| Admin History | Arthur Cossons was a school teacher in Beeston, Nottinghamshire for most of his working life. He had a life-long interest in local history and wrote a number of articles and short books on the subject of turnpike roads. These included 'The Turnpike Roads of Nottinghamshire', published in 1934 by G. Bell and Sons Ltd for the Historical Association and the Geographical Association and 'The Turnpike Roads of Leicestershire and Rutland', published posthumously in Leicester by Kairos Press in 2003, in addition to works on turnpike roads in Norfolk, Warwickshire, Northamptonshire and Wiltshire.
Mr Cossons was local secretary of the Historical Association for many years and also lectured in the Adult Education Department of the University of Nottingham on the subject of village history. He died in 1963.
His son Sir Neil Cossons gave a lecture about the work of his father, subsequently published as 'A Nottinghamshire historian: Arthur Cossons (1893-1963)', Transactions of the Thoroton Society, 113, 2009, [105]-118. |
| Custodial History | The material in this collection was acquired by the library of The University of Nottingham in separate transfers between 1950 and 1973. Further material was acquired in 2020 and 2022, and remains uncatalogued. |
| Description | The collection contains two types of material: original manuscripts acquired by Arthur Cossons presumably in the course of his research; and notes concerning his research or lectures by him. Items in the collection including the following:
Copy from the parish register of Trowell, Nottinghamshire recording the baptism of Phebe, daughter of John and Mary Barton in 1723. Undated, perhaps 1723 (MS 28/1);
Copy from the parish register of Shelford, Nottinghamshire recording the baptism of George, son of Richard and Rebecca Brown in 1743. 1764 (MS 28/2);
Receipt of legacy from John Hebb to Henry Hebb of Keyworth, Nottinghamshire. 1761 (MS 28/3);
Letter from James Beesby of London to Francis Gawrthorn, white lead manufacturer of Nottingham, seeking business. 1764 (MS 28/4);
Memorandum of an agreement between Henry Hebb and Samuel Tudor relating to the sale of land in Spondon, Derbyshire. 1804 (MS 28/5);
Letter and notes made by Ann Clarke for an index of Acts of Parliament relating to Nottinghamshire. 1960 (MS 28/6);
Exercise book containing notes made by Arthur Cossons entitled 'Local History and the Statute Book', apparently related to a local history course prepared by him. Undated, c. 1960 (MS 28/7);
Typescript list of acts of parliament relating to Nottinghamshire, presumably prepared by Ann Clarke and Arthur Cossons. Undated, c. 1960 (MS 28/8). |