Contents: .
The volume is titled on the front cover 'Susanna Barton' (corrected from 'Susannah Barton'). The volume was apparently first used by Thomas Worthington's mother, Susanna n Barton, to compile questions on the kings and queens of England, from William I to George I. Under each monarch's name is a series of questions occupying one of two pages. For example: 'Henry 4th. When born? When crowned? When did he die? What was he surnamed? Why? Where is the place situated?' It is possible that she set these questions for her son to answer.
The volume was later taken over by Thomas Worthington, who from 1841 (while he was still articled to Henry Bowman) used it as a commonplace book, starting at the other end of the volume. It is entitled 'Common Place Book commenced in the year 1841 by Thomas Worthington Broughton Manchester - /41'. The entries appear to have been compiled within a year or two of commencement.
The contents relate entirely to architecture, with notes on major architects (such as Inigo Jones and Christopher Wren); significant - predominantly ancient - buildings and monuments (e.g. the Parthenon, the Pantheon); and technical terms and styles of architecture (such as the Doric order, pedestals, the method of taking a view of a building, sizes of drawing paper). There is an alphabetical index of topics at the front of the volume. Entries under 'A' include: Arches and Arcades; Attics and Basements; Acropolis - Athens; Arch of Hadrian; Aquaduct of Hadrian; Architects, British.
The volume is a significant source for the formative influences on an important provincial architect of the nineteenth century.