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Archives

About our archives

Gladstone’s Library’s holds 35 individual archives. It has significant holdings related to nineteenth-century history, literature, and theology.

Particular strengths include:

  • The life of William Ewart Gladstone and his close family (Glynne-Gladstone Archive, Anne Ramsden Bennett Archive, Stephen Glynne’s Church Notes)
  • Nineteenth-century studies (Glynne-Gladstone Archive, Anne Ramsden Bennett Archive, Stephen Glynne’s Church Notes)
  • Nineteenth-century literary culture (Anne Ramsden Bennett Archive)
  • Contemporary literary culture (Archives of the Crime Writers’ Association Archive, Archives of the Detection Club)
  • Nineteenth-century architecture (Stephen Glynne’s Church Notes)
  • Anglican theology, liberal theology, and church history (Charles Alfred Howell Green Archive, Arthur Macdonald Allchin Archive, Anthony Freeman Archive, John Moorman Archive, Alan Marshall Fairhurst Archive, Robert Symonds Archive, Cowley Fathers Archive, Don Cupitt Archive, Eric James Archive, Jim Cotter Archive, John Robinson Archive, Lloyd Geering Archive, Movement for the Ordination of Women Archive, Robert Jeffery Archive, Rural Ministry Archive, Rural Theology Archive, W. H. Longridge's Retreat Addresses)
  • The history of Gladstone’s Library, libraries, and reading (St Deiniol Archive, Michael Mallett Archive)

Our collections

Gladstone’s Library’s archives can be browsed using the links below or in the menu to the left of this page. Some of these pages are currently in development so watch this space!

We also hold a copy of all of the Gladstone Papers held at the British Library – the companion archive to our Glynne-Gladstone Archive – on microfilm.

Archives services

Access to archives is provided in the Reading Rooms, but we also offer other services including answering remote enquiries and supplying copies of original material for research, teaching, exhibition, and publication. For more information about this see our Reprographics and Research Services.

Opening hours

Archives are available to be viewed Monday to Friday, 9.30am-1pm and 2pm-4.30pm.

Arranging a viewing

Everyone is welcome to consult material from the archives including researchers, students, and members of the public.

If you aren’t a Resident or Reader at Gladstone’s Library you will be asked to complete a short form to be given a Researcher pass for the day.

The 'Access and Finding Aid' section on the individual pages for each archive outlines if an archive is available to be viewed at present and whether any of the material is restricted due to data protection legislation. More information about accessing restricted material can be found below.

To make an appointment for a viewing, please complete a Request to View Archives form and email it to [email protected]. 

Please contact us to make your appointment as far in advance of your proposed visit as possible so that you can definitely book a space as we can be very busy and occasionally the Reading Rooms close for special events and collections care.

You must allow at least 14 days’ notice so that we can check whether there are any data protection issues that may prevent your access to any items from the archives that you would like to view. If any of the material that you have requested does contain personal data, you will be sent an application form that enables us to check that your request is lawful.

All visitors must show photographic identification and proof of address when they arrive for their viewing.

When planning your visit please be aware that no more than 10 files can be viewed in one day and some items cannot be photographed due to their condition.

Access conditions

Many items in our archives are available for anyone to view upon request with 14 days' notice.

Some items in our archives, however, contain personal data or special category data, which means that access to them is restricted or potentially closed completely under data protection legislation. This may apply to any records created in the last 100 years.

Under the UK General Data Protection Regulation and the Data Protection Act 2018, personal data relating to living persons may only be accessed by individuals completing historical, scientific, or statistical research and with a view to publish some journalistic, academic, artistic, or literary material that is in the public interest.

In addition, the following conditions must be met:

  • The data must not be processed to support measures or decisions with respect to particular individuals;
  • The information obtained must not be used in any way which might identify or lead to the identification of particular individuals;
  • The data must not be processed in such a way that substantial distress or damage is, or is likely to be, caused to any data subject;
  • The information obtained must not be divulged to a third party;
  • The confidentiality of any information unconnected with the subject of the research, which may be seen in the course of using the records, must not be breached.

Special precautions must be taken for special category data (or particularly sensitive data), meaning that items from our archives that contain this kind of data may be closed completely until we can be sure that all of the relevant individuals are no longer living. Special category data includes:

  • personal data revealing racial or ethnic origin
  • personal data revealing political opinions
  • personal data revealing religious or philosophical beliefs
  • personal data revealing trade union membership
  • genetic data
  • biometric data (where used for identification purposes)
  • data concerning health
  • data concerning a person’s sex life
  • data concerning a person’s sexual orientation.

If an archive is in the process of being catalogued or has not been catalogued yet then it may be unavailable to be viewed at present.

Gladstone’s Library is a charity and on average it costs us £20,000 to catalogue an archive due to the cost of housing and preservation materials and staff time as cataloguing is a lengthy process. If you would be interested in donating to the library to help us catalogue one of our archives please email [email protected].

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