South Somerset Heritage Collection

Collections

Costume & Textile

The Costume & Textile collection includes a significant selection of items, ranging from a child’s sampler to Swayne Harbin’s wedding coat, from the Harbin family of Newton Surmaville House, near Yeovil. Pictured left to right, Swayne Harbin's wedding coat and a hat believed to have been worn by Queen Victoria. 

Gloves and Gloving

Gloves made by local manufacturers like Clothier & Giles and Ricketts plus formal, driving and fur backed gloves. Glove designs on acetate are also available to view on request. Glove tools include examples of the Donkey patented in Stoke sub Hamdon in 1807. From left to right a wooden glove finger stretcher and a wooden hand to display gloves, plus gloves from the South Somerset Heritage Collection. 

Fine Art

We care for around 50 paintings and artworks, plus maps, posters and local advertising. These range from formal portraits of gloving factory owners and their wives to more contemporary works by Martock-based artist, Arlie Panting and ‘pop artist’ Stephen Wilmot ‘Wilf.’ One of the star items is the Angel Inn Panel from 1603, shown below which came from the Angel Inn in Yeovil, now the site of the NatWest Bank. Alongside is a painting of a steam locomotive at Stoford pulling a two-coach train from Yeovil Junction to Pen Mill Station, otherwise known as a ‘push and pull’  Painted by H. Ball in 1971.

Industrial

The Petter / Westland story is well represented by a Petter and Edgar Cheese Press, shown below, the engine of the 1895 Horseless Carriage, an example of the Nautilus Grate and a Petometer adding machine, an early form of calculator. We also have a Linotype typesetting machine last used by the Western Gazette Newspaper in 1984 shown alongside the cheese press and examples of objects and photographs related to St. Ivel, makers of lactic cheese up until 2000.

Archaeology

This forms an important part of the collection ranging from a Neolithic hand axe found on Wyndham Hill, shown below to a notable collection of well documented Roman coins collected by Gregory Stevens-Cox from Ilchester, an example of which is shown alongside the hand axe. 

Ceramics & Glassware

Star ceramic items are the Yeovil Riot Jugs from 1831 and the St. Ivel Monks cheese serving dish, shown below. Yeovil Goss China and commemorative pieces are also of interest. An example from the Pinney Glass collection is also shown. 

Firearms

One of the most significant single donations came when renowned local businessman and photographer, Henry Stiby donated his collection of important firearms and pistols in the 1930s. Other notable items include the commemorative sword presented to Sir Charles Knight Pearson of Thorne Coffin by the people of Yeovil in 1837 for outstanding military leadership. A close up of a firearm stock and example of the Henry Stiby collection are shown. 

Coins and medals

In addition to Roman coins, we also care for First and Second World War Medals, plus a notable selection of pub and trade tokens. A tool deposit token for James B Petter & Sons is shown with a trade token of Brett & Cayme, cloth manufacturers in Yeovil in 1797.

We would be delighted for you to visit the collection but if you are unable to, do browse some of the wonderful pleces in the Look Around Section at the bottom of the page.

Please call us on 01935 462855 or email us on heritage.services@southsomerset.gov.uk to arrange a visit.