Thomas William Carr scrapbook, circa 1819-1899

Album is titled in gilt on the spine: "Carr M.S.S. Scraps."

Notes at the front, signed "T.W.C.", remark that the album was "rebound & enlarged in 1889," and "the first vol. begun perhaps 10 years before and also the folio volume." The notes suggests that the current scrapbook was compiled later than the others, although presumably all three were put together by Reverend Thomas William Carr of Barming. His obituary, from December 1912, is included in the scrapbook's final pages. It is clear that leaves 229-234 were added later, since they are of different paper from the rest of the album.

In general (though there are many exceptions), the material in this scrapbook seems to date from the lifetime of Thomas William Carr of Barming, coming from his immediate ancestors or relatives, and descendents. Occasionally, later descendents have added material from the mid or late 20th century. The volume also seems focused on personal documents (rather than the legal documents collected in volume 1 of the earlier folio scrapbook). It especially includes family and portrait photographs, photos and engravings of houses and churches associated with the family, personal letters, the family coat of arms, genealogies, and death notices, memorial inscriptions, and photos of tombs. There are also letters from those with whom T.W. Carr of Barming corresponded in his attempts to gather information and documents for his family history. In many places, T.W. Carr of Barming has helpfully penned in notes explaining the provenance of a document or its relation to the Carr family. However, the album itself is not clearly organized and follows no narrative structure. It has a loose chronological arc, but there are also 16th century documents on the purchase of Eshott Heugh estate in the final pages of the book.

Affixed to the inside of the back cover is a collection of wax seals. Most appear to date to the 1800s, with a handful perhaps from the 1600s.