS 'Amethyst', in 1909-1910.
The photographs record individuals and groups as well as scenery. They depict the following: agroup photograph of passengers aboard RMS 'Highland Corrie', 1914; a group photograph of a shootingparty in the Chubut Valley, Argentina; a group photograph of a picnic in the Chubut Valley; portraitof Captain Leahy of the Sherwood Foresters on a horse; landscape of La Florida Estancia, 16 deOctubre Colony in Patagonian Andes; portrait of [William] Ellis Thurtell M.A.; views of wool shedsin the Lochiel Estancia of the Lochiel Sheep Farming Company Limited; views of the homestead of theAnglo-Chilean Pastoral Company Limited at Rio Frias; portrait of 'Sonny' the stable boy with ahorse; a group photograph of Trelew Football Club; a group photograph of a wedding party in Trelew,Chubut, Patagonia; group photograph of Captain Webb and officers of HMS 'Amethyst' at Chubut, 1910;and a view of HMS 'Amethyst' under sail, 1909.
Two newspaper cuttings inside the volume relate to the later story of HMS 'Amethyst' in theYangtse River under Chinese bombardment. One, from Sunday Empire News, 7 August 1949, gives a fullaccount of the action. The other is a letter, undated and from an unidentified publication,apparently written by a sailor who had served on HMS 'Amethyst' in the Dardanelles in 1916.
The collection comprises a notebook, inscribed in gold lettering on the cover 'S.N.Y.C. VisitorsBook', with columns printed to enable the entry of dates, names, addresses, and those introducingthe visitors. A commercial label inside the front cover identifies the supplier as J. & J. Vice, ofPeter Gate, Nottingham, but no other evidence of an association with Nottingham has been identifiedin the content of the volume.
The volume has in fact been used partly as a journal and partly as a scrapbook. The writer orcompiler is not named, but several references to a T.W. Armitage, commonly only identified byinitials, suggest a possible identification. The content of the manuscript notes in the volumeindicate that its purpose may have been primarily to record information about sheep farming estatesin Argentina. It is not clear whether the notes relate to a single visit or a longer associationwith the area, but the inclusion of a photograph from 1910 suggests residency in the area.
There seems also to be a naval interest, extending in time beyond the South American period. Aphotograph of the Royal Merchant Ship 'Highland Corrie', 1914 is present, with names of the crewnoted on the reverse. There are references to HMS 'Amethyst' and its presence under Captain Webb atPort Madryn, Patagonia in 1909. Inserted in the volume are later cuttings describing the escape ofHMS 'Amethyst' from Chinese guns on the Yangtse River in 1949.
No archival arrangement has been necessary.
ACCESS: Accessible to all registered readers.
This description is the only finding aid available for the collection. Copyright on thedescription belongs to the University of Nottingham.
COPYRIGHT: Identification of copyright holders of unpublished material is often difficult.Permission to make any published use of any material from the collection must be sought in advancein writing from the Keeper of Manuscripts and Special Collections (emailmss-library@nottingham.ac.uk).
The early ownership of the volume is not known. It was acquired by the University of Nottingham'sDepartment of Geology and transferred to the Library in September 1965.
AgricultureArgentina
Armitage T.W. fl 1906
Thurtell William Ellis 1855-1923