Bindoff Papers

Papers of Stanley Thomas Bindoff in English and Dutch, including reviews and letters about the 'The Scheldt Question to 1839', 1945-1975.

Bindoff, Stanley Thomas [Tim] (1908-1980), historian, was born at 13 Stirling Place, Hove, Sussex, on 8 April 1908, the son of Thomas Henry Bindoff, a barman, later described as a licensed victualler's manager, and his wife, Mary Jane Emma Ball. Educated at Brighton grammar school under A E Wilson, he went on to University College, London (UCL) in 1926, when J E Neale was about to succeed A F Pollard. After graduation, he worked as a research assistant, a professional indexer, and as history tutor to the future King Farouk of Egypt. In 1935 Bindoff joined the staff of University College, and with the outbreak of war followed the department to north Wales. There followed three years with the naval intelligence division of the Admiralty. On 18 April 1938 he married Marjorie Blatcher (1906/7-1979), Pollard's research assistant, an authority on the technicalities of legal history. In 1951 Biindoff was appointed the first professor of history at Queen Mary College in the Mile End Road, London, where he reamined until retirement.

In 1950 Bindoff published his 'Tudor England' in the Pelican History of England series. Under the supervision of the Dutch historian Pieter Geyl, Bindoff wrote an MA thesis, 'Great Britain and the Scheldt, 1814-1839', based on research in Dutch and Belgian archives, as well as in the papers of Lord Palmerston. Harold Temperley was another influence. In 1945 the Dutch government sponsored the publication of 'The Scheldt Question to 1839', which traced this long-running diplomatic issue from its beginnings in the fourteenth century. The book was dedicated to Geyl, with whom Bindoff had co-operated in translating 'The Netherlands Divided' (1936), part of his 'Geschiedenis van de Nederlandsche stam' (1934).

Bindoff fell ill with bronchopneumonia in the winter of 1980 and died on 23 December at 24 Langley Avenue, Surbiton, Surrey, survived by a son and a daughter.

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Found amongst library of S T Bindoff given to the Library UCL, transferred from Gordon Square, Feb 1984 or 1981.

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