Hull History Centre: Historical notes of Thomas Sheppard, curator of Hull Museums
L DLTS Historical notes of Thomas Sheppard, 1900s-1940s curator of Hull Museums
Biographical Background: Thomas Sheppard, (1876-1945) was known as Hull’s great collector and had a passion for collecting what was representative of Hull and the East Riding and was a firm believer in ensuring that the specimens reflected the area. Born in South Ferriby he was educated in Hull, to elementary level. His first job was a railway clerk in the dock offices and by the time he had been appointed as the municipal museum’s curator in 1901, Sheppard was already a skilled field archaeologist and an active member of the East Riding Antiquarian Society.
When the corporation acquired the Hull Literary and Philosophical Society’s run down museum primarily just to extend it as an art gallery, Sheppard worked hard and developed it as a major museum and by the time he retired he had been involved in the creation of 9 museums in the area: The Hull Municipal Museum on Albion St (1902), The Wilberforce Museum (1906), the Natural History Museum also on Albion St , (1910), the museum of Fisheries and Fishing in Pickering Park (1912), the Commerce and Transport museum on the High St (1925), the Tithe Barn Museum, Easington (1928), the Mortimer Collection of Prehistoric Antiquities (initially Albion St then in the City Hall, 1929), the Railway Museum in Paragon Station (1933), and Hull’s Old Time Museum (which never officially opened).
A formidable man in many ways, the Keeper of prehistoric and medieval Antiquities at the British Museum, T.D. Kendrick in a great tribute on Shepherd’s retirement added ‘I cannot personally pay you a higher complement than to say that I have always been very thankful that you and I never deliberately wanted the same object!’ Shepherd retired reluctantly in 1941 and died in 1945 after a break down in health. Perhaps the loss of the museum on Albion St and much of his prodigious correspondence and day books in 1943 due to fire from incendiaries devices and the lack of interest by the corporation in the old time museum and the tithe barn museum contributed to this.
Description: Manuscript and typescript notes
Extent: 1/2 box
Related material: Many documents collected by Sheppard for Hull Museum's were transferred to the City Archives in the 1970s and can be identified by the prefix D.B. (Referring to his day book). He wrote many books and papers on a wide range of subjects including the 1911 book, ‘The Evolution of Kingston upon Hull’ which had been compiled by collating and bringing together maps from a variety of different sources. This can be located at L.942.74. Other works can be accessed by searching through the catalogues, both online and at the History Centre. A biography of Tom Sheppard by Tim Schadla-Hall entitled 'Hull’s Great Collector' can be located at L.069.092.
Access conditions: Access will be granted to any accredited reader
L DLTS/1 Historical notes of Thomas Sheppard 1900s- 12 items 1940s
L DLTS/1/1 Manuscript and typed notes on the history of North c.1910s Lincolnshire by Thomas Sheppard 1 item
Page 1 of 2 © Hull History Centre Hull History Centre: Historical notes of Thomas Sheppard, curator of Hull Museums
L DLTS/1/2 Manuscript historical notes by P. Saltmarshe, c.1900s assisted by Thomas Sheppard 2 items
L DLTS/1/2/1 Manuscript notes on the efigies in North Cave Church c.1900s by P. Saltmarshe, assisted by Sheppard 1 item
L DLTS/1/2/2 Manuscript hints on [?] for Yorkshire genealogy, c.1900s heraldry and topography by P. Saltmarshe, assisted by Sheppard 1 item
L DLTS/1/3 Syllabus of proposed contents of a history of Hull by c.1900s Thomas Sheppard 1 item
L DLTS/1/4 Typescript notes on historical and archaeological c.1940s matters by Thomas Sheppard 8 items
L DLTS/1/4/1 Typescript notes on an archaeological dig at Hornsea c.1940s in 1913 1 item
L DLTS/1/4/2 Typescript notes on an archaeological excavation at c.1904s Elloughton in 1940 1 item
L DLTS/1/4/3 Typescript notes on early invasions of East Yorks c.1904s 1 item
L DLTS/1/4/4 Typescript notes on an archaeological excavation at c.1940s Barton upon Humber in 1939 1 item
L DLTS/1/4/5 Typescript notes on the Roman pottery kiln at Throlam, c.1940s Holme on Spalding Moor, East Yorkshire 1 item
L DLTS/1/4/6 Typescript notes on archaeological excavations at c.1940s Staxton, East Yorkshire in 1937 1 item
L DLTS/1/4/7 Typescript notes on archaeological excavations at c.1940s Eastburn in 1938 1 item
L DLTS/1/4/8 Typescript notes on the history of Huggate Dykes, c.1940s East Yorkshire 1 item
Page 2 of 2 © Hull History Centre