The Layton Collection

THE THOMAS LAYTON TRUST & LAYTON'S COLLECTION

Old English Songbook

Layton’s collection includes several volumes of songs and music. This example, from the late 18th century, comprises a range of songs with title illustrations throughout. The illustration shows the book open at a song entitled Strawberry Hill whose lyrics mention a number of local mansions, including Chiswick House, Gunnersbury and Marble Hill.

The Collection

Thomas Layton collected books, coins, and archaeological items (usually described as ‘antiquities’) for 70 years. In that time he had accumulated what has been described as “probably the largest collection of London antiquities ever amassed by a single individual”.

The vast majority of items are believed to have been bought at auctions. Some came to him from his men working on the river. His businesses provided opportunities for finds from dredging, building of bridges and embankments along the banks of the Thames, for which Layton paid good money. Even by the standards of the day Layton kept poor records of where items were found. Despite this, the collection is considered highly important particularly to archaeologists and pre-historians.