Diaries and miscellaneous papers of Lois Carden

Diaries and miscellaneous papers of Lois Carden relating to her personal and social life in India where her husband, Derick, was employed by the Dunlop Rubber Company. Diary entries cover the last years of British rule in India and beyond. The diaries are a useful source for researching the history of Indian independence. She describes riots, curfews, civil unrest and on 10 February 1945 records a 'Down with England' campaign. The diaries also include periods of leave in England. Her entries provide detailed descriptions of the weather, her occasional illnesses and the various hobbies she enjoys.

The diaries have been kept somewhat randomly. She records daily entries or weekly summaries, sometimes in considerable detail. The first diary contains entries for 1936, 1938-1940, 1942-1944, 1947-1949 and 1951-1952. Entries for 1944-1947, 1949-1950, 1952-1955 and 1961 are recorded in the second volume. No entries are recorded for 1937, 1941 and 1956-1960. The second volume also contains newspaper cuttings, letters, telegrams, photographs and other ephemera. Loose items contained within the second volume have been removed and are stored together in a separate folder. These items cover the period c 1940-1969 although many of them are undated.

Lois Leila Frances Weeks (1903-2000) was born on 17 June 1903, the seventh child of Dan and Frances Weeks of Westminster. Her mother's maiden name was Buck which is supported by internal evidence in MS119/3/25-29. In the 1911 census her father is listed as 68 years old and his occupation is a 'proprietor of chambers'. Her seven siblings are also recorded, including Etheline. In her diaries, Lois records writing regular letters to this sister, addressing her as 'Ethelind'. Lois died in January 2000 in the New Forest, Hampshire.

Derick Walter Carden (1902-1984) was a descendant of the Carden family of Molesey and is recorded in Burke's Peerage. He was born in Southampton on 30 April 1902. In the 1911 census his family are living in Hammersmith. He married Lois on 27 April 1929 and both are recorded as living at Johns, Rignall Road, Great Missenden, Buckinghamshire by the time of the 1970 edition of Burke's Peerage. Derick died on 22 November 1984 in the New Forest, Hampshire.

Sources: Burke's Peerage, 105th edition, 1970; 1911 census available at www.findmypast.com, accessed July 2009

Open. Access to all registered researchers.

Purchased July 2002

Please see full catalogue for more information.

Papers arranged and described by Mark Eccleston, July 2009.

Permission to make any published use of any material from the collection must be sought in advance in writing from the Director of Special Collections (email: special-collections@contacts.bham.ac.uk). Identification of copyright holders of unpublished material is often difficult. Special Collections will assist where possible with identifying copyright owners, but responsibility for ensuring copyright clearance rests with the user of the material.