The Stockdale Collection

The collection includes transcripts of original documents made by Stockdale and others for his history, together with descriptions of parishes, letters from fellow antiquaries, pedigrees, replies to his questionaire, newspaper cuttings, memoranda and printed material.

Frederick Wilton Litchfield Stockdale (1786-1858), antiquary, author, was the son of Robert Stockdale, and was baptised at St Anne's church, Soho, on 5 May 1786. He worked as an assistant to the military secretary of the East India Company. In 1806 he married Harriet Budd at St Michael Bassishaw, London. In 1810 he published Etchings from original drawings of antiquities in the county of Kent, and another south east title in 1817 A concise historical and topographical sketch of Hastings, Winchelsea and Rye. In 1821 his son Frederick was baptised at Lanivet in Cornwall, and his west country associations begin. In 1824 he published Excursions in the county of Cornwall, which was followed in 1834 by The Cornish Tourist. At this time he was living at Manor Place, Walworth, Surrey. In 1840 he began writing to eminent west country individuals seeking information towards a history of Devon, which was brought to a usable state in manuscript but never published.

Contact the Devon and Exeter institution for current arrangements

Exeter Diocesan Architectural Society

The majority of this collection, which is held at the DEI, will remain there for the time being. There is a short handlist to the materials, catalogued as MS19x, which remain at the University.

The collection was surveyed by staff of the Royal Commission on Historical Manuscripts in February 1996. There are hard copy indexes in addition to names of correspondents and places.

Contact the Devon and Exeter institution for current arrangements

On Stockdale's death the papers relating to Devon were presented by his son FC Stockdale to the Exeter Diocesan Architectural Society (EDAS), which was based at the Devon and Exeter Institution (DEI). The Stockdale Collection was later transferred to the University Library, where it was originally boxed and listed, together with some of the earlier EDAS archives (most EDAS papers are still at the DEI; see MS 5; MS 25). Most of the collection was transferred back to the DEI during the librarianship of John Stirling, for the convenience of a researcher. These papers are still held by the dei, where they may be consulted without appointment. A few stray documents (listed as 19x) remain at the university library.