THE HISTORY OF THE BUSINESS
It is not certain when the family first became coal merchants. The records date back to 1858. In the earliest Directory we hold here which is Pigot's dated 1842 a James and William Marriott are listed as coal merchants and dealers, the High Street,Witney. In the 1852 Gardner's Directory William Marriott is listed as a coal merchant and dyer of the same address. In the 1883 Kelly's directory the company is now listed under James Marriott coal merchant, farmer,dyer etc The Bridge, High Street. In 1903 the address seems to have changed yet again to James Marriott coal, coke and salt merchant, 114 High Street and Railway Station Yard, Station Road, Witney. In the course of time they also had depots at Witney, Bampton, Blenheim and Woodstock, Alvescot, Fairford, Handborough, Charlbury, Shipton-Under-Wychwood and Wantage Road.
In another industry that of blanket manufacturing the Marriott family joined forces with the Early family. Indeed some members of the Marriott family were blanket directors as well as being involved in the coal business. In a 1920s membership book the coal merchants are listed as J.F. Marriott, John Albert Marriott, William Frederick and Henry Owen Marriott, who are all listed as blanket manufacturers.
THE RECORDS
The documents came to us in two installments. The first deposit was made in 1965 when the records were rescued from a coal shed at the back of Marriott's yard and this collection was assigned the accession number 541. The next deposit was made in 1985 and was assigned the accession number 2476.
The documents are mainly of the 19th-20th centuries and include membership lists of directors, various accounts mainly for the supply and transport of coal,salary books for staff, insurance policy material, papers regarding the repair of railway wagons, papers regarding the use of station wharfage ground for coal storage and a miscellaneous section.
Catalogued by Jeanette Grisold, April 1994.