Benfleet shop receipts from the 1920s and 1930s

In the collection of paperwork that was donated to the Benfleet Archive, by the late Miss Betty Matson, were numerous receipts and invoices relating to goods and services supplied to St. Mary’s Church and the Institute in the 1920s and 1930s.  Some of these are displayed in the gallery of pictures below.

Some of the receipts were headed by colourful adverts for goods that could be purchased from the business that supplied the receipt.  Unlike todays computer printed receipts the list of items supplied was all hand written.

All of the receipts were written many years before the decimalisation of UK currency in 1971, so the prices are shown in Pounds, Shillings and Pence.

Where London Road is shown in an address note that this is what is now Benfleet High Road.

To see the detail on the receipts click on the magnifying glass icon in the bottom right corner of the image.  It is fascinating to see the range of items purchased, from 1 cwt of coke nuts to 3/4 lb of ham and from a ball of string to a ladder.