The Ciphering Book, green hard cover text and workbook. Published in London, belonged to George Hood, Ashbourne 1849.

Printed book with green hard cover and red leather spine. The flyleaf features a drawing of a scroll, inscribed 'Gorge Hood [sic] - Ashbourne - 1849. The same text was written in a cartouche on the third page, but has been erased.
The book is divided into sections. Each has an introduction to a particular rule and an example, followed by a number of questions, with spaces left for students to complete the answers.

The titles of each section are printed in heavy gothic type, whereas the numbers are in elegant italics. There is a great mixture of weights and sizes of text throughout the book. though it is densely printed, there does seem to be room for a pupil's workings. The pages are all numbered up to the last two leaves, which function as a catalogue of other Pinnock and Maunder publications.

This book has been completed up to page 27, in pen and then pencil (possibly in a different hand). Many of the questions are incomplete, allowing a student or teacher to insert appropriate values.
For example: 'Bought 48 sheep for .........., what did each cost?'
Occassionally there are lists of questions to be answered orally by the pupil, for example: 'How many penny-weights one ounce? How many ounces one pound?'

Given by Barbara Jones

This collection of books belonged to Derby tailor Francis Hood and his children.

Francis was born in Ashbourne, Derby, in 1800. In 1823 he married Susanna Wilson, and they had five children. All their names, apart from the youngest, Susanna, appear on the exercise and copy books. Francis was a successful tailor, and the enterprise grew to be a flourishing family business.

George (born 1827) was a tailor with his father by the age of 14. He died aged only 24.

Elizabeth (born 1830) became a milliner and dressmaker. She married Scottish draper John Train, but was soon widowed, and thereafter is listed is woollen goods trader as well as dressmaker.

Francis (born 1832) moved to Australia, possibly before his twentieth birthday, where he stayed the rest of his life.

Henry (born 1836) was an apprentice in 1851. Ten years later, at the age of 25, he inherited the family business, and by 1881 was employing 6 men and 2 boys. He was married to Elizabeth from Somerset, and they had six children. He was able to retire in his mid-sixties and move to a country house on the proceeds of the business. Soon after, Elizabeth died, but Henry remarried at the age of 72 to a woman 31 years his junior. His second son George (born 1868) continued the Hood dynasty from the 1890s, though the shop in St John Street, Ashbourne, remained ‘Henry Hood & Son’ in 1900.

Susanna (born 1838) never married, and lived with Elizabeth. She was also a dressmaker.

The books were passed down through Henry’s children to the donor’s husband.

B.286-2012