Papers of Fr William J. Gaffney, including: papers relating to his role as an army chaplain during the Second World War; draft manuscripts for his book Elizabethan Students; correspondence; personal papers including photographs and other items; and printed material.
William J. Gaffney Papers
This material is held atDurham University Archives
- Reference
- GB 33 CSU/D22
- Dates of Creation
- 1909-1985
- Name of Creator
- Language of Material
- English
- Physical Description
- 2 boxes (0.3 metres)
Scope and Content
Administrative / Biographical History
William J. Gaffney was born in Eton, Buckinghamshire, in 1909. He undertook seminary training at the English College of Valladolid, Spain, in the early 1930s, becoming the parish priest of St. Peter's Catholic Church in Marlow following his ordination. During the Second World War, he served as a chaplain for the British army in Africa, ministering to the local indigenous tribes of Basutoland (now Lesotho) and other places. Gaffney retained a close connection with the English College of Valladolid throughout his life, undertaking research into its history and pubishing (privately) a monograph entitled Elizabethan Students : the story of the founding of the English College of St Alban, Valladolid, Spain in 1979. He also helped to set up a book agency in England for the college. He died in 1985.
Access Information
Open for consultation.
Acquisition Information
Donated by Charles Smith, 10 November 2020, Acc No Misc.2020/21:15.
Other Finding Aids
Conditions Governing Use
Permission to make any published use of material from the collection must be sought in advance from the Head of Collections (e-mail PG.Library@durham.ac.uk) and, where appropriate, from the copyright owner. The Library will assist where possible with identifying copyright owners, but responsibility for ensuring copyright clearance rests with the user of the material.
Appraisal Information
Clean duplicates removed.