[This document can be acquired from a sub-directory coombspapers via anonymous FTP or COOMBSQUEST gopher at the Australian National University, Canberra on the node COOMBS.ANU.EDU.AU or from the ANU Soc.Sci.WWW Server at http://coombs.anu.edu.au/CoombsHome.html] The document's ftp filename and the full directory path are given in the coombspapers top level INDEX files] [This version: 20 June 1994] ----------------------------------------------------------------------- UK NATIONAL REGISTER OF ARCHIVES - information leaflets ----------------------------------------------------------------------- NATIONAL REGISTER OF ARCHIVES information sheet no 3 sources for the history of women ----------------------------------------------------------------------- This information sheet describes briefly the unpublished sources noted in the National Register of Archives (NRA), the principal specialist repositories that may be contacted and the most useful general works of reference. Among the other subjects covered in this series are labour history, business history and social reform. 1. NRA INDEXES All three indexes contain information of interest for the history of women. The numerical NRA references (given below) are to lists received by the NRA from libraries, record offices and other sources which may be consulted in the NRA's public searchroom. Personal index Indexes the papers of individuals who can be traced in standard works of reference like the Dictionary of National Biography, Who's Who and the Biographical Dictionary of British Feminists. Individual and descriptive searches are available and a thesaurus of descriptions used can be accessed on line. The index is designed to notice only groups of ten or more items of correspondence; to trace smaller quantities will normally require personal search of likely NRA reports. A database of papers of individuals not easily traced in reference works is in preparation. It is not yet possible to make searches on the basis of sex; however, for some categories of women it is possible to search using a gender-specific term, e.g. Duchess. If you are searching unsuccessfully for women, it may be worth searching for their close male relatives, particularly husbands. Business index May be trawled by name or type of business ( a list of business codes and a business index vocabulary are available on line), town, county, document dates or any combination of these. Traditional women's occupations may be found under the most appropriate codes. For example, dressmakers will be found under code 9, subcode 17. Subject index This index is arranged archivally rather than thematically, comprising references to the institutions which generate records rather than the places and events to which the records relate. It may be trawled by any word in an institution's title, type of insitution, town, county, document dates or any combination of these. A list of codes can be consulted on line. Searches using the word "women" or "womens", also "female", "ladies", and "girls", will produce lists of organisations and institutions involved in the care, control, education or representation of women and girls. More specific searches can be made by combining one of these terms with appropriate codes e.g. code 28, labour and trade union movement. Womens Institutes are found under code 28, subcode 17. 2. SPECIALIST REPOSITORIES The following repositories hold major collections relating to the history of women. Each repository has its own numerical location code. This can be used on the register screen to identify lists received from the repository by the NRA and on the Repositories File to check opening times and other essential information. British Library of Political and Economic Science, 10 Portugal Street, London WC2A 2HD. (code 97). Collections include the Women's Industrial Council (NRA 28049), the Womens International League for Peace and Freedom (NRA 30237), and the papers of Beatrice and Sidney Webb (NRA 7533). The Hall-Carpenter Archive is a large collection of papers relating to lesbian and gay individuals and organisations. It is in the process of being sorted, but everything can be produced if enough notice is given. Contemporary Medical Archives Centre, Wellcome Institute for the History of Medicine, 183 Euston Road, London NW1 2BE. (121) A number of collections relating to important medical associations such as the Medical Women's Federation, early and pioneering female doctors and medical researchers, and other influential individuals including Marie Stopes (NRA 24915). A leaflet on sources for women in medicine is available from the archivist. Fawcett Library, London Guildhall University, Old Castle Street, London E1 7NT. (106) Without doubt, the first port of call for any student of women's history. Extensive collections relating to women and women's organisations, including Josephine Butler (NRA 8556), Emily Wilding Davison (NRA 29384) and the National Union of Women's Suffrage Societies (NRA 33701). Hull University, The Brynmor Jones Library, Cottingham Road, Hull HU6 7RX. (50) Collections include the papers of Stevie Smith, the Co-operative Women's Guild (NRA 20163) and the International Women's Co-operative Guild (NRA 20164). A guide to records useful for women's history (Notes from the Archives No 5) is available from the archivist and a copy is kept in the Commission's search room. Sussex University Library, Falmer, Brighton BN1 9QL. (181) Houses the Mass-Observation Archive, one of the major sources for twentieth-century social history. There is a published guide and a separate leaflet on the Archives as a resource for women's studies. A fuller listing forms NRA 24301. International Instituut voor Sociale Geschiedenis, Cruquiusweg 31, Amsterdam, Netherlands 1019AT. (671) Holds the papers of Emmeline and Sylvia Pankhurst (NRA 17176). Institutions established for the education of women or girls often retain their own archives, which may be of considerable interest to researchers in the history of education. These institutions may also have a policy of collecting women's papers. For example: Girton College, Cambridge CB3 0JG. (271) Archives of the college plus papers relating generally to the higher education of women, including papers of Barbara Bodichon (NRA 31085), Emily Davies (NRA 25624), and Elizabeth Rayner Parkes (NRA 31319). Queen's College, 43-49 Harley Street, London W1N 2BT. Archives of the college plus papers of early students including Louisa Twining, workhouse reformer. Somerville College, Oxford OX2 6HD. (474) Archives of the college plus papers relating to numerous individuals including Violet Paget (NRA 35792). 3. OTHER USEFUL ADDRESSES All repositories are likely to hold some material useful for a study of women's history. Local record offices may hold collections relating to local organisations, societies and institutions; national repositories may hold papers of individual men and women interested in women's issues; religious repositories may hold papers of organisations and individuals specifically connected with the denomination in question; and so on. Addresses of repositories can be obtained from the Historical Manuscripts Commission's publication Record Repositories in Great Britain. For information about public records, which will not normally be found on the NRA indexes, you should contact the Public Record Office, Kew TW9 4DU or consult the PRO's published guide. For advice about oral history and information as to existing oral history resources, you should first approach the Curator of Oral History, National Sound Archive, 29 Exhibition Road, London SW7 2AS. Many Roman Catholic women's religious orders, such as the Order of the Good Shepherd, retain their own records. These archives are private. In order to ascertain their whereabouts and the likelihood of access to them being permitted, in the first instance write to the Honorary Secretary, The Catholic Record Society, c/o 114 Mount Street, London W1X 6AH. Diocesan Archivists may also be able to help. Lambeth Palace Library holds the papers of some Anglican religious orders and may be able to help in enquiries relating to others. Other useful sources of information include: The Feminist Library, 5 Westminster Bridge Road, London SE1 (tel: (071) 928 7789). A subscription library run by volunteers. Holds books and periodicals relating to all aspects of women's studies and maintains a research index of current work on women. Telephone for information on access. The Women's History Network, c/o Department of History, University of York, Heslington, York YO1 5DD. Founded in 1991, the network aims to forge links between people interested in women's history by organising conferences and seminars, producing a regular newsletter and maintaining a database of members' interest areas. The Lesbian Archive and Information Centre, BCM 7005, London WC1N 3XX (tel. (071) 405 6475). Open to women only and run by volunteers. Collections of manuscript and printed material including periodicals. Also holds photographs, artefacts and sound recordings. Telephone for information on opening hours. 4. SURVEYS, WORKS OF REFERENCE AND OTHER USEFUL PUBLICATIONS [Items marked * are available in the search room or from the Searchroom Officer.] Three useful academic journals are: Women's History Review, Gender and History, and History Workshop Journal. From 1994, HWJ will be carrying annual digests of accessions to repositories, provided by the Historical Manuscripts Commission, relating to women's history. The Women's Who's Who (a copy for the year 1934-35 is available at the Commission.) *Olive Banks (ed), The Biographical Dictionary of British Feminists, 1800-1945 (Harvester Wheatsheaf, 2 vols, 1985-90). *Anne Crawford, Tony Hayter et al (eds), The Europe Biographical Dictionary of British Women (Europa Publications Ltd, 1983). Biographical sketches of 1000 women. Gene Glaghorn (ed), Women Composers and Hymnists: A Concise Biographical Dictionary (Scarecrow Press, 1984). *Jane Robinson, Wayward Women: A Guide to Women Travellers (Oxford University Press, 1990). A bibliography of printed first-hand accounts of travels dating from the fourth to the twentieth centuries. *Janet Todd (ed), A Dictionary of British & American Women Writers, 1660-1800 (Methuen, London 1987). *R Aspin, Manuscripts for the History of Women in Medicine in the Collection of Western Manuscripts in the Wellcome Institute Library (Subject Guide no 1, 1992). Includes a detailed list of medicine recipe books by women from the 16th to 19th century. *M Barrow, Women 1870-1928: A Select Guide to Printed and Archival Sources in the United Kingdom (Mansell Publishing 1981). *J Dean and D Fraser (eds), Women's Archive Guide: Manuscript Sources for the History of Women (National Archives of Canada, Ontario, 1991). A select guide to Canadian records, largely of post-1867 period. *A Hinding and CA Chambers, Women's History Sources: A Guide to Archives and Manuscript Collections in the United States (Bowker, 1980). *Manchester Women's History Group, Resources for Women's History in Greater Manchester (Museum of Labour History, Manchester, 1993). A guide to sources in the Manchester area, rather than about Manchester. *Public Record Office of Northern Ireland, Guide to Sources for Women's History (PRONI, 1993) Tyne & Wear Archives Service, "Wor Lass": Sources for Women's History in the North East, 1900-45 (T.W.A.S., 1987). *C Weir, Women's History in the Nottinghamshire Archives Office, 1550-1950 (Nottinghamshire County Council, 1989). Other more general surveys likely to be of interest include: *An Index of English Literary Manuscripts, 1450-1900 (Mansell Publishing, 9 vols, 1980-1990). *A Location Register of Twentieth Century English Literary Manuscripts and Letters (British Library, 2 vols, 1988). *Papers of British Churchmen 1780-1940 [sic] (HMC Guides to Sources for British History 6: HMSO, London, 1987). Contains some useful information relating to Roman Catholic and Anglican religious orders. *C. Cook (ed), Sources in British Political History 1900-1951 (Macmillan, 6 vols, 1975-85). Volume one covers societies and organisations, including a number relating to women and girls. *John Stuart Batts, British Manuscript Diaries of the Nineteenth Century: An Annotated Listing (Centaur Press Ltd, 1976). Notes a substantial number of women's diaries. Name and subject indexes. *J Bellamy and J Saville (eds), Dictionary of Labour Biography (Macmillan, 8 vols, 1972-87). Continuing project covering both national figures and those active at a local or regional level. Each entry provides a detailed list of sources. The eighth volume has a consolidated index. *J Foster and J Sheppard, British Archives (Macmillan, 2nd edn, 1989). Gives details of over a thousand archives with subject and collection indexes. Includes some private archives. *CS Nicholls (ed), The Dictionary of National Biography: Missing Persons (Oxford University Press, 1993). Includes 12% of entries on women, including suffragettes and other notable individuals excluded from the earlier DNB. *William Matthews (ed), British Diaries: An Annotated Bibliography of British Diaries written between 1442 and 1942 (Peter Smith, Gloucester, Mass., 1967). Includes a selection of women's diaries. Name index only. Please note: the NRA is very much dependent on the archivists and researchers who voluntarily contribute to it lists and other forms of information. If you know of any library or archive, group of papers, survey or finding aid of which we appear to be unaware, please do let us know in writing so that this information can be made available to others. Enquiries about any matter relating to manuscript sources can be directed to the Historical Manuscripts Commission, Quality House, Quality Court, Chancery Lane, London WC2A 1HP. The public searchroom is open 9-30 to 5-00, Monday to Friday, and no appointment is necessary. Limited enquiries can be dealt with by post or e-mail (sargent@uk.ac.ulcc.clus1). March 1994 (2nd revision) c The Royal Commission on Historical Manuscripts 1994 ----------------------------------------------------------------------- end of file