Wisbech & Fenland Museum facts for kids

Wisbech & Fenland Museum

Established	1835
Location	Museum Square, Wisbech, Isle of Ely, Cambridgeshire, England, United Kingdom PE13 1ES
Type	Museum
Owner	Wisbech and Fenland Museum Trustee Company Ltd

The Wisbech & Fenland Museum is a really old museum located in the town of Wisbech in Cambridgeshire, England. It's one of the first museums in the United Kingdom that was built just to be a museum! You might see its logo, W&F, around.

Discovering the Museum's History

The museum started in 1835 as a club for people who wanted to learn and share cool things. Now, it's a charity, which means it's run to help the public, not to make money.

How the Museum Started (1800s)

The Museum Society began in 1835. At first, it was in two rooms of a house. You could visit the collections on Fridays.

In 1839, it cost one shilling to get in. By 1841, the museum was looking for someone to look after it. The museum moved to its current special building in 1847.

This building was made for both the Museum and a Literary Society. These two groups joined together in 1877. The museum building is now a Grade II* listed building. This means it's a very important historic building.

A famous professor, Adam Sedgwick, gave a talk when the museum opened in 1847. The building cost a lot of money to build. Many important people came to the opening. The museum still has its original display cases and bookshelves today.

The museum has some amazing collections. These include items about local history and the anti-slavery fighter Thomas Clarkson. One very special item is the original handwritten story of Great Expectations by Charles Dickens. It was given to the museum in 1863.

Other cool things include what people say was Napoleon's breakfast set. It was supposedly taken at the Battle of Waterloo. There's also Thomas Clarkson's chest. It holds old African fabrics, seeds, and leatherwork. He used these to show why direct trade with Africa was important.

The Museum in the 1900s

In 1910, Baron Peckover was re-elected as the museum's president. The museum has a huge collection of maps. These maps have been shown in different places over the years.

In 1947, there was a big discussion about selling the Great Expectations manuscript. It was worth a lot of money. But the person who gave it to the museum said it should "never be sold" and stay there "for ever." So, the sale was stopped. In the 1950s, a local archaeology group worked from the museum.

Recent Discoveries (2000s)

In 2018, archaeologists dug on the museum grounds. Local people helped with this community dig.

Also in 2018, the museum building was added to the "Heritage at Risk Register." This means it needs some care. The famous poet Benjamin Zephaniah visited the museum in 2018. He even said it was his favorite museum!

The museum has also started working with Cambridge University Library. They are sharing resources and ideas. In 2021, the museum got a big grant to fix its roof. To celebrate its 175th birthday in 2022, the Friends of the museum held a concert.

Exploring the Collections

The museum has many different types of collections. They help us understand the past.

Local and Social History

The museum's collection shows what life was like in the Fens. It has old farm tools and fishing gear. These items show how people lived and worked before modern machines.

You can also see things about Wisbech as a town and a port. It used to be a big port for trading grain and wood. The museum also displays items related to crime and punishment. Wisbech once had a jail and stocks.

There's even a mantrap that used to belong to Peckover House and Garden. You can also see everyday objects from the 1800s and early 1900s. These show how people lived and worked in local jobs.

The museum has old posters for the town's Angles Theatre. This is one of the oldest theatres built just for plays. You can also see a model of a woad mill. Woad was a plant used to make blue dye. It was grown a lot in the Fens.

There's also a display about the Cambridgeshire Regiment. This is a local army group.

Important Manuscripts

This collection includes special handwritten books. You can see Hours of Idleness by Lord Byron. There's also Great Expectations by Charles Dickens. Another is The Monk by Matthew Lewis.

Natural History Wonders

The museum has a great collection of natural history items. You can see rocks and minerals from all over. There are also fossils like ichthyosaurs and shark teeth.

You'll find shells, old birds, mammals, and fish. There are also butterflies and moths, and beetles. The museum has a collection of dried plants too.

Archaeology Discoveries

The museum's archaeology collection helps you learn about life in the Fens. It covers times from pre-history to the Middle Ages. You can see Roman pottery and a skeleton of a woman from about 1700 years ago.

A very special item is the Iron Age Wisbech Scabbard. This is a highly decorated sword sheath from around 300 BC. It was found nearby. Pottery from an old Fenland river also shows what life was like long ago.

The museum often gets new finds from local digs. It worked with a project to dig on its own grounds.

Ancient Egyptian Artefacts

The museum has a collection of items from ancient Egypt. These show a lot about Egyptian life and beliefs. You can see a mummified cat! There are also small statues of gods like Osiris, Isis, and Horus.

You can also see canopic jars, which held organs. There are also stelae, which are like gravestones. The museum even has an Egyptian collection you can touch! This is very popular with school groups.

Artworks and Paintings

The museum has 165 paintings and sculptures. You can see many of them online. The collection includes famous people like Napoleon and Charles I of England. It also has people with local ties, like Thomas Clarkson. You can also see paintings of local scenes, like woad being made.

Photography Through Time

The museum has many old photographs. These show Wisbech and the area in the 1800s and 1900s. You can see photos by Samuel Smith and Geoff Hastings.

It also has some of the earliest photos of Madagascar from the 1850s. These were taken by William Ellis. The museum also has a collection by Margaret George. She took photos of daily village life from the early 1900s. She carefully dated and named all her pictures.

Visiting the Museum

Until 2023, it was free to visit the museum. Now, adults pay £5 for a year-long ticket. Kids under 16 and full-time students still get in for free!

The museum is open from Tuesday to Saturday, 10 AM to 4 PM. It's usually closed on Sundays. The museum often takes part in local events. It also has activities for families and special exhibitions. In January and early February, it's only open on Saturdays.

The museum has been updated with a lift. This makes it easier to get to all the different levels.

Museum Library

The museum has a reference library with about 12,000 books. Most of these books are about history, biographies, medicine, and travel. There are fewer fiction or religious books.

Friends of Wisbech and Fenland Museum

The Friends of Wisbech and Fenland Museum is a charity. They raise money for the museum. They also publish books about local history.

They have published many books. These include books about Chauncey Hare Townshend and local farmers. They also have a series of books with photos of Wisbech.

Museum Awards

The museum was chosen as a finalist for the 'Family Friendly Museum Award' in 2021. This was in the Best Small Museum group.

The Friends group also won the 'Friends of the Year Award' in 2023!

How the Museum is Funded

The museum relies a lot on volunteers. It gets money from ticket sales, donations, and its shop. It also gets grants from different groups. The 'Friends' group gives important funds too.

The museum also has a 'Supporters Circle' scheme. People can give money each month to help the museum.