Bawtry Heritage Group (BHG) has recently acquired a fascinating historical album compiled by Anne Everard, who ran a girls’ boarding school in the town during the 1820s. Anne Everard was also the author of Flowers from Nature, published in 1835, and the album offers a rare and personal glimpse into her life, interests and the period in which she lived. (The purchase of the album was first reported in the News & Events post dated 14th February 2025.)

The boarding school was known as Ivy House, and for some time it was believed to have been located in what is now Leigh House on Wharf Street. However, further detailed research carried out by BHG member Sherelle Hawes has revealed that Ivy House was in fact the large property on the corner of Church Street and Wharf Street, now known locally as the Dutch House. This discovery has helped to more accurately place an important piece of Bawtry’s educational and social history within the town’s historic landscape.

Following this breakthrough, Sherelle Hawes visited the Dutch House and met with the current owners, Mr and Mrs Robson, to share the album and explain its historical connection to their home. The couple were delighted to see the album return, if only briefly, to the building where it was originally compiled nearly 200 years ago. They described the visit as a special and unexpected link to the past of their property.

To ensure the long-term preservation of this valuable historical item, the album has now been placed in safekeeping at Doncaster Archives. This will allow it to be properly conserved and made available for future research, helping to deepen understanding of Bawtry’s history and the lives of those who lived and worked in the town during the early 19th century.