Letters to Frank Beckwith
Contains digital mediaDetails
Type of record: Archive
Title: Letters to Frank Beckwith
Classmark: MS 622
Creator(s): Beckwith, Frank (1904-1977)
Date(s): 1926-1977
Language: English
Size and medium: 1269 items in 3 boxes
Persistent link: https://explore.library.leeds.ac.uk/special-collections-explore/5205
Description
Letters to Frank Beckwith, from scholars, clergy, librarians and others, 1926-1977.
This collection of more than 1200 in-letters reflects his many interests. Perhaps the most interesting group of letters comprises those from Paul Kaufman and D P Varma on the history of libraries. Other letters, mostly from earlier in his career discuss current library activities and comment on mutual acquaintances; these correspondents include Richard Offor, Fanny Passavant, G O Randle, Margery Robinson and Geoffrey Woledge. A third group of more recent date discusses current historical research especially on 19th-century topics; these correspondents include Asa Briggs, M G Brock, Cedric Collyer, Norman Gash, H J Hanham, R J Morris, D Read and J T Ward. There are also letters from Kate, widow of Professor A S Turberville. Lastly, letters from George Wright illuminate conditions in the West Indies in the 1930s and during the Second World War, and others from J B Place include interesting comments on colonial society in Kenya immediately after the War.
This index is arranged alphabetically by the names of writers. Under each writer the numbered letters are arranged chronologically against the appropriate year. Some writers are more fully identified than others but those with more than one occupation are normally described by that more relevant to the correspondence. Those described as 'bibliophile' were writing to him in connection with the affairs of the Association of Yorkshire Bookmen.
The letters form part of a much larger collection of Beckwith's papers which were presented to the Library by his family after his death; these papers have yet to be catalogued. We are especially grateful to Mr Geoffrey Woledge, a close friend of Frank Beckwith since the late 1920s, for much varied help. His own preliminary list of Beckwith's writings appeared in Publications of the Thoresby Society, volume. LVI (1981), pp. 198-204.
Biography or history
Frank Beckwith (1904-1977) was born in Leeds and spent his entire working life there. After leaving Leeds Central High School he became an assistant in Leeds University Library in 1921 and later concurrently read for a degree. He graduated in 1928 and took his M.A., with distinction, in 1936. From 1937 until his retirement in 1969 he was Librarian of the Leeds Library. He helped to found the Association of Yorkshire Bookmen in 1945, and edited its 'Broadsheet' for many years. Apart from routine work at the Leeds Library, he pursued various antiquarian and historical interests especially Baptist church history and the history of 18th-century libraries
Access and usage
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