9-13 Hythe Road, Willesden, London NW10: correspondence concerning sale

Various items of correspondence relating to the sale of Hythe Road premises, which were used as a storage facility for the Historical Medical Museum. It was sold to Rubber Improvement Ltd for £24,000 in 1945, although as a term of the sale The Wellcome Foundation Ltd retained a portion of the property (at £1,000 per annum) until the end of 1946, to continue to store books, paintings and museum objects whilst their disposal was managed. This arrangement in close proximity was the cause of some friction between the two companies.

The file includes:

17 October, 1929. Plan to scale (32 feet to 1 inch). Blue sheet (folded), stamped Albert Craven Sons & Co Ltd, Incorporated Insurance Brokers, 54 Old Broad Street, London EC2. Headed "Insurance Plan".

26 October, 1929. Plan to scale (32 feet to 1 inch). Stamped Albert Craven Sons & Co Ltd, Incorporated Insurance Brokers, 54 Old Broad Street, London EC2. [Housed separately in plan-chest, sheet measuring 340 x 445mm]

8 May, 1940. Memorandum on the disposal of 9/13 Hythe Road, Willesden, noting the property was purchased in 1928. "The question whether the Willesden premises might be disposed of has had some consideration in the past. I think it was hoped, had the disposal of surplus stores and museum objects been continued and the rearrangement of the museum progressed, that Willesden might have been sufficiently empty this year to have warranted renting or purchasing smaller storage space perhaps in the immediate neighbourhood of Euston Road...."

7 April, 1941. Agreement (signed), between The Wellcome Foundation Ltd (the Landlords) and The British Rawhide Belting Company Ltd (the Tenants), concerning Store in yard at No. 10 Hythe Road, Willesden, London, NW10.

12 August, 1942. Copy "Schedule of conditions of portions of premises nos. 10, 11, 12 and 13 Hythe Road, Willesden Junction, NW10, to be leased by The Wellcome Foundation Ltd to Rubber Improvement Ltd".

Remaining (considerable) correspondence (1944-47) concerns the sale of premises to Rubber Improvement Ltd, a sale complicated by the Foundation's desire to retain some (short term) storage capacity at Willesden.

3 January, 1945. Schedule of Deeds and Documents relating to Nos. 9/13 Hythe Road, Willesden.

20 February, 1945, Wellcome Foundation to Rubber Improvements Ltd: "...the Foundation is prepared to offer vacant possession of the premises at Hythe Road not later than the 31st December, 1946."

13 March, 1945. Copy of Minute of Foundation Board Meeting (8 March): "Dr Kellaway reported that Dr Daukes had suggested that the ethnological material (except the Peruvian and Mexican) not required by the Foundation should be given to the Liverpool Museum as a gift...."

27 March, 1945. Copy of Minute of Foundation Board Meeting (22 March): "Chairman reported that with Dr Kellaway and Dr Daukes he had met Sir John Forsdyke and Mr H J Braunholtz of the British Museum to discuss the disposal of ethnological material not required by the Foundation. Shortly after hostilities in Europe had ceased the British Museum would almost certainly be able to house the material at Bath and would assist in advising as to its disposal. The British Museum would also be prepared to examine the Peruvian and Mexican material, the Foundation to retain any material of medical interest. Agreed that the matter be discussed further with the Trustees and that they be invited to dispose of the material in the way indicated, purchasing it from the Foundation at the prices originally paid by the late Sir Henry Wellcome."

23 April, 1945. Copy of Minute of Foundation Board Meeting (19 April): "Chairman reported that the Trustees were in general agreement with the proposals of the Board upon the disposal of ethnographical material not required by the Foundation. Chairman reported that as Chairman of BW&Co (USA) Inc. he had agreed to proposals of Management of that Company for the disposal of material from the New York Exhibition Galleries."

12 June, 1945 (date of contract). "Extract from particulars and conditions of sale of freehold property" and "Statement for Completion". Price, £24,000. Purchasers, Rubber Improvement Ltd. Completion date, 19 July, 1945.

19 June, 1945. Memorandum from P Johnston-Saint (Conservator, Wellcome Historical Medical Museum) to A N Falder, (Wellcome Foundation Secretariat), expressing strong concern about "the undesirability of further encroachments by Rubber Improvement Ltd" upon Wellcome Foundation storage space (retained until no later than 31 December 1946) - refers to "most valuable manuscripts, Oriental and others" and other material at risk (e.g. Gebel Moya collection, art works) from dirt, dust and damp weather.

All portions of the premises were vacated by the Wellcome Foundation on 22 December, 1946.

1929-1947

1 file

Copyright assigned to the Wellcome Trust