Tuc Library Collections at the London Metropolitan Univeristy
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TUC LIBRARY COLLECTIONS AT THE LONDON METROPOLITAN UNIVERISTY THE MARJORIE NICHOLSON PAPERS IDENTITY STATEMENT Reference: TUC Library Collections - Marjorie Nicholson papers dates of creation: 1935-1997 extent: 15m level of description: Fonds CONTEXT Biographical history: Marjorie Nicholson (1914-1997) was the author of The TUC overseas: the roots of policy. It was written after her retirement from the TUC where she had worked in the International Department from 1955-1972. She was one of the few women working in policy development employed by the trade union movement. Before joining the TUC she had also worked as secretary at the Fabian Colonial Bureau. Here she was involved in producing pamphlets and memoranda and editing its monthly journal Venture. Through her work at the Bureau she met and assisted India1s Jawaharlal Nehru and Krishna Menon, Eric Williams from Trinidad, Hugh Springer from Barbados, Siaka Stevens from Sierra Leone and other future Commonwealth leaders. She attended Oxford University in the 1930s and upon graduation taught before becoming an extra-mural organising tutor in contact with Ruskin College. It was on a trip to Nigeria in 1949 while working for the Oxford extra-mural department that she became convinced that to help develop democratic self governing institutions she had to work full time from within the labour movement, a decision that clearly had a major impact on her future career. Her commitment to labour politics was also indicated by her standing (unsuccessfully) as the Labour candidate for Windsor in the first three post war elections. Marjorie died in July 1997 while still working on a second volume of the TUC overseas and the majority of the papers and cuttings in this collection are her research papers for this and the previous book. Custodial history: Marjorie left her research papers to the TUC in her will hoping that her work would be completed from her notes. Marjorie1s solicitor collected all the papers he could find and passed these to Michael Walsh, Head of the TUC International Department. In January 1998 the TUC transferred the papers in their possession to the TUC Library Collections in the University of North London on permanent loan. CONTENT & STRUCTURE Accruals: No further deposits are expected Arrangement: The Collection can be divided into four sections; subject files, personal papers (PP), press cuttings (PC) and books. The files were mostly related to her research for her books but also to her work for other organisations and were arranged by Marjorie by subject and classified according to the decimal scheme used for the TUC Registry files. A Summary of this can be consulted in the introduction to the archive list for the TUC Registry Files. A copy of this list is held in the TUC Library Collections but the archive itself is held at the Modern Records Centre at Warwick University. Although many of the files already had classification numbers and titles, a considerable number had not been given a number or title and there were also loose papers that had not been filed or had come out of other files. Where there was a file of material obviously arranged on a particular subject but no number or title new file numbers were allocated according to the classification system. This new number has been enclosed in square brackets to indicate that this numbering has been added later and was not in the file as originally received. Where files have been largely or completely constructed from loose papers and their arrangement is entirely new an asterisk has been placed next to the title to indicate this. Many loose papers have been added to files where it seems likely that they originated or would eventually have been filed by Marjorie. Some of the files had documents attached to both the left and right hand side of the file, with the most recent uppermost and a list of contents attached to the top of each. An indication is given in the list where this arrangement exists to enable the order of the file to be understood when in use. Within the text descriptions for each file the word 2notes1 generally may be taken to mean handwritten notes by Marjorie, although in some cases she will have titled items 2notes on...1 and this may be typewritten. Where the author of an article or note is someone other than Marjorie this will be indicated and if it appears to be by her but is not signed or is not attributed to someone else I have indicated this by using her initials and a question mark. Where there is reference to a published work such as a secondary source or a pamphlet inside the file its title is in italics. This distinguishes these from unpublished works, articles and essays the titles of which are in inverted commas. The personal papers have been allocated reference codes relating to their format as they do not fit readily into the classification scheme used for the rest of the written material. The press cuttings are arranged by country and date and have been catalogued and numbered according to this original arrangement. There are two sequences of cuttings, a set arranged by country (and then by date also ) and a set arranged by date. This set contains only information about which countries are not included, this usually corresponds to material which has been classified by country or subject in the other sequence. When citing any material the reference used should be: TUC Library Collections, Marjorie 2 Nicholson Papers /subject file reference or PP/ format and number etc or PC/name of country and number etc The collection also included a large quantity of books and pamphlets. The pamphlets have been included in the subject file sequence where many were already filed. A list of all the books deposited is included after the lists of file material and press cuttings. The books may at some stage be physically stored and fully catalogued within the main TUC library collection. ACCESS CONDITIONS Legal status: Rules for access are as in the TUC Library Collections Rules (copies available) Physical condition: Condition is generally good although some press cuttings and file material may be fragile due to age and care should be used when handling. Handwriting on handwritten notes is mainly easily legible apart from some rough lecture notes which May need more care. Finding aids: A paper list is held in the library and at the National Register of Archives. Some files contain Marjorie1s own detailed contents guides and it is indicated on the list where these exist. There are also Marjorie1s own card files, arranged initially by format and then subdivided by country or subject which may be used to aid access to the collection. There are also binders giving information on files used in her research (eg in the PRO or the TUC) and also a guide to the press cuttings. This material is located in the section of personal papers under the heading 2reference sources1. ALLIED MATERIALS Associated material: Papers from Marjorie1s time at the Fabian Colonial Bureau are at the Rhodes House Library in Oxford and the papers relating to her period as a parliamentary candidate are at Reading Records Office where they were transferred by the National Museum of Labour History. Reference: The TUC overseas: the roots of policy,Marjorie Nicholson, London (1986), Obituary in the Guardian 11/8/97 (copy held by the TUC Library Collections) NOTE Listed by: A Mason, October 1998 3 LIST OF ABBREVIATIONS AATUF - All Africa Trade Union Federation AITUC - All India Trade Union Congress CAC - Colonial Advisory Committee CDC - Commonwealth Development Corporation COI - Central Office of Information DE - Department of Employment DEP - Department of Employment and Productivity EETPU - Electricians, Electronics, Telecommunications & Plumbing Union GFTU - General Federation of Trade Unions IC - International Committee ICFTU ARO - International Confederation of Free Trade Unions Asian Regional Organisation ICFTU - International Confederation of Free Trade Unions ICS Institute of Commonwealth Studies, University of London IFTU - International Federation of Free Trade Unions LAI - League Against Imperialism LP - Labour Party OLCC - Overseas Labour Consultative Committee WFTU - World Federation of Trade Unions WWLI - Workers Welfare League of India 4 KEY FIGURES MENTIONED IN THE PAPERS Bavin, Tom (1909-1984) Involved in developing the National Union of Plantation Workers of Malaysia, in 1957 became the Director of Organisation in Plantation Workers International Federation. He contributed to the work of the ICFTU, ILO and other international bodies. Brazier, John Trade union advisor to the Governments of the Malayan Union and the Colony of Singapore. Had previously served in the labour and co-operative movements. Bustamante, Sir Alexander (1884-1977) Prime Minister of Jamaica and Minister of External Affairs from 1962-1967. Buxton, Charles Roden (1875-1942) - Acting Chairman of the Labour Party Advisory Committee on International Questions and the ad-hoc Imperial Sub-Committee from 1924- 1925. Citrine, Sir Walter (1887-1983) General secretary of the TUC from 1926 of the IFTU from 1928. President of the World Federation of Trade Unions. Member of the West India Royal Commission in 1938. Creech Jones, Arthur (d.1964 ) Member of the TUC1s Colonial Advisory Committee from 1937 and a leading figure in the Fabian Colonial Bureau. Secretary of State for the Colonies from 1946-1950. Dalgleish, Andrew (d.1964) A member of the Commonwealth Advisory Committee from 1947 also served on the Secretary of State1s Colonial Labour Advisory Committee Feather, Victor, Lord (1908-1976 ) Worked in the TUC1s organisation department until appointed by Citrine to work as the TUC1s representative in the West Indies. Appointed General Secretary in 1969 . Foggon, Sir George (1913-) Overseas Labour Advisor at the Foreign and Commonwealth Office 1966-1976 Hinden, Rita A colleague of Marjorie1s at the Fabian Colonial Bureau which she was instrumental in setting up.