James Szlumper Cuttings Files

The James Szlumper Cuttings Files Collection consists of eleven leather bound volumes, ten of newspaper cuttings covering the life and career of Sir James Szlumper, and the political situation in Richmond between 1869 and 1919 (1-9, 11), and one volume (10) is a list of subscribers, with mounted certificates.

Alderman Sir James Szlumper J.P. was Mayor of Richmond three times, and was an accomplished railway engineer, being made District Engineer for the London Division of the London and South-Western Railway in March 1914. Born in 1834, he moved to Richmond from Wales to enlarge his civil engineering practice, about thirty years before the outbreak of World War I. He was Deputy Mayor of Richmond at the outbreak of war, standing in for the Mayor when he was unable to attend meetings and events. He was very involved in the recruitment of soldiers, active in the Richmond Emergency Committee, and president of The Richmond Boys' Naval Brigade. He was a supporter of The Anti-German Union, attending and speaking at a meeting in support of their cause on the 10th of July 1915. He was also president of the Victoria Working Men's Club on Sandycombe Road, Kew.

This collection is open for access and can be viewed at Richmond upon Thames Local Studies Library and Archive.
The opening times and address for Richmond upon Thames Local Studies Library and Archive can be found online at: http://www.richmond.gov.uk/localstudies
If you would like further information about accessing this collection or have any other queries, please contact Richmond upon Thames Local Studies Library and Archive through any of the contact methods listed at: http://www.richmond.gov.uk/localstudies

The volumes were originally in the library of Alderman Sir James Szlumper, and were given to Local Studies by his Worship the Major, Councillor Arthur Howitt, in March 1927.