GB 0096 MS 928 - St Catharine's Cumberland Lodge

Identity area

Reference code

GB 0096 MS 928

Title

St Catharine's Cumberland Lodge

Date(s)

  • 1925-1987 (Creation)

Level of description

Extent and medium

39 boxes

Context area

Name of creator

Biographical history

Amy Ernestine Buller was born in London on 9 November 1891. She was brought up in South Africa as a Baptist, returning to England in 1911. Soon after, she went to Germany to learn the language, and to complete matriculation for Birkbeck College, London, where she took her degree in 1917 and became an Anglo-Catholic. She joined the Student Christian Movement (SCM) after the First World War and was appointed organising secretary in 1921. Moving from Manchester to become a London secretary in 1922, Buller organised a great many conferences and retreats bringing people of different doctrines and nations together. In 1929, she was appointed with 3 others to lead the SCM. In 1931, however, she left the movement to become warden of a women's residential hall at the University of Liverpool. During the 1930s she organised a number of delegations of prominent British churchmen to Germany in a bid for peace and to understand Nazism: what she saw as a new religion but ultimately condemned. She compiled a series of her conversations with people she had met in Germany and her views on the importance of some kind of religion to young people which were published under the title: Darkness over Germany (Longman Green, 1943).
Buller resigned from the University of Liverpool in 1942 and moved to London. Her time was taken up with plans to set up a new religious college. Initially, this was to be at the vacated precinct of the hospital of St. Katharine's, Regents Park. Her plans for a college at St Katharine's ran into difficulty both in terms of ethos and geographical issues and she had to abandon the location and search for another. After several other failures to a secure a site for her college, Buller was granted the use of Cumberland Lodge at Windsor Park after the death of its previous inhabitant, Lord Fitzalan. Buller wanted to retain the connection with St Katharine's, but the college had to remain separate from the original foundation. She decided to retain the same name, albeit with a different spelling, associated with St. Catharine, the Patron Saint of Philosophers. The name of the college changed in 1966 to King George VI and Queen Elizabeth Foundation of St. Catharine's, Cumberland Lodge.
The college was designed as a place where students could discuss important matters of life and society in a pleasant environment, being given intellectual stimulus in areas outside their normal academic studies. It was a Christian foundation, although non-Christian students were admitted, the religious aspect was always fundamental, although the intention was to make it unobtrusive. Amy Buller remained Honorary Warden at the college until 1966. She died in 1974, aged 83.
(Taken largely from Walter James, A short account of Amy Buller and the founding of St. Catharine's Cumberland Lodge, printed privately (1979)).

Archival history

GB 0096 MS 928 1925-1987 Collection (fonds) 39 boxes Buller , Amy Ernestine , 1891-1974 , warden of St. Catharine's Cumberland Lodge
Amy Ernestine Buller was born in London on 9 November 1891. She was brought up in South Africa as a Baptist, returning to England in 1911. Soon after, she went to Germany to learn the language, and to complete matriculation for Birkbeck College, London, where she took her degree in 1917 and became an Anglo-Catholic. She joined the Student Christian Movement (SCM) after the First World War and was appointed organising secretary in 1921. Moving from Manchester to become a London secretary in 1922, Buller organised a great many conferences and retreats bringing people of different doctrines and nations together. In 1929, she was appointed with 3 others to lead the SCM. In 1931, however, she left the movement to become warden of a women's residential hall at the University of Liverpool. During the 1930s she organised a number of delegations of prominent British churchmen to Germany in a bid for peace and to understand Nazism: what she saw as a new religion but ultimately condemned. She compiled a series of her conversations with people she had met in Germany and her views on the importance of some kind of religion to young people which were published under the title: Darkness over Germany (Longman Green, 1943).
Buller resigned from the University of Liverpool in 1942 and moved to London. Her time was taken up with plans to set up a new religious college. Initially, this was to be at the vacated precinct of the hospital of St. Katharine's, Regents Park. Her plans for a college at St Katharine's ran into difficulty both in terms of ethos and geographical issues and she had to abandon the location and search for another. After several other failures to a secure a site for her college, Buller was granted the use of Cumberland Lodge at Windsor Park after the death of its previous inhabitant, Lord Fitzalan. Buller wanted to retain the connection with St Katharine's, but the college had to remain separate from the original foundation. She decided to retain the same name, albeit with a different spelling, associated with St. Catharine, the Patron Saint of Philosophers. The name of the college changed in 1966 to King George VI and Queen Elizabeth Foundation of St. Catharine's, Cumberland Lodge.
The college was designed as a place where students could discuss important matters of life and society in a pleasant environment, being given intellectual stimulus in areas outside their normal academic studies. It was a Christian foundation, although non-Christian students were admitted, the religious aspect was always fundamental, although the intention was to make it unobtrusive. Amy Buller remained Honorary Warden at the college until 1966. She died in 1974, aged 83.
(Taken largely from Walter James, A short account of Amy Buller and the founding of St. Catharine's Cumberland Lodge, printed privately (1979)).

(1)The Mirfield Papers (1925-c.1969) mostly containing correspondence between Amy Buller and Father Edward Keble Talbot (d. 1949), Superior of the Community of Resurrection, Mirfield 1922-40; (2)The Bennet Papers (1949-1968) are papers of Dr. E. A. Bennet relating to the establishment and operation of St. Catharine's Cumberland Lodge; (3)The Scott Papers (1941-1966) consist mostly of correspondence between Amy Buller and Francis Scott concerning the Scott family's financial support; (4)The James Papers (1976-1979) contain correspondence, taped recollections and notes assembled by Walter James, Principal 1974-1982, during the writing of A short account of Amy Buller and the founding of St. Catharine's Cumberland Lodge (printed privately, 1979); (5)The Eastaugh Papers (1955-1959) contain correspondence collected by Cyril Eastaugh, Bishop of Kensington during his time as Chairman of the Trustees of St. Catharine's; (6)Cumberland Lodge Papers (1944-1972) contain: constitutional and administrative records of St. Catharine's (1944-1972); (7)The Vick Papers (1962-1966) consist of correspondence between Dr. Francis Arthur Vick (later Sir Arthur Vick), member of the Council of St. Catharine's, and Amy Buller. (8)The Pateman Papers (1953-1978) consist of correspondence and other papers of John Anderson Pateman, Honorary Secretary of the Trustees and of the Council of St. Catharine's 1960-1973, trustee 1972-1980; (9)The Harvey Papers (1966-1974) consist of correspondence and other papers of Major Thomas Cochayne Harvey, CVO, DSO, trustee of St. Catharine's 1960-1988 and chairman of the Council 1961-1968; (10)Secretarial Papers (1964-1984) concern constitutional and administrative aspects of St. Catharine's during the period; (11)The Pool Papers (1979-1984) consist of correspondence of John Arthur Pool, Honorary Treasurer of the Trustees of St. Catharine's 1972-1973 and Honorary Secretary of St. Catharine's 1973-1980, trustee 1980-date; (12)The Charteris Papers (1979-1987) consist of correspondence of Lieutenant-Colonel The Lord Charteris of Amisfield, Chairman of the Trustees of St. Catharine's 1978-1986.

Permission for access to this collection must be obtained from the Principal of St. Catharine's before these papers can be consulted. Once permission is obtained, readers must give 3 days notice of their wish to use the collection. Items from the collection can then be consulted for the purpose of private study and personal research within the supervised environment and restrictions of the Library's Palaeography Room. Uncatalogued material may not be seen. Please contact the University Archivist for details.

Mainly English

St. Catharine's Cumberland Lodge, Catalogue of the Archive of St. Catharine's, Cumberland Lodge, Windsor Great Park, Windsor (1983-1992) [The finding aid is an unpublished typescript and hand-written catalogue containing details of dates and correspondents of items in the collection and descriptions of the contents of some items. It is available on request from the archivist.]

1999-10-06 Keith Austin Administration Administrative structure Bennet , Edward Armstrong , d 1977 , physician Buller , Amy Ernestine , 1891-1974 , college warden Easthaugh , Cyril , 1897-1988 , Bishop of Peterborough Harvey , Thomas Cockayne , b 1918 , Major James , Arthur Walter , b 1912 , journalist Pateman , John Anderson , fl 1972-1980 , trustee Pool , John Arthur , fl 1972-1973 , trustee Religious institutions Scott , Francis , fl 1941-1966 , student St Catharine's, Cumberland Lodge Talbot , Edward Keble , 1877-1949 , Superior of Community of Resurrection Vick , Sir , Francis Arthur , b 1911 , Knight , Pro Chancellor University of Warwick Organisation and management

Immediate source of acquisition or transfer

Content and structure area

Scope and content

(1)The Mirfield Papers (1925-c.1969) mostly containing correspondence between Amy Buller and Father Edward Keble Talbot (d. 1949), Superior of the Community of Resurrection, Mirfield 1922-40; (2)The Bennet Papers (1949-1968) are papers of Dr. E. A. Bennet relating to the establishment and operation of St. Catharine's Cumberland Lodge; (3)The Scott Papers (1941-1966) consist mostly of correspondence between Amy Buller and Francis Scott concerning the Scott family's financial support; (4)The James Papers (1976-1979) contain correspondence, taped recollections and notes assembled by Walter James, Principal 1974-1982, during the writing of A short account of Amy Buller and the founding of St. Catharine's Cumberland Lodge (printed privately, 1979); (5)The Eastaugh Papers (1955-1959) contain correspondence collected by Cyril Eastaugh, Bishop of Kensington during his time as Chairman of the Trustees of St. Catharine's; (6)Cumberland Lodge Papers (1944-1972) contain: constitutional and administrative records of St. Catharine's (1944-1972); (7)The Vick Papers (1962-1966) consist of correspondence between Dr. Francis Arthur Vick (later Sir Arthur Vick), member of the Council of St. Catharine's, and Amy Buller. (8)The Pateman Papers (1953-1978) consist of correspondence and other papers of John Anderson Pateman, Honorary Secretary of the Trustees and of the Council of St. Catharine's 1960-1973, trustee 1972-1980; (9)The Harvey Papers (1966-1974) consist of correspondence and other papers of Major Thomas Cochayne Harvey, CVO, DSO, trustee of St. Catharine's 1960-1988 and chairman of the Council 1961-1968; (10)Secretarial Papers (1964-1984) concern constitutional and administrative aspects of St. Catharine's during the period; (11)The Pool Papers (1979-1984) consist of correspondence of John Arthur Pool, Honorary Treasurer of the Trustees of St. Catharine's 1972-1973 and Honorary Secretary of St. Catharine's 1973-1980, trustee 1980-date; (12)The Charteris Papers (1979-1987) consist of correspondence of Lieutenant-Colonel The Lord Charteris of Amisfield, Chairman of the Trustees of St. Catharine's 1978-1986.

Appraisal, destruction and scheduling

Accruals

System of arrangement

Conditions of access and use area

Conditions governing access

Permission for access to this collection must be obtained from the Principal of St. Catharine's before these papers can be consulted. Once permission is obtained, readers must give 3 days notice of their wish to use the collection. Items from the collection can then be consulted for the purpose of private study and personal research within the supervised environment and restrictions of the Library's Palaeography Room. Uncatalogued material may not be seen. Please contact the University Archivist for details.

Conditions governing reproduction

Language of material

  • English

Script of material

  • Latin

Language and script notes

Mainly English

Physical characteristics and technical requirements

Finding aids

St. Catharine's Cumberland Lodge, Catalogue of the Archive of St. Catharine's, Cumberland Lodge, Windsor Great Park, Windsor (1983-1992) [The finding aid is an unpublished typescript and hand-written catalogue containing details of dates and correspondents of items in the collection and descriptions of the contents of some items. It is available on request from the archivist.]

Allied materials area

Existence and location of originals

Existence and location of copies

Related units of description

Related descriptions

Publication note

Notes area

Note

Alternative identifier(s)

Access points

Subject access points

Place access points

Name access points

Genre access points

Description control area

Description identifier

Institution identifier

Senate House Library, University of London

Rules and/or conventions used

Status

Level of detail

Dates of creation revision deletion

Language(s)

  • English

Script(s)

    Sources

    Accession area