Christopher Bartlett, and his wife Violetta, were famous honey producers who lived and worked in Charlbury. Before the first world war, at the age of 20, he already had over 2,000 hives. He married Violetta in 1901 in Witney and they moved to Sandford Mount in 1919. His whole family were involved in the business and as late as 1954 the Bartletts were still one of the country’s largest honey producers. The museum is very grateful to his family for the donation of many fascinating objects from his business – bee carriers, a cork maker, honey jars – and a letter from Buckingham Palace thanking Christopher for a gift of honey sent to King George V during one of his illnesses in 1928.
