Ramsey, Michael (1904-1984)

Papers of Archbishop Michael Ramsey.

For detailed information on the major events of Archbishop Ramsey's life readers should consult Owen Chadwick's 'Michael Ramsey' (Oxford University Press, 1990), Michael De-La-Noy's 'Michael Ramsey: a portrait' (Collins, 1990) and the article by Alan Wilkinson in the Oxford Dictionary of National Biography, and Peter Webster's 'Archbishop Ramsey: The Shape of the Church' (Ashgate, 2015).

These form part of the Archbishops' Papers. These in turn form part of the archives of the Archbishops of Canterbury, which also comprise: Bishops' Meetings records (BM), Cartae Antiquae et Miscellaneae (Lambeth Charters) (CM), Convocation records (Conv), Court of Arches records (Arches), Faculty Office records (F), Lambeth Conference papers (LC), Temporalities records (ED and T), including correspondence on the Archbishops' estates (TR 8-36), and Vicar General records (V).

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The bulk of the Ramsey Papers comprises official papers originating in Lambeth Palace and arranged by the Archbishop's staff in yearly sequences of alphabetical subject files covering the years 1961-1974. These form volumes 4-287 of the collection. Other material received from the Palace were the series of engagement diaries (volumes 293-313), sermons and addresses and articles (volumes 314-320), many of the photographs (box 324) and most of the presscuttings (volumes 325-335). Papers relating to Ramsey's input into ecumenical affairs and his ecumenical visits can be found in the archives of the Council on Foreign Relations, also held by the Library. Official papers relating purely to the Diocese of Canterbury have been transferred to Canterbury Cathedral Archives to join their holdings of diocesan material. One box of papers relating to Ramsey's time as Archbishop of York is held by the Borthwick Institute for Archives, University of York.

Papers received from other sources include the Church Information Office files on Archbishops Ramsey's overseas visits, relations with the media and post-retirement correspondence with John Miles, Chief Press Officer (volumes 288-292) which were transferred from the Communications Department in 2003, as well as personal papers collected and used by Professor Owen Chadwick in his biography (volumes 1-3 and 321-323) which he transferred to the Library in 1990 and 1991. Professor Chadwick's own papers relating to the biography can be found in MS. 4496. In addition, the Library has received three small accessions of photographs which have been put with the official photographs in box 324: those from Michael De-La-Noy used in 'Michael Ramsey: a Portrait'; a group of photographs from Ramsey's visit to Central Africa in 1960 which came from the Revd. Mark Abrey, who had been given them by the Rt. Revd. William Baker, former Bishop of Zanzibar and Tanzania; and a photograph of the Ramsey stained glass window at Nashotah House received from the Dean, the Very Revd. Gary W. Kris. The scroll of Archbishop Ramsey's Freedom of the City of Canterbury (box 336) was found at Bishopthorpe Palace in York and transferred to the Library in 2008.

Appraisal and cataloguing of the papers began in 1992 and followed the Library's house-style of minimal file-level description supplemented by full indexing. In 2005, following the purchase of CALM for Archives and the start of the conversion of hard-copy catalogues of Archbishops' Papers to electronic form, it was decided to include the Ramsey Papers in that process. Volumes 197 onwards have been catalogued directly into CALM giving a précis of the correspondence included under each subject-heading, with folio references for particular topics and correspondents. Four archivists have been involved in the cataloguing process: James Armstrong, Claire Breay, Alexandrina Buchanan and Clare Brown. A large number of other members of the archive team have been involved in the retro-conversion process and thanks are due to them all.

Some correspondence of a sensitive personal nature relating to living persons has been closed under the provisions of the Data Protection Act (1998) and withheld. This will be made available in due course.

Catalogue and index of the correspondence and papers of Michael Ramsey, archbishop of Canterbury, 1961-1974, in Lambeth Palace Library (typescript; draft for 1961-9), converted to electronic format. Descriptions for the rest of the papers in electronic form.

Correspondents are selectively identified in the catalogue, for instance members of the clergy and eminent individuals. Cataloguing reverted to a more detailed style for the Ramsey papers; those of his predecessor Archbishop Fisher were catalogued more summarily.

Copyright in official papers of Archbishop Ramsey is owned by Lambeth Palace Library (transferred by executors, 1991).

The sequence of official papers transferred from Lambeth Palace was appraised according to the following criteria: copies of minutes and papers sent for information purposes only have been destroyed where a full set is held by the originating body; correspondence of a routine administrative nature has been destroyed; correspondence from members of the public has been sampled; printed material related to bodies under the patronage of Archbishop Ramsey, and Orders of Service for services in which he participated have been transferred to the printed books collection.

Ramsey material in various other Lambeth Palace Library collections, including MS 5034 (miscellaneous additional material)

Borthwick Institute: Bishopthorpe Papers BP1/RAM; Canterbury Cathedral Archives

Audio recordings at the British Library