Museums take pick of society’s goods

Nov 21 2009 by Tony Henderson, The Journal

Also on offer for loan was the ornately carved wooden Bible box which was given to the society in 1837 by the eminent North East mining engineer John Buddle.

Among a range of musical items was a 19th Century roller organ, hundreds of music wax cylinders, and wooden slide whistles.

Other items included a model of a guillotine made by Napoleonic French prisoners of war from bone meal remains, cock fight spurs, tinder boxes, metal fire insurance wall plaques, linen smoothers, 18th Century copper engraving plates of North East scenes, 17th Century crossbows, and cannon balls from the 1640 Battle of Newburn.

“There was also and 18th Century mouse trap which used a huge wooden block of oak to flatten the mouse,” said society vice president Derek Cutts.

Thousands of volumes from the society’s extensive library have been moved to the Great North Museum, while archives have been transferred to Woodhorn Museum and Archives Centre near Ashington.

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