The Peart-Binns Episcopal Biography Archive

The biographical material consists of articles and letters (some photocopies), newspaper cuttings, diocesan newsletters, obituary notices, recollections of colleagues and associates of his subjects, and relevant books. Individual files vary from a single news cutting to several boxes of material.

John S. Peart-Binns has made a specialisation of writing the biographies of Anglican bishops. His research has brought him a large collection of material relating to over 400 bishops (past and present) of the Church of England and of the other churches of the Pan-Anglican Communion. As well as its interest as a guide to the internal organisation of the Church of England and a source on trends in theology, the collection also reflects the involvement of senior clergy in social welfare, politics and legislation.

All the material has been divided by Mr Peart-Binns into subject files.

Available to researchers, by appointment. Access to archive material is subject to preservation requirements and must also conform to the restrictions of the Data Protection Act and any other appropriate legislation.

Donated to the J.B.Priestley Library by Mr. Peart-Binns, 2002 to 2004.

In English.

Copies may be supplied or produced at the discretion of Special Collections staff, subject to copyright law and the condition of the originals. Applications for permission to make published use of any material should be directed to the Special Collections Librarian in the first instance. The Library will assist where possible with identifying copyright owners but responsibility for ensuring copyright clearance rests with the user of the material.

The Peart-Binns Christian Socialist Archive at the University of Bradford contains related material.

Many of the subjects of this archive have other papers held elsewhere, which may be indexed in the National Register of Archives. The principal library and record office for the Church of England is Lambeth Palace Library. Ecclesiastical records not held there are often held by local authority record offices. Some records of the Archbishops of York are held by the University of York, Borthwick Institute of Historical Research. Some records of the Archbishops of Canterbury are held by Canterbury Cathedral Archives.

This material has been used in the preparation of the following books by John Peart-Binns: Dead or alive? The Oxford Movement today (London : Church Union, Church Literature Association, [196-?]); Blunt (Brighouse : Mountain Press, [1969]); Ambrose Reeves (London : Gollancz, 1973); Cornish bishop / with Alan Dunstan (London : Epworth Press, 1977); Eric Treacy (London : Ian Allen, 1980); Defender of the Church of England: the biography of Ronald Ralph Williams, bishop of Leicester (Oxford : Amate Press, 1984); Living with paradox: John Habgood, Archbishop of York (London : Darton, Longman&Todd, 1987); Wand of London (London : Mowbray, 1987); Archbishop Joost de Blank, Scourge of Apartheid (London : Muller Blond&White, 1987); Graham Leonard, Bishop of London (London : Darton, Longman and Todd, 1988); Bishop Hugh Montefiore (London : Anthony Blond,1990); Alfred Edwin Morris, Archbishop of Wales (Llandysul : Gomer, 1990).