Scope and Contents
Mainly comprising letters from writers and politicians including Winston Churchill, J. M. Barrie, Sir John Betjeman, Graham Greene, Somerset Maugham, Lord Halifax and Gerald Campbell. The majority of the correspondence is on literary topics. The collection also contains diaries of Cecil Roberts and his commonplace book from 1959-61 which are a source of information on contemporary society. In addition, there are numerous press cuttings and book reviews spanning Cecil Roberts' career.
Dates
- 1911-76
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
Cecil Roberts was born 18 May 1892. He was Literary Editor at the Liverpool Post, 1915-1918, and was their Naval Correspondent, Grand Fleet, and War Correspondent, Western Front and the Rhine. During 1920-1925 he was Editor of the Nottingham Journal and he also undertook lecture tours in the USA and Canada, 1920-1939, and in 1922 was the Parliamentary candidate (Liberal) for Nottingham. During the period 1940-1946 he was on the staff of Lord Halifax, then British Ambassador in Washington. Roberts died 20 December 1976.
Extent
19 archive box(es)
Language of Materials
English
Other Finding Aids
The collection was catalogued by Patricia Bradford and Marion Stewart, 1977-9.
Immediate Source of Acquisition
In August 1975, Cecil Roberts decided to bequeath to Churchill College his books, diaries, papers and letters and they were transferred by his executor after his death in May 1977. Further small additions were made by gift, in 2021 and 2022, and by purchase, in 2023.
General
This collection level description was compiled by Louise King of Churchill Archives Centre, in February 2005, using information from the original catalogue. The catalogue was retroconverted in 2017-18.
Originator(s)
Roberts, Cecil Edric Mornington, 1892-1976, journalist
- Date
- 2005-02-21 12:06:19+00:00
- Language of description
- English
- Script of description
- Latin
Repository Details
Part of the Churchill Archives Centre Repository
Churchill Archives Centre
Churchill College
Cambridge Cambridgeshire CB3 0DS United Kingdom
+44 (0)1223 336087
archives@chu.cam.ac.uk