Sir Charles Hilary Jenkinson: Papers

Personal papers, including photographs, reproductions of seals and original documents, of Sir Hilary Jenkinson, reflecting his wide-ranging activities in various archival organisations as well as his work in the Public Record Office.

British Records Association files (with Jenkinson correspondence) are at the London Metropolitan Archives (Acc3162)

Roger Ellis, 1910-1998

Topics

Archives and libraries

Personal and family papers

Sir Charles Hilary Jenkinson (1882-1961) was, in his time, one of the world's foremost archivists. His devotion to his profession, together with his outstanding energy and ability, earned him high esteem at home and abroad, and his book on archive administration was the authoritative guide to the subject in this country. He was Deputy Keeper of the Public Record Office from 1947 to 1954 and was knighted in 1949.

Jenkinson joined the Public Record Office in 1906 and from 1912 to 1929, apart from war service, was in charge of the Round Room. In 1922 he became head of the Repairing Department and began its reorganisation. In 1929 he was made responsible for the Repository. From 1938 until his appointment as Deputy Keeper he served as Principal Assistant Keeper and Secretary. In 1943 he was seconded to the War Office to advise on the protection of archives in occupied enemy territory, and as such made several trips to the Continent during the latter part of the war.

He played a leading part in promoting the activities and publications of many learned societies, including the Surrey Archaeological and Record Societies and the Jewish Historical Society of England, of each of which he was President. He assisted in the foundation of the British Records Association of which he was joint Honorary Secretary from 1932 to 1947. He was a member of the Royal Commission on Historical Manuscripts from 1947 until his death and a member of the original directorate of the National Register of Archives. He was a member of the Master of the Rolls Archives Committee (1949) and first President of the Society of Archivists.

He was Maitland Memorial Lecturer in Palaeography and Diplomatic at Cambridge from 1911 to 1935 and for many years Reader in Diplomatic and Archives in the University of London. He also played a key role in the institution of the post-graduate diploma in archive studies at the School of Library, Archive and Information Studies at University College, London.