REES JEFFREYS, William, 1871-1954, writer and publicist

Scope and Content

Papers relating to Rees Jeffreys' involvement in the Roads Improvement Association and the Road Board; road legislation, finance, design and development; Road Congresses; roads overseas; the relationship between road and rail transport; roads during the two world wars and their reconstruction in the post-war period; motor legislation and motor organisations; motorways; town planning; transport congresses and transport policy; transport infrastructure in the Commonwealth; bridges; buses and tramways; Rees Jeffreys' book, 'The King's Highway'; journals concerned with transport; and personal material, including private correspondence, biographical writings and overseas tour diaries.

Administrative / Biographical History

William Rees Jeffreys was born in London in 1871. He worked for the Board of Trade until 1903, when he became Administrative Secretary to the Royal Automobile Club and Secretary to the Motor Union. In the same year, Rees-Jeffreys secured the appointment of a Departmental Committee to inquire into Highway Administration in England and Wales. From 1910, to its demise in 1918, he was Secretary of the Road Board. Rees Jeffreys also wrote and campaigned extensively on road transport and motoring in the United Kingdom, Europe and many other countries. He died in 1954.

Arrangement

This collection is arranged in 26 sections:
1. Roads Improvement Association, 1890-1952.
2. Road Board, 1909-1950.
3. Road Legislation, 1903-1951.
4. Road Finance, 1830-1951.
5. Road Design, 1919-1951.
6. Road Development, 1910-1952.
7. Road Congress, 1908-1953.
8. Roads Overseas, 1914-1949.
9. Road and Rail, 1922-1951.
10. Roads in World War One, 1911-1922.
11. Roads in World War Two, 1918-1941.
12. Post-War Reconstruction, 1918-1943.
13. Roads in general, 1900-1953.
14. Motor Legislation, 1902-1946.
15. Motor Organisations, 1810-1953.
16. Motorways, 1925-1948.
17. Town Planning, 1910-1953.
18. Transport Congress, 1919-1921.
19. Transport Policy, 1929-1951.
20. Commonwealth, 1911-1946.
21. Bridges, 1915-1947.
22. Buses and Tramways, 1917-1927.
23. The Kings Highway, 1936-1951.
24. Journals, 1918-1943.
25. Personal, 1890-1954.
26. Miscellaneous, 1919-1951.
27. Additional, 1910-1954.

Access Information

OPEN

Other Finding Aids

Printed handlist and online catalogue available.

Archivist's Note

Output from CAIRS using template 14 and checked by hand on May 29, 2002

Conditions Governing Use

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