Attic reveals treasures of town's social history (From Milford Mercury)

Attic reveals treasures of town's social history

2:46pm Friday 10th July 2009

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Forgotten treasures of Milford Haven’s social history have been discovered in the attic of a building on the marina.

Old documents were discovered at the former Sewin restaurant, which was built around 1890 and was also the old docks office.

It was during extensive building work at the site, which is currently being converted into a new All Pets Vet Care veterinary practise by David Clark and his partner Billa Schleicher, that several old documents were discovered under a thick layer of black dust.

Dave Clark says: “I find these papers absolutely fascinating.

“There are old editions of the Haverfordwest and Milford Haven Telegraph and the Milford Haven Gazette from 1908 and 1910, which have adverts from still familiar names such as Bisley H. Munts’s to Isaiah Reynolds offering butter, eggs, groceries, and manure – seemingly all in one store.

“It’s brilliant.”

Also amongst the documentation is a letter to an editor bemoaning the manners of the children in Milford Haven. Paying-in books revealing what the Milford Docks Company paid in during 1905 in gold, silver, copper, drafts, bank and country notes and Great Western Railway consignment notes show which goods were carried in 1908 have also been uncovered.

There are pay-informations for employees from 1945, the accounts for the West Wales Trading Company from 1957 with a provision for ‘doubtful debts’ and a variety of notebooks, telegraphs and other papers.

However, Mr Schleicher was most intrigued by the discovery of an undated promotional booklet, titled ‘Transatlantic Traffic and Milford Haven, in connection with Milford Docks’.

“It extols the virtues of Milford Haven over other harbours such as Liverpool, Bristol, Portsmouth and Southampton with regards to accessibility of the port, time savings for passengers, mail and goods, railway communication with England and connections with Ireland and the continent,” he said.

“Obviously, according to the booklet, Milford wins in all aspects, apart from the fact that mail from north America to Ireland might take a bit longer when sent to Milford initially.”

“I can see it being an interesting document to be studied by local schools, touching on aspects of geography, history and even for its use of language,” he added.

The pair plan to make copies of the booklet so they can be used as a resource to teachers and they also plan on donating the documents to the Milford Haven museum.

Mr Schleicher added: “They are such fascinating pieces of local history and we think people will really enjoy them.”

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