IDENTITY STATEMENT
Reference code(s): GB 0103 MORRIS
Held at: University College London
Title: Morris (John) Papers
Date(s): [1944-1977]
Level of description: Collection (fonds)
Extent: 48 boxes
Name of creator(s): Morris | John R | 1913-1977 | historian
CONTEXT
Administrative/Biographical history:
Born, 1913; read Modern History at Oxford University; served in World War Two; joined University College London as Lecturer in Ancient History, 1948; founder and first editor of Past and Present, 1952; visited India as a lecturer for the Indian University Grants Commission, 1968-1969; Senior Lecturer, University College London, 1969; involved in several socialist organisations, particularly the Institute for Workers' Control; died, 1977. Publications: The Age of Arthur (1973); co-editor and translator of the Phillimore edition of The Domesday Book; co-editor with A H M Jones and J R Martindale of the Prospography of the Later Roman Empire (from 1971); Londinium: London in the Roman Empire (1982), revised by Sarah Macready and published posthumously.
CONTENT
Scope and content/abstract:
Correspondence and working papers, 1944-1977 and undated, of John Morris, including notes, proofs, manuscript and typescript drafts, comprising material on Roman sources and history, Christianity, Saxon, Celtic and Arthurian sources and history, including Nennius and Gildas; photographs of Anglo-Saxon archaeology, particularly a site at Mitcham, Surrey; typescript of Morris' Londinium: London in the Roman Empire; correspondence and papers relating to Past and Present including articles submitted to Morris for publication and related correspondence; academic correspondence with correspondents in the UK and abroad; papers and correspondence relating to Morris' visit to India, including academic matters and Indian politics and papers relating to Morris' political interests and activities, particularly the Institute for Workers' Control, including printed material.
ACCESS AND USE
Language/scripts of material: English
System of arrangement:
The first and second accessions has been arranged in the following sections: Academic papers (Roman, Gildas, Arthur, Nennius, Celtic, Liber Landen, Anglo-Saxon) (Refs: A-G); Past and Present (Ref: H); Correspondence (Ref: J); India (Ref: K); Political Papers (Ref: L); Miscellaneous (Ref: M). The third and fourth accessions remain in the original order.
Conditions governing access:
Closed pending cataloguing. Please contact UCL Special Collections for further information.
Conditions governing reproduction:
Normal copyright restrictions apply.
Physical characteristics:
Finding aids:
There is a hard copy handlist of this collection with an index of correspondents.
ARCHIVAL INFORMATION
Appraisal, destruction and scheduling information:
Accruals:
Archival history:
The bulk of the papers were deposited by John Morris' widow, Mrs Susan Morris, in 1979. An additional deposit, the typescript for 'Londinium', was received by arrangement with Mrs Morris in 1986, a deposit of papers on Arthurian sources was received from Morris' son also in 1986 and a further accession of papers relating to 'Past and Present' was received from Eric Hobsbawm in 2003.
Immediate source of acquisition:
Acquired from the family in 1979, with later accruals in 1986. Past and Present was received from Eric Hobsbawm in 2003.
ALLIED MATERIALS
Existence and location of originals:
Existence and location of copies:
Related material:
University College London Special Collections also holds Morris's appointment file (Ref: GO 1567) and superannuation file (Ref: GO 1470)
Publication note:
DESCRIPTION NOTES
Note:
Archivist's note: Compiled by Rachel Kemsley as part of the RSLP AIM25 project. Revised by Sarah Drewery.
Sources: University College London Annual Report 1976-1977, pp 33-34.
Date(s) of descriptions: Jun 2001; revised Sep 2008 and May 2018.