Stories from the Archive: Discovering Documents

The Brighton College Archive Written by Abigail Wharne, Archivist
Friday, 12 February 2016

One of the joys of sorting through the archive at Brighton College has been discovering documents that haven’t been seen for years – sometimes, these can be ‘hiding’ in places one least expects.

Milliken’s Register, which was published in 1922, is a wonderful resource. In fact, I admit to using it on a daily basis. We have several copies and they are always close to hand. While recently looking through one of these registers, Rebecca Findlay, our Development and Alumni Relations Manager, noticed something had been slipped inside its back cover. She carefully opened the fold-out pocket to find a postcard, which read:

"Dear David,
I didn’t know what sort of card to send you so I’m sending you this photo of the chapel as it will be when enlarged. The profits of these cards go towards the war memorial. You’re two to-morrow aren’t you – many happy returns of the day. Give my love to mother and Daddy. The weather is lovely here.
Love and X’s
Kiki"

The text prompted me to find out more. On the inside cover of the book, the name L.A.K. Hall had been written. I searched for Hall in our admissions register, and found the following details:

Name	Date of Birth	Boarded	Guardian	Father’s Occupation	Date of removal
Lionel Alfred Keith Hall	15 Dec 1907	Walpole	Albert Herbert Hall, 10 Clapham Mansions, Nightingale Lane, SW4	Surveyor and Estate Agent	Dec 1925

Alas, no obvious link to Kiki! But don’t fear, I will be visiting The Keep to see if I can find out more – as I catalogue records like this, I am hoping to add details about their provenance. Expect an update in the next couple of months.

It is little discoveries like this that make my job so wonderful. Every day, I am surprised by the rich nature of the College’s records and their potential for research.