YMCA Unofficial Papers: Papers of Mary Kathleen ('Molly') Jones

This material is held atUniversity of Birmingham, Cadbury Research Library, Special Collections

  • Reference
    • GB 150 YMCA/ACC63
  • Dates of Creation
    • [early 1930s] - 2015
  • Name of Creator
  • Language of Material
    • English
  • Physical Description
    • 2 files 1 item

Scope and Content

A small compilation of personal papers of Molly Jones predominantly relating to her time with the YMCA in Greece 1945-1946. Also including a retrospective account of Molly's experiences written by her daughter, A. Elizabeth Jones; copies of papers relating to the war-time service of Molly's brother, under the name P[eter] Blake, and a few photographs of Molly, family and friends taken before and after she went to Greece with the YMCA. The collection includes a combination of original material and later photocopies.

Administrative / Biographical History

Mary Kathleen Snoxell, known as 'Molly', was born in Luton, 4 October 1913. Her father of the Snoxell hat manufacturing family, did not support higher education for girls and so, aged 18 years, Molly entered secretarial college instead of joining her High School friends at university.

After a long engagement, Molly married David H. Jones, solicitor, in 1939. When shortly afterwards David joined the army, Molly travelled around the UK with him until he was sent to Malta in 1942. Her family did not wish her to join the Auxiliary Territorial Service (ATS) 'because the girls were deemed to be "too rough"', but she volunteered for firewatching duty on the roof of Luton Hoo, Bedfordshire, a country house which served as the headquarters of the British Army's Eastern Command during the War. In 1945, Molly went overseas for the first time, travelling to Greece via Italy with the YMCA; by doing so she was able to spend time with her husband, David, who was also in Greece and understood to have been serving as a 'claims assessor' with HQ Land Forces. Molly and David returned to England together in 1946, travelling by train through Italy with David in the position of O(fficer) C(ommanding) Train.

Her younger brother, Peter, is understood to have deserted during the War as he did not wish to go to West Africa. After re-joining under the name, 'Blake', he undertook flight training in Saskatchewan, Canada, under the British Comonwealth Air Training Plan. He graduated from Elementary Flying Training School number 33, Caron, Saskathchewan in October 1942 and served as a pilot instructor.

Molly died 9 June 1984.

Source: information supplied by the donor; the records; Encyclopedia of Saskathcewan, available online at http://esask.uregina.ca/entry/royal_air_force.html (accessed 9 March 2015)

Arrangement

Arranged as a single series of Family Papers.

Access Information

Open, access to all registered researchers.

Acquisition Information

Presented by the daughter of Molly Jones, February 2015.

Other Finding Aids

Please see full catalogue for more information.

Archivist's Note

Papers arranged and described by I. Frlan, March 2015, in compliance with General International Standard Archival Description, ISAD(G), second edition, 2000; National Council on Archives Rules for the Construction of Personal, Place and Corporate Names, 1997; and in-house cataloguing guidelines.

Conditions Governing Use

Permission to make any published use of any material from the collection must be sought in advance in writing from the Director, Cadbury Research Library: Special Collections (email: special-collections@contacts.bham.ac.uk). Identification of copyright holders of unpublished material is often difficult. The Cadbury Research Library: Special Collections will assist where possible with identifying copyright owners, but responsibility for ensuring copyright clearance rests with the user of the material.

Custodial History

The majority of the original material in the collection passed directly to the daughter of Molly Jones. The correspondence from which the donor made copies for the archive passed to the donor on the death of Molly's bother, 'Pete'.

Related Material

The official archive of YMCA England and Wales was deposited in 1998.

The records of Central (London) YMCA were deposited in 2006 (GB 0150 CYMCA)

Special Collections is receiving a growing number of collections from private sources relating to the YMCA. These collections, which may include diaries, family letters and photographs, complement the official archive and have been organised into a sequence of YMCA Unofficial Papers. Collection descriptions of many of these are available on our online archive catalogue and many are fully catalogued.

The following collections are currently uncatalogued:
YMCA/ACC20: Papers of Geoffrey Palmer
YMCA/ACC59: Records of Pinder House YMCA

Brief collections descriptions (which will be enhanced at a later date) are available for:
YMCA/ACC53: Photographs of First World War Graves
YMCA/ACC56: Crucifix made of bullet casings
YMCA/ACC58: Family papers relating to Sir Arthur Keysall Yapp and the YMCA
YMCA/ACC64: Knox family papers
YMCA/ACC66: Springfield College

Full catalogues of the following collections of unofficial YMCA papers are available for:
YMCA/ACC1: Papers of William Edwyn Shipton
YMCA/ACC2: Papers of Gipsy Smith
YMCA/ACC3: Papers of Eckard Geisler Collection
YMCA/ACC4: Papers relating to the history of YMCA
YMCA/ACC5: Papers of W. J. Lambert
YMCA/ACC6: Freedom of the City of London granted to Sir George Williams
YMCA/ACC7: Papers of Marion Huggan
YMCA/ACC8: Papers of Frederick Powell
YMCA/ACC9: Personal papers and collection of Mrs Joan Marsham
YMCA/ACC10: Papers of Edward Bursill
YMCA/ACC11: Papers of Thomas Winter
YMCA/ACC12: Records of the YMCA
YMCA/ACC13: Papers of Barbara Vessey
YMCA/ACC14: Papers of George Turner
YMCA/ACC15: Papers of A. P. Braddock
YMCA/ACC16: Tranter Collection
YMCA/ACC17: Papers of Sam Johnston
YMCA/ACC18: Papers of Miss Kate Macpherson
YMCA/ACC19: Papers of James C. B. Thomson
YMCA/ACC21: Records of Newcastle-on-Tyne YMCA
YMCA/ACC22: Album of First World War photographs
YMCA/ACC23: Papers of Gilbert Gilkes
YMCA/ACC24: Papers of J. W. Talby
YMCA/ACC25: Papers of Mr and Mrs H. E. Thomas
YMCA/ACC26: First World War letter
YMCA/ACC27: Papers of George Durrans
YMCA/ACC28: Records of Fulham YMCA
YMCA/ACC29: Photographs of Birmingham YMCA
YMCA/ACC30: Photograph of Jessie Strathearn
YMCA/ACC31: Records of Derry Young Men's Christian Literary Association
YMCA/ACC32: Records of Leamington YMCA
YMCA/ACC33: Records of the Fellowship of YMCA International Campers
YMCA/ACC34: Papers of R. Davison White
YMCA/ACC35: YMCA Fovant Camp programmes
YMCA/ACC36: Papers of Jean Cook
YMCA/ACC37: Papers of Malcolm Tremlett
YMCA/ACC38: First World War YMCA Christmas card
YMCA/ACC39: Album presented to Eric Bidlake
YMCA/ACC40: Publications of the German YMCA in London
YMCA/ACC41: Papers of David Myles
YMCA/ACC42: Leaflets of St Albans YMCA and YWCA
YMCA/ACC43: Papers of James Greenwood
YMCA/ACC44: YMCA medal awarded to Arthur Moulson
YMCA/ACC45: Papers of Reverend Graham Clarke
YMCA/ACC46: Records of Halifax YMCA Amateur Operatic and Pantomime Society
YMCA/ACC47: Diaries and notebooks of Rev R. N. Lyons
YMCA/ACC48: Records of Northampton YMCA Rambling and Cycling Clubs
YMCA/ACC49: Records of Halifax YMCA Amateur Operatic and Pantomime Society
YMCA/ACC50: Photograph of YMCA Voluntary Workers 1914-1919
YMCA/ACC51: Papers of (Benjamin) Gordon Williams
YMCA/ACC52: Exeter Hall
YMCA/ACC54: Records of Liverpool YMCA
YMCA/ACC55: Papers of Ivo Humphries Godfrey
YMCA/ACC57: Croydon YMCA Trust Deed
YMCA/ACC60: YMCA Ninth International Conference
YMCA/ACC61: Papers of the YMCA Women's Auxiliary
YMCA/ACC62: Lecture in aid of the YMCA by Rev John Oates
YMCA/ACC63: Papers of Mary Kathleen ('Molly') Jones
YMCA/ACC65: Papers of Harold Stapleton
YMCA/ACC67: Papers relating to Glasgow YMCA
YMCA/ACC68: Papers relating to Central YMCA Cricket Club
YMCA/ACC69: Papers of J. Hastings Eastwood
YMCA/ACC70: Papers of the Swansea YMCA Players
YMCA/ACC71: Papers of J. Clark Ready relating to the Nigerian YMCA
YMCA/ACC72: Scrapbooks and photographs relating to YMCA activities during the 20th century
YMCA/ACC73: Dissertation on the development of the YMCA in England by R. S. Boyce
YMCA/ACC74: Memoir of William George Cadenhead
YMCA/ACC75: First World War correspondence of J. E. Richards
YMCA/ACC76: Memoir of Grace Torrington
YMCA/ACC77: First World War postcards collected by John Pritchard Brewer
YMCA/ACC78: Papers of Sydney L. Vinson relating to the First and Second World Wars
YMCA/ACC79: Papers of Minnie H. Evelyn-Smith
YMCA/ACC80: Papers relating to Abel Simner and Winifred Ava-Simner
YMCA/ACC81: First World War correspondence of Albert Entwistle
YMCA/ACC82: Papers of Jack Houghton
YMCA/ACC83: Photographs of European Voluntary Workers based at the YMCA Hostel in Moota, Cumberland
YMCA/ACC84: Dissertation on the contribution of the YMCA in the development of basketball
YMCA/ACC85: Memoir of Harold M. Gould, YMCA Secretary
YMCA/ACC86: Papers of Miss Tuckwell of Croydon
YMCA/ACC87: Visitors book for 'Soundeville' rest camp in Equihen, France
YMCA/ACC88: Papers relating to the Centennial Conference of the YMCA
YMCA/ACC89: First World War correspondence sent to Reverend and Mrs Proctor of Salisbury
YMCA/ACC90: 'The History of the YMCA, 1844-1983'
YMCA/ACC91: Papers of Mrs M. L. Coles of the YMCA National Women's Auxiliary
YMCA/ACC92: 'History of Mildmay: the National YMCA training headquarters' by Rowland Lyne
YMCA/ACC93: YMCA car badge belonging to Major Richard J. P. Lane
YMCA/ACC94: YMCA 'Order of the Red Triangle' badge
YMCA/ACC95: Miscellaneous YMCA sports medals
YMCA/ACC96: YMCA materials relating to The Order of The Red Triangle
YMCA/ACC97: Photographs relating to the European Voluntary Workers scheme
YMCA/ACC98: Notes relating to William Hind Smith
YMCA/ACC99: New Testament titled 'Active Service Testament'
YMCA/ACC100: YMCA medals awarded to Lilian West Maidment
YMCA/ACC101: Papers relating to Bernard Wheelwright
YMCA/ACC102: Sketches relating to the YMCA during the First World War
YMCA/ACC103: Material relating to YMCA's 175th anniversary
YMCA/ACC104: Papers of Reverend Arnold Dauncey
YMCA/ACC105: Papers of A. G. Maundrell
YMCA/ACC106: Papers relating to Anglo-German YMCA Youth Camp at Burford
YMCA/ACC107: Papers of John Bainbridge