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Minutes of meetings of the Cambridge University Socialist Society and its precursor, Cambridge University Fabian Society, signed, 1911 - 1958

 Series
Reference Code: GBR/0265/UA/SOC.47

Scope and Contents

The records that survive are all minute books with a few items such as publicity leaflets enclosed.

Dates

  • Creation: 1911 - 1958

Creator

Conditions Governing Access

From the Management Group:

The University Archives are generally freely available to the holder of a reader's ticket for the Manuscripts Reading Room at Cambridge University Library, West Road, Cambridge CB3 9DR. Restrictions on access are imposed on certain categories of sensitive record: financial, governmental and personal, by order of the originating body or under data protection legislation. Access information, including opening hours and how to obtain a reader's ticket, appears as part of the Library's web site (www.lib.cam.ac.uk).

Biographical / Historical

The society began life in 1905 as the Cambridge University Fabian Society but restyled itself the Cambridge University Socialist Society on 9 June 1915. It existed to assist in attaining the socialist objective of ''complete political and industrial democracy... [and] supersession of the capitalist system''. On 11 March 1920 it was incorporated into the new Cambridge University Labour Club, within which it continued to function as a study circle. Volume SOC.47.1.3 is of a rather later date than the other five volumes and uses the name Socialist Club rather than Socialist Society. It is not apparent whether this represents a change of name or the creation of a new club. Rupert Chawner Brooke (King's College) was a member as an undergraduate.

Extent

6 volume(s) : paper

Language of Materials

English

Former / Other Reference

Ms.Add.7451-5 B

Immediate Source of Acquisition

The records were transferred to the University Archives from the Manuscripts Department on 3 October 2007. Items SOC.47.1.1-2 and 2.1-3 had been deposited by Cambridge University Labour Club with the Manuscripts Department on 8 July 1954 and had been given the classmark Ms.Add.7451-5. They had previously been in the possession of George Darling, MP. Item SOC.47.1.3 had been deposited with the Archives Department on September 1999 by Philippa Bassett, Archivist, Birmingham University Library. It had been found among the books bequeathed to Birmingham University Library by Alan F. Stanway, a former student at Cambridge University. It was accessioned as 2000/016 and given the classmark Ms.Add.7455 B.

Related Materials

See also items originating from the Cambridge Fabian Club at SOC.44, the Cambridge University Labour Club at SOC.101 and the Cambridge University Constituency Labour Party at Ms.Add.8881. Additionally there are printed records in the Rare Books Department, Cambridge University Library (classmark: Cambridge Papers J 7976 and Cambridge Papers 2nd series, Societies 26).

General

The online catalogue entry was completed in October 2007 and emended in November 2007.

Date information

DateText: 1911-25, 1956-58.

Originator(s)

Cambridge University Socialist Society

Finding aid date

2007-10-02 17:05:41+00:00

Includes index.

Repository Details

Part of the Cambridge University Library Repository

Contact:
Cambridge University Library
West Road
Cambridge CB3 9DR United Kingdom