Northampton College of Technology

The collection contains general prospectuses from 1895/1945 and 1950/1974, as well as individual subject prospectuses for some years. There are student handbooks, prize presentation programmes and programmes of official opening ceremonies. Records of staff, both teaching and non-teaching, include correspondence, details of appointments and lists of staff in post, and date from the 1960s. Governing body papers date from 1967 to 1975 and include agendas, minutes and correspondence. There are press cuttings, individual magazines and a photocopy of the Northampton Mercury report of the public meeting on science and art of 11th March 1867. Papers relating to John Blakeman include lecture programmes, patents and photographs. Other material includes stock books, an 1899 exercise book, a diary of college activities 1946/1973, a visitors book covering 1933/1946 and various student magazines.

On 11th March 1867, a free public lecture on Science and Art was held, under the auspices of the Museum Committee, in the Town Hall in Northampton. As a direct result of it's popularity, evening classes in electricity and magnetism were started in October of that year. The classes proved popular, the range of subjects soon increased, and expansion necessitated several changes of venue.

1894 saw the founding of the Northampton and County Technical and Modern School, combining the Science and Art Department classes and an established Grammar School. Day, evening and weekend classes were held here. In 1907, the evening class organisation became the Northampton and County Technical and Art School, with the School of Art functioning separately. In 1908 it changed it's name to Northampton and County Technical School and School of Art. At this time it was based in premises in Abington Square.

Further name changes occurred, in 1911 to Northampton Technical School and in 1924 to Northampton Technical College. Also in the latter year, a site in St George's Avenue was purchased for £7000. Work began on the site in 1931. Originally a joint College of Art and Technology was planned, but due to financial recession only the technology section was built. A grand Official Opening ceremony of the new Northampton College of Technology by the Duke and Duchess of York took place on 17th November 1932.

In 1937 the wing to house the Art School was completed and the Northampton School of Art moved in to its new premises. Both the Art School and the College of Technology although now housed in the same building continued to function as separate entities.

In 1954, the Central College of Further Education was established as a direct result of the 1944 Education Act. A statutory obligation of the Act meant that local authorities were required to submit a scheme for Further Education to the Ministry of Education. Finally approved on 11th June, 1952 one of the first decisions taken under the new structure was the establishment of a Governing Body for the College. The minutes of the Governing Body for April 1954 and June 1954 refer to the drawing up of the Instrument and Articles of Government and the appointment of the new Governing Body.

The Governing Body minutes from 1954 onwards show that the Central College of Further Education reported to the Northampton County Borough Education Committee. Both the College of Technology and the School of Art continued to operate as separate entities under the new regime, with each having their own distinct sets of minutes and a separate Governing Body.

It is likely that other relevant papers from this period were destroyed by a fire in a County Council records store. Governors papers from the late 1960s and early 1970s use three different headings, Central College of Further Education, College of Technology and School of Art, and College of Technology.

In 1961 further building work joining the two wings of the Art School and the College of Technology was completed.  The new frontage to the building finally completed the programme of work which began in 1931.

A  full inspection in 1963 concluded that the site was inadequate to cope with increasing demands and revisions were made to the Further Education Development Plan approved by the Ministry of Education in 1952. It was decided to create a College of Advanced Technical Education and build two new Colleges of Further Education instead of only two County Colleges of Further Education as previously planned. Further alterations and extensions to the College were opened on 24th March 1970.

By the early 1970s the College was again outgrowing its accommodation and a solution to the problem needed to be found. At this time it was realised that the provision of Higher Education could not be expanded unless it was separated from that for Further Education. In September 1972 the newly built Northampton College of Further Education opened and some of the craft based courses formerly run at the College of Technology were transferred. This move created the room needed for the development of Higher Education at the College of Technology.

In 1975 the Northampton College of Technology, the Northampton College of Education and the Northampton School of Art were amalgamated to form Nene College, a College of Higher Education.

The collection has been arranged in to twenty four series.
Series 1 NCT/01/Edu/Min contains the committee minutes of the College and these have been further divided in to seven sub-series:
Sub-series 1 consists of three boxes
Box 1 contains the minutes of the Governing Body meetings 1967/1975
Box 2 contains papers and correspondence relating to the meetings of the Governing Body 1971/1974
Box 3 contains the minutes of the Governing Body meetings 1947/1958
Sub-series 2 consists of one box containing the minutes of Academic Board meetings 1972/1975
Sub-series 3 consists of two boxes
Box 1 contains the minutes of the Boot and Shoe Advisory Committee 1960/1974
Box 2 contains the Department of Boot and Shoe Manufacture reports and related correspondence 1963/1969
Sub-series 4 consists of one box containing the minutes of the Building Advisory Committee 1963/1968
Sub-series 5 consists of one box containing the minutes of the Catering Trades Advisory Committee 1948/1973
Sub-series 6 consists of one box containing the minutes of the Commerce Advisory Committee 1954/1969
Sub-series 7 consists of one box containing the minutes of the Leather Industries Advisory Committee
Series 2 NCT/01/Edu/His contains items relating to the history of the Northampton College of Technology and has been further divided in to three sub-series:
Sub-series 1 consists of one box containing items relating to the development of technical education in Northamptonshire prior to 1932
Sub-series 2 consists of one box containing items relating to the development of the Northampton College of Technology following its formation in 1932
Sub-series 3 NCT/01/Edu/Rrd consists of one box containing items relating to the college cadet company
Series 3 consists of one box containing items relating to the rules and regulations of the college as well as disputes
Series 4 NCT/01/Edu/Pri contains items relating to the principals of the College and has been divided in to three sub-series
Sub-series 1 consists of one box containing items relating to John Blakeman
Sub-series 2 consists of one box containing items relating to Mr. O.F. Bailey
Sub-series 3 consists of one box containing items relating to Mr. E. Jewitt
Series 5 NCT/01/Edu/Staff consists of two boxes containing items relating to the staffing of the Northampton College of Technology
Series 6 NCT/01/Edu/Lib consists of one box containing items related to the College library
Series 7 NCT/01/Edu/Events consists of one box and two display cabinets containing items relating to College events
Series 8 NCT/01/Edu/Pub consists of one box containing publications produced by the Northampton College of Technology
Series 9 NCT/01/Edu/Stock consists of one box containing College stock books
Series 10 NCT/01/Edu/Pro consists of five boxes containing the prospectuses of the Northampton College of Technology
Series 11 NCT/01/Edu/AdmReg consists of five boxes containing admission registers for the Northampton College of Technology
Series 12 NCT/01/Edu/StAss consists of one box containing items relating to the Students Association
Series 13 NCT/01/Edu/StHbk consists of one box containing Students Handbooks from the 1970s
Series 14 NCT/01/Edu/Visits consists of one box containing items relating to educational visits
Series 15 NCT/01/Edu/Exams consists of one box containing examination records
Series 16 NCT/01/Edu/Prize consists of one box containing programmes for the Annual Prize Presentations of the College
Series 17 NCT/02/Edu/Test consists of one box containing student testimonials
Series 18 NCT/01/Edu/Stats consists of one box containing student related statistical information
Series 19 NCT/01/Edu/Photos contains photographs relating to the Northampton College of Technology and these have been further divided in to fifteen sub-series:
Sub-series  1 consists of one folder containing aerial photographs
Sub-series  2 consists of four folders containing photographs of the College buildings
Sub-series  3 consists of one folder containing photographs of events, open days and visits
Sub-series  4 consists of one folder containing photographs of the administration offices
Sub-series  5 consists of one folder containing photographs of the Building Department
Sub-series  6 consists of one folder containing photographs of the Commerce Department
Sub-series  7 consists of one folder containing photographs of the Department of Domestic Subjects and Catering
Sub-series  8 consists of two folders containing photographs of the Departments of Leather and Boot and Shoe Manufacture
Sub-series  9 consists of one folder containing photographs of the Library
Sub-series 10 consists of two folders containing photographs of the Departments of Science and Technology
Sub-series 11 consists of one folder containing photographs with a military connection
Sub-series 12 consists of one folder containing photographs taken of items held in the archive together with a selection of photographic negatives
Sub-series 13 consists of one folder containing unidentified photographs
Sub-series 14 consists of one box containing group photographs
Series 20 NCT/01/Edu/News consists of one box containing articles and newspaper clippings that relate to the College
Series 21 NCT/01/Edu/Eph consists of two boxes containing ephemera relating to the Northampton College of Technology
Series 22 NCT/01/Edu/Northconsists of one box containing items relating to Education in Northamptonshire
Series 23 NCT/01/Edu/NorthEph consists of one box containing ephemera relating to Northamptonshire
Series 24 NCT/01/Edu/Other consists of one box containing items relating to other educational establishment

While most of the collection is accessible to everyone some restrictions are in place in order to protect personal data.

We do not expect that there will be major accruals to this collection but the University would welcome the chance to discuss any further potential donations of records relating to the Northampton College of Technology.

A detailed catalogue is available at https://northampton.epexio.com/records/NCT/01/Edu

Normal copyright restrictions apply

The University of Northampton takes copyright seriously and only makes content available in its Archive Catalogue in accordance with current UK legislation.

All reasonable effort is made by The University of Northampton to obtain copyright holders' consent before publishing the images represented in our Archive Catalogue. We would like to ask that any copyright owners who are not properly identified in our Archive Collections contact us so that we may make the necessary corrections or removals.

We do not expect that there will be major accruals to this collection but the University would welcome the chance to discuss any further potential donations of records relating to the Northampton College of Technology.