Travel diaries of George Williams

Diaries of visits made by George Williams to Canada, North Africa and the Middle East, with correspondence regarding the Williams family and the gift of the collection to the R.C.S.

George Howard Williams (1893-1975) was born on 6 February 1893. His father, Howard Williams, was one of five sons of Sir George Williams. Sir George (1821-1905) joined the drapery firm of Hitchcock and Rogers, and became a partner in what became Hitchcock, Williams & Co. In 1844 he founded the Young Men's Christian Association, and he was active in many movements for social and moral welfare. G.H. Williams spent a brief time at Haileybury before he entered the family firm. From 1914 to 1919 he served in the R.A.M.C. He became a sergeant in 1915, and served in Mesopotamia in 1916. Williams travelled extensively, both for business and pleasure. He died on 13 December 1975.

Unless restrictions apply, the collection is open for consultation by researchers using the Manuscripts Reading Room at Cambridge University Library. For further details on conditions governing access please contact mss@lib.cam.ac.uk. Information about opening hours and obtaining a Cambridge University Library reader's ticket is available from the Library's website (www.lib.cam.ac.uk).

Presented by the Museum of London, January 1985. The papers were part of a collection given to the Museum in August 1984 by Hitchcock, Williams & Co. Ltd.

Includes index.

MSS 11c99W

MSS Addenda, vol. I.

A catalogue of the collection can be found on ArchiveSearch.

The R.C.S. Photograph Collection includes postcards and photographs relating to Williams' visits, Y304H-L, Y3041D and Y3062I.

The Imperial War Museum holds diaries kept by G.H. Williams during the First World War.

This collection level description was created by RAS using information from the original typescript catalogue.

Williams, George Howard, 1893-1975, businessman