Archive of Clement Attlee

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The Harris series comprises material used by Kenneth Harris in his 1982 biography of Clement Attlee, Attlee, and largely consists of material given to him by Clement Attlee for this purpose. The series includes diaries belonging to Clement Attlee and his brother, Bernard Attlee, correspondence and papers, both personal and political, and printed material, including pamphlets and newspaper clippings.

The Temple series comprises material taken from Clement Attlee's flat in Temple, London, after his death. The series includes more personal items, such as correspondence between Clement and his wife, Violet Attlee, diaries of Clement Attlee's activities as Prime Minister, greetings cards, and birthday congratulations, particularly upon the occasion of his 80th birthday, as well as small miscellaneous items from his flat, such as notebooks and membership cards.

The Archive also includes material collected by Anne Attlee after the death of Clement Attlee, family history material collected by Clement Attlee and his brother Bernard Attlee and photographic material.

As the Archive includes earlier family history material alongside more recent items collected by Anne Attlee, the date range extends to prior to Clement Attlee's birth and after his death, though the bulk of the material dates from within his lifetime.

Dates

Creation: Creation: Majority of material found within Bulk, 1708-1984
Creation: Creation: 1708-1984, 1996-2015

Extent

11.44 Linear metres (104 physical shelfmarks)

Language of Materials

English

Conditions Governing Access

Some material within the archive is closed.

Preferred Citation

Oxford, Bodleian Libraries [followed by shelfmark and folio or page reference, e.g. MS. CRA. 1].

Please see our help page for further guidance on citing archives and manuscripts.

Full range of shelfmarks:

MSS. CRA. 1-104

Collection ID (for staff)

CMD ID 12094

Additional Description

Abstract

Correspondence and papers of Clement Richard Attlee 1st Earl Attlee (1883-1967), Prime Minister of the 1945-1951 Labour Governments.

Biographical / Historical

Clement Richard Attlee, 1st Earl Attlee, (1883-1967), was educated at Haileybury and University College, Oxford. He was called to the Bar in 1905. Two years later, in 1907, he was appointed manager of Haileybury House Boys' Club in Stepney and in 1913 he became a lecturer in social administration at the London School of Economics. During the war he served with distinction in the army. Attlee had joined the Independent Labour Party in 1908, and in 1919 he became Mayor of Stepney. He was M.P. for Limehouse from 1922 to 1950, and for West Walthamstow from 1950 to 1955. Attlee held various minor posts in the early Labour governments. From 1931 until 1935 he was Deputy Leader of the Labour Party in the House of Commons. He was Chairman of the Opposition, 1935-1940. During the wartime government led by Churchill, Attlee was successively Lord Privy Seal, 1940-1942, Secretary of State for Dominion Affairs, 1942-1943, Lord President of the Council, 1943-1945, and Deputy Prime Minister, 1942-1945. Attlee was Prime Minister of the 1945-1951 Labour Governments, and Minister of Defence, 1945-1946.

Arrangement

With the exception of the 'Miscellaneous' series, all the series were identified by Anne Attlee, and reflect her naming system and the use or provenance of the material contained therein. While the content of each of Anne Attlee's series has been retained, the material within has been arranged into functional groups, with the items broadly chronologically arranged. The chronology has not always been strictly implemented in an effort to preserve elements of Anne Attlee's original ordering where possible. The miscellaneous series comprises material not allocated a series by Anne Attlee. These items are mainly correspondence or personal items, such as books, owned by Clement Attlee.

Custodial History

A substantial part of the current archive came into the possession of Martin Attlee and Anne Attlee upon the death of Clement Attlee in 1967, having been stored at the latter's flat in Temple. This is described as the 'Temple series'.

Following the publication of Kenneth Harris' official biography of Clement Attlee in 1983, Harris returned a number of papers to the family that Clement Attlee had lent him for the purposes of writing the biography. These are described as the 'Harris' series.

In addition to the above, Anne Attlee developed three further series of material for the archive: a series now titled 'Honours and material collected post-death', in which she gathered items of interest, including newspaper clippings and ephemera; a fourth series dedicated to family history; and a fifth series for photographic materials.

The miscellaneous materials in the archive contain items that Anne had not assigned to any of the above series.

Immediate Source of Acquisition

The archive was placed at the Bodleian Libraries by Countess Attlee during 2016 and 2017.

Related Materials

Papers of Clement Richard Attlee, 1st Earl Attlee, 1924-1957, were deposited at the Libraries in 1798 by University College, and are at MSS. Attlee dep. 1-146.

A collection of Clement Attlee's letters to Patricia Beck was given to the Library in 1983 by Miss Beck, and can be found at MS. Eng. lett.c. 571.

Letters of Clement Attlee, 1st Earl Attlee, (1883-1967) to his brother Tom, 1915-1960, were given to the Libraries in 1994 by Mrs. M. Attlee, and are at MSS. Eng. c. 4792-4794.

A small collection of Clement Attlee's papers is held at Churchill College, Cambridge