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Top ten objects - Social History Collection

These top ten objects from the Museum of St Albans give you a taster of our Social History collections. To see more examples of our Social History Collections, why not search our collections?

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	St. Albans Pilgrim Badge Medieval St Albans Pilgrim badge, 14th century. The monastery at St Albans was an important pilgrim shrine. It protected the bones of Alban, reputedly the first British martyr. Pilgrims who had reached the saint's shrine and heard Mass there would buy souvenirs, tiny containers to hold holy water from the shrine, or badges to pin to their hats or clothes. This 14th century metal badge found in London shows the scene of Saint Alban's death, with the his head hanging from a tree, the sword, and the executioner with his eyes falling out. These badges were mass-produced in moulds, and were usually made of pewter, so they were cheap enough for everyone to afford.
	Tudor wooden roundel, 16th century. Roundels Tudor wooden roundel decorated with paint and gilding, including a rhyme or riddle. These were used for eating sweetmeats during the banquet or dessert course at a feast. A 2-pronged "sucket fork" was often used for this. The verses or riddles on the back were part of the entertainment. Only the wealthy could afford this.
	Richard Lee's Funerary Helmet Sir Richard Lee's Funerary Helmet, 16th century. Sir Richard Lee (c.1513-1575) was a professional soldier and military engineer. He was a friend of King Henry VIII and following the dissolution of St Albans Abbey he purchased the grounds of the abbey (the abbey itself was given to the people of St Albans), Sopwell Priory and the rectorship of St Stephen's church. He tore down the priory and built a Tudor house on the site which he named Lee Hall. The ruins of this house still survive today, on Cottonmill Lane. He is buried in St. Peter's Church, St. Albans.
	Straw Hat Victorian plaited straw hat, made in St Albans c.1900. St. Albans was once an important centre of the straw plaiting and hat-making industries. This straw hat dates from c1900 and was made in St. Albans by Horace Slade & Co. By the mid 1920s straw hats had gone out of fashion and the St. Albans straw hat industry went into terminal decline
	The St. Albans Borough Mace The St. Albans Borough Mace, c.1652. Thought to have been made during the Commonwealth in around 1652, the Borough Mace had the insignia of Charles II added at a later date. A fine piece of of silver-gilt craftsmanship, still used for ceremonial purposes today.
	St. Albans Trade Token Trade Token, issued in 1666 by Henry Gladman, proprietor of the George Inn, St. Albans. During the 17th century there was a shortage of small denomination coins. To overcome this some businesses produced their own trade tokens which could be used like coins. In almost every town and most large villages in England such tokens were issued, until in 1672 when the Royal Mint began to issue copper coinage. This token was issued in 1666 by Henry Gladman who was the proprietor of the George Inn in St. Albans.
	Medieval Shoe Medieval Leather Shoe, 15th century. This 15th century leather shoe was found during archaeological excavations in Chequer Street prior to the construction of the Maltings Shopping Centre in 1981. It would have been worn by a 15th century inhabitant of St. Albans.
	Warwick's Crisp Packet Crisp packet from Warwick's Fish shop, St Albans, 1930s. This 1930s crisp packet was found amongst a collection of papers which was donated to the Museum in 1997. It is particularly interesting to the Museum because it was made for a St. Albans family business and is the sort of item that does not normally survive. The Warwick family ran a chain of fish and chip shops in St. Albans from the 1920s to the 1980s.
	'A Tea Party at Napsbury' by Louis Wain Louis Wain - 'A Teaparty at Napsbury' (1930s). Wain painted this whilst he was a patient at Napsbury Hospital, London Colney, St. Albans during the 1930s. Wain was a prolific and popular artist, famous for his paintings of cats. Napsbury was one of several mental hospitals built in St. Albans during the late 19th century.
	Ballito War Work Badge Enamel badge reading 'Ballito on War Work', Second World War Period. Badges like this one were owned by many St. Albans women during the Second World War. Before the War the Ballito Hosiery Mills made silk stockings. When war broke out it switched over to producing Oerlikon ammunition shells. The majority of people who worked there at this time were women doing their bit for the War Effort.