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The Papers of Lord Normanbrook

 Fonds
Reference Code: GBR/0014/NRBK

Scope and Contents

Mainly slides taken by Normanbrook on family holidays in the 1950s and 1960s, and on his official tours with the Prime Minister, Harold Macmillan, in the same period. Also includes some files on Normanbrook’s and other ex-Cabinet Secretaries’ response to the book by 1st Lord Moran [earlier Charles Wilson] about his time as Churchill's doctor, "The Struggle for Survival" and some personal papers.

Dates

  • Creation: 1919 - 1993

Creator

Conditions Governing Access

The collection is open for consultation by researchers using Churchill Archives Centre, Churchill College, Cambridge.

Conditions Governing Use

Researchers wishing to publish excerpts from the papers must obtain prior permission from the copyright holders and should seek advice from Archives Centre staff.

Biographical / Historical

Norman Brook was born on 29 April 1902, the son Frederick Charles Brook. He was educated at Wolverhampton School and Wadham College, University of Oxford (becoming an honorary fellow in 1949). In 1929 he married Ida Mary Goshawk.

Brook entered the Home Office in 1925, and his career in the Civil Service included: Principal, 1933; Assistant Secretary, 1938; Principal Private Secretary to Sir John Anderson when Lord Privy Seal, 1938-39, and when Home Secretary, 1939-40; Principal Assistant Secretary, 1940; Personal Assistant to Sir John Anderson when Lord President of the Council, 1940-42; Deputy Secretary (Civil) to the War Cabinet, 1942; Permanent Secretary, Office of Minister of Reconstruction, 1943-45; Additional Secretary to the Cabinet, 1945-46; Secretary of the Cabinet, 1947-62; Joint Secretary of the Treasury and Head of the Home Civil Service, 1956-62. On retiring from the Civil Service he was made 1st Baron Normanbrook in 1963, and served as Chairman of the Governors of the BBC from 1964 onwards.

He died on 15 June 1967.

Extent

8 archive box(es)

Language of Materials

English

Other Finding Aids

A copy of this finding aid is available for consultation at Churchill Archives Centre, Cambridge.

Immediate Source of Acquisition

The papers were deposited at Churchill Archives Centre by Normanbrook's great-nephew in April 2014.

Related Materials

Lord Normanbrook's main archive is held by the Bodleian Library in Oxford.

General

This catalogue was prepared by Katharine Thomson of Churchill Archives Centre in January 2015 and March 2016. Biographical information was obtained from "Who's Who 1897-1996" (A and C Black).

Originator(s)

Brook, Norman Craven, 1902-1967, Baron Normanbrook, civil servant

Date
2015-01-09 10:10:01.970000+00:00
Language of description
English
Script of description
Latin

Repository Details

Part of the Churchill Archives Centre Repository

Contact:
Churchill Archives Centre
Churchill College
Cambridge Cambridgeshire CB3 0DS United Kingdom
+44 (0)1223 336087