Conservative Party Archive: Papers of R.A. Butler

Table of Contents

Introduction
Butler's Personal Correspondence, 1937-44
Butler's Personal files on Education Bill, 1941-5
Butler's Personal Files on India, 1940-5
Butler Correspondence, 1946-7
Butler Speech Notes, 1956-60
R.A. Butler letterbooks, 1947-52
Miscellaneous, 1952-67

Shelfmarks: RAB 1-21

Extent: 37 shelfmarks

Organisational History

Richard Austen Butler, Baron Butler of Saffron Walden (1902-1982) was Chairman of the Conservative Research Department, 1945-61, and Chairman of the Conservative Party Organisation, 1959-61. Details are given in the Dictionary of National Biography.

Scope and Content

Although R.A. Butler's private papers are in Trinity College, Cambridge, because of his role as Chairman of the Conservative Research Department (1945-61) and Chairman of the Conservative Party Organisaion (1959-61), the CPA contains a small collection of his papers. The bulk of the collection is from his years as President of the Board of Education (1941-44) and Minister of Education (1944-5). This includes correspondence and files on the Education Act of 1944. Other papers from this period include correspondence on India.

The collection includes boxes (RAB 6-20) of outgoing correspondence (1946-61) which has been arranged chronologically, and finally a box of speech notes from his period as Home Secretary (1956-61). The Education files, the India files and speech notes contain detailed contents lists at the beginning of each file. Also see CRD 2/32/1-18 for the Post-War ProbleMS. Sub-Committee on Education.

Restrictions on Access

General access conditions apply to this material.

Preferred Form of Citation

Oxford, Bodleian Library, Conservative Party Archive [followed by shelfmark, e.g. RAB 1/1].

Related Material

R.A. Butler's private papers are held by Trinity College, Cambridge and can be accessed via the online catalogue of Trinity's Butler holdings.

Other papers relating to Butler in the Bodleian Library are as follows.

Correspondence with J.C.C. Davidson, 1932-35

• MS. Eng hist c. 577 fols 47, 54, 111
• MS. Eng hist c. 559 fols 786-c, 136
• MS. Eng hist c. 561 fols 62-4, 70b-72, 112-3, 116-20, 190-1, 196-7, 199-201
• MS. Eng hist c. 562 fol 109

Letters to and from Lionel Curtis, 1932-53

• MSS. Curtis 55 fols 150-1
• MSS. Curtis 73 fol 118
• MSS. Curtis 84 fols 184-5, 189

Copies of letters from William Rea, 1933-4

• MSS. Curtis 86 fol 48
• MSS. Curtis 87 fols 89-92

Letters to and from, 1938-42

• MSS. Gilbert Murray 236 fols 16, 22
• MSS. Gilbert Murray 239 fols 24, 135, 139
• MSS. Gilbert Murray 333 fols 104, 163, 165
• MSS. Gilbert Murray 365 fols 21-8, 32-3, 39-42, 213-6, 219-21

Correspondence with the 3rd Earl of Selborne, 1942-5

• MSS. Eng hist c. 985 fols 15-284 passim
• MSS. Eng hist c. 1016 fols 15-21

Copies of letters to and from, 1942-8

• MSS. Eng hist c. 985 fols 26-7, 51, 89-93, 106-10, 138, 169
• MSS. Eng hist c. 1016 fol 154b

Lettters to and from Lord Simon, 1942-51

• MSS. Simon 92 fols 50, 52, 60-1 MSS. Simon 93 fol 35
• MSS. Simon 97 fol 76
• MSS. Simon 100 fol 1

Correspondence with Lord Woolton, 1944-61

• MSS. Woolton 16 fols 9, 24, 104, 130-1 193-5
• MSS. Woolton 25 fol 40
• MSS. Woolton 26 fols
• MSS. Woolton 28/1 fols 2-3, 121-2
• MSS. Woolton 77 fols 226-9

Note of Conversation with Lord Pethwick-Lawrence, 1945 - MSS. Attlee dep 27 fol 255

Quotation from 1947 - MSS. Attlee dep 61 fol 125

Letters to and from Attlee 1948

• MSS. Attlee dep 73 fols 153b-5, 176-8
• MSS. Attlee dep 74 fols 4-5

Letters to Lady Emmet, 1948-55

• Copy of memo from Lady Emment, 1964
• MSS. Eng hist c 1055 fols 42, 48, 73, 75, 93-4
• MSS. Eng hist c 1058 fols 1-6

Letters to Sir George Hamilton, 1951-3 - MSS. Eng lett c. 271 fols 104-6

Photograph of Encaenia, 1952 - MS. Top Oxon c. 635 fols 6-7

Letter to O.G.S. Crawford, 1957 - MS. Crawford 56 fol 131

Letter to Dr. Frank Hardie, 1966 - MS. Eng lett c. 460 fol 53

Letter to and from Walter Moncton, n.d. - Index available from the Special Collections Reading Room (SCRR)

Personal names (NCA Rules)

Corporate names (NCA Rules)

Place names (NCA Rules)

Subjects (LCSH)

Butler's Personal Correspondence, 1937-44

Butler's Personal files on Education Bill, 1941-5

Butler's Personal Files on India, 1940-5

Butler Correspondence, 1946-7

Butler Speech Notes, 1956-60

R.A. Butler letterbooks, 1947-52

Miscellaneous, 1952-67