This tin can, 10.8cm tall, diameter 4.9cm, was discovered in the 1960s during the demolition of a row of houses in Burton Latimer called Wallis’s or Maycock’s Yard.
Burton Latimer time capsule
Written note by Mary Elizabeth Nichols 1863
The tin contained a note which read “This house was built by John Nichols Burton Latimer 1863. This property belongs to him and his daughter Mary Elizabeth he is the owner of these seven houses around hear and this was wrote by Mary Elizabeth aged 11 years”. It was hidden in the wall, near the fireplace of a house on High Causeway (so-called because the pavement was so much higher than the road level and needed two steps up to it).
Mary Elizabeth’s can and note were both in need of care and cleaning, fortunatelywe were able to access the services of the Conservation Unit Laboratory at the University of Lincoln. They noted that, although misshapen and corroded both inside and out, the can showed signs of use and age but was stable. The condition of the note was more perilous. They described it as “in poor structural condition…. tears…. loss of material and extensive ‘cockling’ along one edge….”
Happily both items were treated to make them fit and sufficiently stable to become an important item in Burton Latimer Heritage Museum’s Archive. Chosen to be part of the Beyond exhibition the can will also be on display at the Rushden Lakes Discover Northamptnshire exhibition in early 2026.
The Engine Shed is a Grade II listed former railway building which was restored for the building of the new Univesrity of Northampton campus at Waterside, Northampton.
This is a rare type of medieval ceramic roof tile, replaced in the 13th century by standard rectangular ceramic or nib tiles used until the 20th century. The rarity of these roof tiles and their association with buildings of high status in Northampton, both religious and secular, is of historical and archaeological significance.
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Univesrity of Northampton
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NMAG
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Andy Chapman
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NMAG