William Cunnington corresponded with Archdeacon Coxe, Henry Penruddock Wyndham, Philip Crocker, Abraham Crocker and Sir Richard Colt Hoare. They discussed early archaeological theories alongside travel arrangements and their health. The letters give an insight into the history of archaeology and the foundations of modern archaeology.
The letters shown are all from Philip Crocker to William Cunnington. The two letters on the right-hand side are dated 7 October 1808 and 21 November 1808 respectively. In the top one, Sir Richard Colt Hoare and Philip Crocker are discussing the watercolours that Crocker has been working on. Colt Hoare will be returning to Stourhead the next day and Philip Crocker will give him 'all I have in my possession'. He says he has not finished many of the drawings as he has been 'engaged upon the General Survey. Has surveyed Longleat Park and the camp on Roddenbury Hill’. Many of these watercolours and drawings are in our collection. In the second letter he says he is unable to find his survey of the Roman road through Spy (sic) Park, he thinks Sir Richard Colt Hoare has it at Stourhead. He gives directions for finding the Wansdyke in the Bowden Hill / Spye Park area and mentions that the locals call it the Devils Ditch, also known as Wandsditch. It also gives details of its route. Philip Crocker (1779 -1840) was a surveyor and draughtsman. He assisted the Ordnance Survey in the production of the first 1" to 1-mile maps of Wiltshire. In 1807 he began surveying and drawing maps for Sir Richard Colt Hoare and in 1809 left the Ordnance Survey to become Colt Hoare's steward. This is just a summary of two letters, but the conservation work will enable full digitisation and transcripts to be done, providing not only invaluable information about items in our collections, but add to Wiltshire’s history.