AN historic Ross book has been acquired by the Market House Heritage Centre and Herefordshire Records Office. In a north of England book auction catalogue, Ross Old Books and Prints bookseller Phil Thredder noticed an item relating to the 19th century Ross benefactor Nathaniel Morgan.
Examining the volume he discovered it was Morgan's ledger from the days when he ran the Ross and Archenfield Bank.
What made it especially interesting, however, was that interleaved among the pages were dozens of documents concerning Morgan's role as treasurer of Ross charities such as the Walter Scott School.
Nathaniel (1775-1854) was son of a Quaker draper with a shop facing the Market House. Having launched his bank in 1820, he was a man of substance in the town – mayor for three years running 1821-23.
Clerk to the Ross Meeting for 20 years, he was chairman of the British School which opened on Wye Street in 1836. He and wife Sarah are buried in the Friends Meeting House graveyard.
"The documents number just over 200," says Ian Standing, Herefordshire's community heritage officer who acquired the ledger when shown it by Phil Thredder.
"They consist of letters, printed broadsheets – many probably unique – and minutes.
"It will take some time to examine the material, but it is unquestionably an important find for Ross. It is probably the first time the Heritage Centre and Records Office have combined to preserve something for the county."
"It is very exciting news," adds Nathaniel Morgan's biographer Mrs A.C. Virginia morgan (no relation).
•An account of her research is in page 8.