Oxfordshire County Council was created in 1889 under the Local Government Act 1888 which transferred administrative functions of Quarter Sessions to County and County Borough Councils (for further information on its administrative history see fonds-level descriptions for CC1 and CC2)
This collection consists of the correspondence, committee support and other papers of the Clerk (after 1974, Chief Executive) of the County Council and reflects his changing role from providing secretarial and clerical assistance to elected members into strategic director and manager of an enormous, multi-faceted organisation (currently over 25,000 employees) providing services to an area of 1,006 square miles and 635,000 people (source: www.oxfordshire.gov.uk)
The catalogue is based on the Modern Records Section (MRS) Classification Scheme (MRS was set up in the Clerk's Department in 1934) and old file references under the Scheme have been retained to aid searching in the electronic version. The key committee records (agendas, minutes, reports) have been catalogued separately (see CC1 and CC2) and so this collection consists primarily of the correspondence files and administrative papers of the Clerk.
The catalogue has been structured into five main groups or functions in accordance with modern local government classification guidelines:
1) Democratic Processes and Members (CC3/1)
2) Legal Services (CC3/2)
3) Deposited Records and Registration (CC3/3)
4) Committee and General Administration (CC3/4)
5) Public Relations and Consultation (CC3/5)
The following were clerks and chairmen of the old county council prior to reform in 1974 (Oxfordshire County Council 1889-1974).
Clerks (appointed by Standing Joint Committee):
1) Thomas Marriott Davenport, 1889-1913: succeeded his father, John Marriott Davenport, as Clerk of the Peace in 1881; died in office (reported in Council Meeting 12 Nov 1913)
2) James Rose, 1913-1928: previously Deputy Clerk, retired in 1928
3) Francis Gerald Scott, 1928-1953: previously Deputy Clerk East Sussex, County Controller WW2, retired 1953
4) Gerald Gale Burkitt, 1953-1974: previously Deputy Clerk, retired at time of local government reform 1974, buried at Hampton Poyle Parish Church
Chairmen (nominated and elected by members):
1) Victor Albert George Child Villiers, 7th Earl of Jersey, resident at Middleton Park, Bicester, born 1845, died 1915: Chairman of OCC 1889-1890
2) Arthur Annesley, 11th Viscount Valentia, created 1st Baron (1917), resident at Bletchingdon Park, born 1843, died 1927, Chairman of OCC 1890-1911, previously Vice-Chairman
3) William Henry Ashhurst, former Vice-Chairman, died in office, Chairman 1911-1929
4) Brigadier General Alfred Douglas Miller, former Vice-Chairman, died in office, Chairman 1930-1933
5) William Macnamara Goodenough, former Vice-Chairman, Chairman 1934-1937
6) George Loveden William Henry Parker, 7th Earl of Macclesfield, resident at Shirburn Castle, Watlington, born 1888, former Vice-Chairman, Chairman of OCC 1937-1967
7) Thomas Louis Easby, Alderman, former Vice-Chairman, Chairman 1967-1970
8) Valerie Mansfield, Viscountess Parker, Alderman, daughter of 4th Baron Sandhurst, wife of George Roger Alexander Thomas Parker, 8th Earl of Macclesfield, former Vice-Chairman, Chairman 1970-1974
Note: for the purposes of this catalogue, there is a cut-off date of 1990 although a few records beyond this date have been included.
The catalogue has been created from the following accessions: 3423-4, 3983, 3985, 4103, 4132, 4245, 4264, 4451, 4490-1, 4524-37, 4542-4, 4546-7, 4549-50, 4553, 4557-9, 4593, 4639-40, 4660, 4667, 4681, 4683, 4691, 4696, 4737, 4890-1, 5007-11, 5031, 5142, 5245, 5292, 5296, 5412, 5414, 5484, 5551, 5557-8, 5646-7, 5932
Catalogued by Chris Gilliam, April 2010.