The archive consists of papers relating to the Guildhouse Fellowship and lecture tours of Dr Agnes Maude Royden. It includes Guildhouse Fellowship newsletters (1941, 1942, 1950) and lists of key events and speakers at the Guildhouse (1921-1940). Detailed letters from Daisy Dobson report home to friends and colleagues on travels in the United States of America and India during Royden's world lecture tour (1928). As well as providing information on Royden's schedule, the letters describe the landscape, people and culture of the countries they visit and comment with humour and frustration on the practicalities of their trip. A later letter describes sea travel during the Second World War for Royden's lecture tour of the United States of America (1941-1942).
Sans titreThe collection contains letters from Isabella Bird to a friend, 1868; to Captain Coburn, 1879; to Mrs Waller, 1879; to Miss Gilpin, 1887; to Mrs Smith, 1887; to unnamed man, 1889; to unnamed man, 1889. Constance Gordon-Cumming to Miss Smith, 1897. Mary Kingsley to Mr Maclehose, 1899. Rosita Forbes to Mr Simpson, 1910. Mary Hall to Mr Simpson, 1910. Olive Macleod to Mr Simpson, 1910-1911. Edith Durham to Mr Christy, 1912-1914. Freya Stark to Lady Currie, 1933-1936. Evelyn Cheesman to Miss P Strachey, 1936; Note by Miss Strachey introducing Miss Cheesman's lectures; letter from Miss D Steiner about programme of lectures.
Sans titreMiscellaneous papers of George Colebrook including lectures and treatises on diseases, 1678-1716.
Sans titreCorrespondence and papers of Sir Benjamin Ward Richardson, 1846-1897, including notes taken by Richardson as a medical student from the lectures of Dr J A Easton, Professor of Materia Medica, Andersonian University, Glasgow, Winter Session 1846-1847; papers relating to Richardson's life of Thomas Sopwith, the mining engineer, comprising Sopwith's original diaries, or a transcript of them, with Richardson's explanatory notes inserted; papers and drafts of Richardson's unfinished autobiography published posthumously under the title 'Vita Medica'; lecture notes on human physiology; Richardson's case book, 1852-1861 and unpublished works by Richardson.
Sans titre3 letters addressed to Lady Charlotte [full name unidentified], 1844-1869. (1) From Henry Pelham, Earl of Chichester, 23 Mar 1867. Relating to lectures on prophecy and the apocalypse. (2) From George Villiers, Earl of Clarendon, 25 Jan 1869. Relating to consular posts in China. (3) From Queen Adelaide (widow of William IV), [1844]. Congratulating Lady Charlotte on her daughter's wedding to a Mr Turner.
Both letters are autograph, with signatures.
Sans titre(1) Letter from Randall Carline Swingler of the Left Review, 2 Parton Street, London to Thomas Sturge Moore, c1938. Asking him to contribute an article to the Left Review. Sturge Moore's draft reply appears on the reverse.
(2) Letter from Randall CarlineSwingler of the Left Review to Thomas Sturge Moore, c1938. Enclosing the final proof [missing] of Sturge Moore's article Fashions in art and literature.The article appeared in the April 1938 issue.
(3)Letter from John Edgell Rickword of the Communist Party of Great Britain, Hampstead Branch, 47 South Hill Park to Thomas Sturge Moore, 15 Feb 1938. Asking him to chair a lecture.
Sans titrePapers of Samuel Wilderspin, 1823-[1980], chiefly comprising letters received by Wilderspin, although there are a few in series 6 (Manuscripts) written by him. The rest of the collection comprises material collected by Wilderspin, including notices of his lectures, a few sample lessons and promotional literature on literary, scientific and educational societies, and Wilderspin's and Thomas Young's printed works laying out their theories of education. There are also two theses on Wilderspin. Series 7 (Local Infant Schools), is material collected by Wilderspin's biographers Dr Francis A. Young and Dr Phillip McCann, about schools founded by Wilderspin, in the course of writing their book on him.
Particular points of arrangement:
- Although the material is arranged in classes there are many items that appear to be in the wrong class or which could belong to more than one. Cross-references, especially for the Gaskell letters and material relating to lectures, have been made but it would be advisable to read all the class descriptions when looking for items. References to individuals other than the Gaskells have not been cross-referenced as the class and list descriptions are a guide only to the nature of the papers.
- Generally the collection within classes is arranged chronologically. Where material in a class was packaged in date sequences which overlapped it was resorted chronologically on arrival at the archive. The exception is 6/Manuscripts which contains three sets of material each with different provenance.
- Endorsements - Many pieces are endorsed. Some are by Wilderspin, in ink. He tended to write the sender's name on the back of the letter. Others are in pencil and are by Dr. Francis Young who added possible dates, explanations and possible readings of illegible words. He also wrote some explanations in biro on separate sheets of paper. These have been left with the originals and are numbered in the same sequence.
- Some letters refer to "enclosed" items. The whereabouts of these are no longer known.
- For counting purposes note that the previous counting of pieces and items has been confused. The number of items quoted in the class descriptions and recorded on the envelopes containing the papers may not therefore reflect the exact size of the class. For a definition of items and pieces see Cook, M The Manual of Archival Description 2nd edition (1989).
- For some years there is copious material while for others there is very little.
- Where possible the main subjects in a class, in terms of quantity, have been identified in the class description. Some classes, however, were too diverse to do this.
- Many of the dates have been added to the documents in pencil by Dr. Francis Young, brother to John Young, who deposited the papers.
Letter from John Ruskin of Denmark Hill to an unnamed correspondent, 29 Mar [1864]. Recalling the gracious reception he had once been accorded at Bradford [Mar 1859], thanking him for his compliments and for an invitation to lecture there again [Apr 1864]: 'I can't say pretty things any more...If you will let me say a few simple things in a quiet way I'll come, if my health permits me ...' Autograph, with signature. Written on black-edged paper [Ruskin's father died on 3 Mar 1864].
Sans titreLetter from Henry Roberts of 31 Prince's Square, Kensington Gardens, London to C C Nelson, 16 Mar 1861. 'The lecture which you attended some months since at the So[uth] Kensington Museum [now the Victoria and Albert Museum] has just been published by the Ladies' Sanitary Association [under the title Healthy Dwellings]'.
Autograph, with signature.
Sans titreRecords of the Royal Polytechnic Institution (RPI), 1837-1881 and undated, comprising:
Leases of premises, 1838-1876, including no 5 Cavendish Square; prospectus, 1837; correspondence and papers concerning the foundation of the Institution, its provisional committee, shares, status and affairs, 1837-1839 and undated, including its charter, 1839, and papers on arbitration on a dispute between W M Nurse and the Institution; correspondence and papers relating to activities and affairs of the Institution, 1838-1842 and undated, including documents on the alleged infringement by the Institution of a patent for a diving dress, 1838, and an agreement with W H F Talbot permitting the use of his patented photographic process, 1841; photocopy of a letter from Robert Longbottom, RPI Secretary, to Samuel Morse, 1846; copy of charter, 1852; letter concerning a school visit to the RPI, 1858;
Catalogues of the Polytechnic Institution (copies), 1838-1840, and Royal Polytechnic Institution, 1844-1845; programmes for 1861, 1876, 1878 and 1881; bound volumes of RPI programmes, 1873-1878; reports, 1879-1880; particulars and conditions of sale of the RPI premises, 1881;
Books by authors associated with the RPI, including various publications by John Henry Pepper: The Boy's Playbook of Science, 2nd edition, 1860.; Popular Lectures for Young People and Half Hours with the Alchemists, 1st edition, 1855; The Playbook of Metals, 1st edition, 1869 and Cyclopaedic Science Simplified, 1st edition, 1869; The Book of The Lantern by T C Hepworth, 2nd edition, 1889; Memory by William Stokes, 2nd edition, 1888 and Rapid Writing by William Stokes, 4th edition, 1873; issues of various contemporary journals containing information on or advertisements for the Institution [1839]-1845, some with illustrations, among them scientific equipment, including four parts of the London Polytechnic Magazine, 1844, six parts of its continuation, The Polytechnic Review and Magazine, 1844, and five parts, 1845; advertising poster, 1840;
Book of press cuttings relating to the Institution from 1842, many lacking details of their source; five tokens bearing the name of the Institution, 1840; photogenic transfer made at the Institution, 1840; a ceramic plate fired at the RPI, 1866;
Illustrations and photographs of illustrations from 1840, some undated, including the great hall and other shots of the interior and exterior, 1843, and demonstrations, including the diving bell.
Sans titreNotes from the lectures of George Fordyce at his house in Essex Street, Strand, for a period extending over 30 years on subjects including clinical lectures, acute diseases, chemistry, chronic diseases, diseases of women and children, materia medica and the natural history of the human body. Transcribed, mainly from short-hand notes, by Henry Rumsey, one of his pupils, 1785-1787.
Sans titreFinal leaf only of a letter from Silas Kitto Hocking to Mr Kernshaw, [1880-1935]. Expressing the hope of seeing him at the Whitefriars Club to make arrangements for them to travel together to a lecture to be given by Hocking in the following week.
Autograph, with signature.
Sans titre3 letters and a postcard from Guy Hamilton of The Athenaeum, London to Major [Harry George Julius] Heydeman MC, 1954-1955. Arranging to borrow illustrative material from Heydeman's collection for Hamilton's lectures on local history.
All items are autograph, with signatures.
Sans titreThe archive consists predominantly of photocopies of manuscript and typescript lecture notes by Yates. It also includes photocopies of press cuttings, flyers, membership cards and annual reports relating to the Wimbledon Women's Social and Political Union (WSPU) of which Yates was an active member. The archive also contains press cuttings concerning the donation of the Emily Wilding Davison papers to the Fawcett Library in 1986.
Sans titrePapers of Herbert Ritchie Spencer including medical notebook with notes of lectures by Sydney Ringer, University College, London 1882; Scrapbook 1896-1936 and abstract of 658 ovariotomies performed by Spencer.
Sans titre