Heritage and culture

The Waller Collection is made up of the family and estate records of the Waller family of Woodcote House, Leek Wootton, and their ancestors, the Wise family, who at one time lived at The Priory in Warwick.

The collection dates back to the 12th century and is made up of around 25 archive boxes, together with a number of outsize volumes and rolls. The bulk of the collection consists of deeds of the family estates, the majority of which were in Warwickshire, though there were some in Nottinghamshire, Yorkshire and London as well. The series of medieval deeds are particularly fine, with some wonderful examples of early wax seals. There are also some estate surveys, some of which include beautifully drawn maps, for example of farmland in Lillington.

Sets of personal letters have survived to become part of the collection and they give a fantastic insight into what life was like at the time.

The letters include:

• letters written by Anna Jarrett (née Waller) during the 1830s and 40s, describing her experiences as a wife and mother
• letters (and sketches) by Lieutenant George Waller whilst he was serving in the Crimean War
• letters written by members of the royal family to an eminent oculist, Sir Jonathan Wathen Waller
• a letter in which Sir Jonathan gives an eyewitness account of the death of King George IV.

The collection also contains a number of notable individual items, including records relating to Henry Wise (1653-1738) who was gardener to Queen Anne and King George I and two 18th century recipe books owned by Mary Wise.

The Waller Collection is a unique piece in the jigsaw of Warwickshire’s history and heritage.