John Urpeth Rastrick papers

The collection comprises a miscellany of correspondence (including drafts of copies of outgoing letters), with notes, engineering drawings, etc. Many of the notes and calculations are written in Rastrick's private cipher. Major correspondents include the London shipping iron merchants Henckell & Du Buisson; the 2nd Earl of Powis; John (later Sir John) Gladstone [father of W E Gladstone]; the lawyer, estate manager and politician James Loch and [?his son] George Loch; and Rastrick's sons and employees. Topics covered include the canal and railway interests of Rastrick and the other correspondents, as well as the iron industry. Most of the letters were dispatched to or from London or the industrial areas of South Wales and the West Midlands.

See hard copy catalogue

Open for research. At least 24 hours notice should be given before a research visit.

T D Rogers, The Rastrick Papers, University of London Library (1968).

Additionally, The National Archives, Kew, holds a volume of drawings (1840-1846); Shropshire Records and Research Centre has a Bridgnorth Diary (1811) (Ref: accs 1981-1982); Glamorgan Record Office contains letters to Dowlais Iron Company (1820-1839) (Ref: D/DG).