Church Union

This material is held atLambeth Palace Library

  • Reference
    • GB 109 CU
  • Dates of Creation
    • 1848-1987
  • Language of Material
    • English
  • Physical Description
    • 208 files; 6 archive boxes

Scope and Content

First deposit:

A Bristol Church Union (CU/A/1-3).

B English Church Union (CU/B/4-53).

C Catholic Union for Prayer (CU/C/54).

D Anglo-Catholic Congress (CU/D/55-87).

E Church Union (CU/E/88-99).

Second deposit:

records of the Church Union, 1934-1987 (chiefly minutes of executive committee, general council, annual general meeting, local branches, other committees and other bodies including Society of SS Peter & Paul 1960-75, Church of England Protection Society 1859-60, Council for the Defence of Church Principles, 1943-1954).

Administrative / Biographical History

The Church of England Protection Society was formed in 1859, and was renamed the English Church Union in 1860, when it incorporated several local Church societies. Its object was to defend and propagate High Church principles.

In 1934 the English Church Union was united with the Anglo-Catholic Congress to form the Church Union. The organisation continues to be administered from Faith House, Westminster, and to publish books, tracts and magazines.

The Anglo-Catholic Congress was first held in London in 1920 and continued to meet in different locations around England until the 1950s. It incorporated a number of smaller organisations, including the Fiery Cross Association (1920s-1930s), Catholic Literature Association (1890s-1920s) and Pilgrimage Association (1920s-1930s).

Arrangement

Arranged within two accessions by body, then chronologically.

Access Information

Open

Acquisition Information

Deposited on permanent loan by the Church Union:

99 volumes in 1968. [LR/L/14/10]

109 volumes plus loose papers in 1999. [Acc 2007-9]

Other Finding Aids

Catalogue descriptions based on typescript list (first accession). Second accession is box listed only.

Custodial History

Also referred to as CU Dep

Accruals

Accruing

Related Material

Lambeth Palace Library:

Archbishops' Papers;

Manuscripts, especially: W.J. Fong "The ritualist crisis: Anglo-Catholics and authority with special reference to the English church union" Doctoral Thesis, University of Toronto 1977 (copy at MS. 3103).

Pusey House Library.