Records of the Society of Town Clerks

Executive Council minutes, 1964-1969; addresses, reports and other papers relating to annual meetings and conferences, 1962-1965; constitution and rules, 1949-1962; journal 1948-1958 (incomplete); correspondence and other papers relating to the winding up of the society, 1973-1974; card index of membership. Additional deposit: minutes; accounts; trust deeds and other papers relating to the Society of Town Clerks Education and Research Trust, 1975-1999.

Administrative/Biographical History

The Society of Town Clerks was set up to confer on all matters affecting municipal administration where the status, duties, responsibilities and interests of Town Clerks and Deputy Town Clerks were concerned. It was also concerned, for example, to promote its members' professional knowledge and training, to improve the conditions of its members, and to protect their interests with their employing authorities.

During the consultation period prior to local government reorganisation in 1974, there were some discussions about the amalgamation of clerks' societies between representatives of this society and the Society of County Clerks. However, after local government reorganisation in 1974, the Society of Town Clerks ceased to exist and a new society, the Society of Local Authority Chief Executives and Senior Managers (SOLACE) was created. This was established as the representative body for chief executives and senior managers of all UK local authorities and related organizations

A trust fund was set up in 1974 with the remaining assets of the now defunct Society of Town Clerks and registered as a charitable trust under the name Society of Town Clerks Education and Research Trust. The objects of the trust were "the advancement of public education, the conducting of research in local government including travel scholarships and grants for research, the publications of that research and lectures and literature for that purpose, and the award of scholarships, grants or maintenance allowances to recent graduates in law from any University in Great Britain to enable them to travel abroad to pursue their education". This charity was wound up and the balance of its assets were transferred to the Trustees of the SOLACE Foundation (a similar, ongoing charity).

Reference: Records of the Society ( http://www.SOLACE.org.uk ). , accessed July 2002.

Access Conditions

Open. Access to all registered researchers.

Immediate Source of Acquisition

This collection was deposited by the Honorary Secretary for The Society of Town Clerks and Research Trust, March 2000.

See full catalogue for more details.

Permission to make any published use of any material from the collection must be sought in advance in writing from the University Archivist, Special Collections. 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.

Further deposits are expected.

University of Birmingham Information Services, Special Collections Department also holds records of the Society of Clerks of the Peace of the Counties and of Clerks of County Councils, and the Society of Clerks of Urban Districts.