Papers of Dr Sam Lilley (1914-1987), science lecturer at the University of Nottingham, c.1930s-1950s

The bulk of the collection consists of research notes made during Lilley's time at St. John's College, Cambridge, relating to various aspects of the history, ideology, politics and impact on society of science and technology from early civilisation to the twentieth century. The notes include bibliography, extracts from many sources, and chronologies of science and technology milestones. c.1948 (MS 200/1);

Also present are photographs and postcards including as subjects the bridge at Ironbridge, Shropshire; people on a field study; and memorials of James Watt and Matthew Boulton in St. Mary's church, Handsworth. c.1953 (MS 200/2).

Sam Lilley was born in Belfast on 25 June 1914. He was educated at the Belfast Academical Institution. At Queen's University, Belfast he gained a first class honours degree in mathematics and mathematical physics in 1935 and, in the following year, an M.Sc. in algebraic geometry. He moved to St. John's College, Cambridge for postgraduate research and was awarded a Ph.D. in 1939. In 1938-1939, Dr Lilley was an assistant lecturer in mathematics at King's College, London. During the war, he worked as an experimental officer in the Armaments Research Department of the Ministry of Supply. He became interested at this time in the history of science and technology. In 1940, he was awarded a Fellowship in mathematics at St. John's, but deferred until 1948 when he changed his subject to the history of science and technology.

In the late 1940s, Lilley began working as an adult education science teacher in Nottingham, with a particular interest in relativity. His works included 'Men Machines and History', 'Automation and Social Progress', 'Science and Progress' and 'Discovering Relativity for Yourself' (Cambridge University Press, 1981). Dr Lilley was a long-standing member of the Communist Party.

The collection has been divided by document type into two series. Within these series, items have been arranged chronologically.

ACCESS: Access restricted pending full listing and processing; prospective researchers should contact the Department for advice concerning available series.

LANGUAGE: English

• This description is the only finding aid available for the collection. Copyright in the description belongs to The University of Nottingham.

REPROGRAPHIC: Reprographic copies can be supplied for educational use and private study purposes only, depending on access status and the condition of the documents.

COPYRIGHT: Identification of copyright holders of unpublished material is often difficult. Permission to make any published use of any material from the collection must be sought in advance in writing from the Keeper of Manuscripts and Special Collections (email mss-library@nottingham.ac.uk).

The collection was acquired by the University of Nottingham's Department of Manuscripts and Special Collections in March 1992.