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The Papers of Sir Winston Churchill

The Churchill Archive comprises material in almost 2500 boxes, consisting of a variety of formats including paper, photographs and artefacts.

The catalogue was written by, and is maintained by, the Churchill Archives Centre at Churchill College, Cambridge. It divides the Archive into two groups, or 'series'. The papers dating from before 27 July 1945, when Churchill's first term as Prime Minister ended, are known as the Chartwell Papers (catalogue reference CHAR) and were originally owned by the Chartwell Trust. The papers dating from after 27 July 1945 (catalogue reference CHUR) are known as the Churchill Papers and were given to Churchill College by Lady Churchill in 1969.

Within these two series the catalogue offers more detailed classifications relating to the type of material, and in many (though not all) cases describes individual documents.

Personal (CHAR 1 and CHUR 1)

The papers of Churchill as a private person. They include correspondence with or about his family and friends on non-public topics and papers relating to Churchill's personal, financial and legal affairs and his social life.

➜ CHAR 1, Personal, 1884 - 1945

➜ CHUR 1, Personal, 1945 - 1965

Personal (CHAR 1 and CHUR 1)

➜ CHAR 1, Personal, 1884 - 1945

➜ CHUR 1, Personal, 1945 - 1965

Public and Political: general (CHAR 2 and CHUR 2), 1898-1964

The papers relating to Churchill's activities as a person in public life other than his work as MP for a particular constituency or as a Minister. The content of these classes is very diverse and includes notes and correspondence with colleagues, acquaintances and the general public on topics of contemporary general interest, on party political matters, and on appointments to various positions. These classes also include papers relating to governmental business with which Churchill was not involved as a Minister or a member of the Cabinet.

➜ CHAR 2, Public and Political: General, 1898 - 1945

➜ CHUR 2, Public and Political: General, 1945 - 1965

Public and Political: general (CHAR 2 and CHUR 2), 1898-1964

➜ CHAR 2, Public and Political: General, 1898 - 1945

➜ CHUR 2, Public and Political: General, 1945 - 1965

Constituency (CHAR 3-CHAR 7, and CHUR 3), 1900-1964

These classes cover each of the constituencies represented by Churchill (Oldham, North-West Manchester, Dundee, Epping and Woodford). Each class contains correspondence and papers relating to local affairs generally, elections, meetings and speeches. There is correspondence with constituents on general political topics and about Churchill's actions on behalf of local interests.

➜ CHAR 3, Constituency: Oldham (Lancashire), 1900 - 1905

➜ CHAR 4, Constituency: North West Manchester, 1904 - 1908

➜ CHAR 5, Constituency: Dundee, 1908 - 1922

➜ CHAR 6, Constituency, Out of Office, 1923 - 1924

➜ CHAR 7, Constituency: Epping (Essex), 1924 - 1945

➜ CHUR 3, Political: Constituency: Woodford (Essex), 1943 - 1965

Speeches (CHAR 9 and CHUR 5), 1897-1965

The papers in these classes are arranged (as far as possible) by particular speeches and include notes, drafts, speaking notes, press releases, press cuttings, extracts from Hansard (the parliamentary record of debates in the House of Commons) and printed material.

➜ CHAR 9, Speeches, 1897 - 1945

➜ CHUR 5, Speeches, 1942 - 1960

Speeches (CHAR 9 and CHUR 5), 1897-1965

➜ CHAR 9, Speeches, 1897 - 1945

➜ CHUR 5, Speeches, 1942 - 1960

Official (CHAR 10-27, CHUR 6), 1902-1955

There is one class for each office held by Churchill. The departmental classes contain the correspondence, memoranda, prints, and other papers arising out of Churchill's activities as a Minister responsible for particular departments and include correspondence with colleagues, officials, acquaintances, and the general public.

➜ CHAR 10, Colonial Office, 1902-1908	➜ CHAR 20, Prime Minister, 1940-1945
➜ CHAR 11, Board of Trade, 1906-1911	➜ CHAR 21, Cabinet, 1908-1915
➜ CHAR 12, Home Office, 1910-1911	➜ CHAR 22, Cabinet, 1920-1929
➜ CHAR 13, Admiralty, 1911-1915	➜ CHAR 23, War Cabinet, 1939-1945
➜ CHAR 14, Duchy of Lancaster, 1915	➜ CHAR 24, Committee of Imperial Defence, 1909-1914
➜ CHAR 15, Ministry of Munitions, 1917-1919	➜ CHAR 25, Committee of Imperial Defence, 1930-1939
➜ CHAR 16, War and Air, 1918-1921	➜ CHAR 26, War Council, 1914-1915
➜ CHAR 17, Colonial Office, 1920-1922	➜ CHAR 27, War Cabinet, 1917-1919
➜ CHAR 18, Treasury, 1924-1929	➜ CHUR 6, Prime Minister, 1951-1955
➜ CHAR 19, Admiralty, 1939-1940

Official (CHAR 10-27, CHUR 6), 1902-1955

➜ CHAR 10, Colonial Office, 1902-1908	➜ CHAR 20, Prime Minister, 1940-1945
➜ CHAR 11, Board of Trade, 1906-1911	➜ CHAR 21, Cabinet, 1908-1915
➜ CHAR 12, Home Office, 1910-1911	➜ CHAR 22, Cabinet, 1920-1929
➜ CHAR 13, Admiralty, 1911-1915	➜ CHAR 23, War Cabinet, 1939-1945
➜ CHAR 14, Duchy of Lancaster, 1915	➜ CHAR 24, Committee of Imperial Defence, 1909-1914
➜ CHAR 15, Ministry of Munitions, 1917-1919	➜ CHAR 25, Committee of Imperial Defence, 1930-1939
➜ CHAR 16, War and Air, 1918-1921	➜ CHAR 26, War Council, 1914-1915
➜ CHAR 17, Colonial Office, 1920-1922	➜ CHAR 27, War Cabinet, 1917-1919
➜ CHAR 18, Treasury, 1924-1929	➜ CHUR 6, Prime Minister, 1951-1955
➜ CHAR 19, Admiralty, 1939-1940

Other (CHAR 28-30), 1690-1960

Papers acquired at various times by inheritance or gift; miscellaneous papers; obsolete lists.

➜ CHAR 28, Acquired Papers, 1690 - 1960

➜ CHAR 29, Miscellanea, 1906 - 1924

➜ CHAR 30, Obsolete Lists, 1921 - 1962

Other (CHAR 28-30), 1690-1960

Papers acquired at various times by inheritance or gift; miscellaneous papers; obsolete lists.

➜ CHAR 28, Acquired Papers, 1690 - 1960

➜ CHAR 29, Miscellanea, 1906 - 1924

➜ CHAR 30, Obsolete Lists, 1921 - 1962

Acquired Papers (CHAQ 1 and CHAQ 2), 1878-1977

Comprising original documents accumulated by Sir Winston Churchill, and subsequently acquired by Martin Gilbert, including personal papers; public and political papers; literary papers; speeches; official papers and papers which originally belonged to Lady Randolph Churchill.

CHAQ 1 is the equivalent of the Chartwell Papers (CHAR), dating from before 27 July 1945 when Churchill's first term as Prime Minister ended, and CHAQ 2 is the equivalent of the Churchill Papers (CHUR), dating from after 27 July 1945.

➜ CHAQ 1, Acquired Papers, c.1874 - c.1977 (mainly 1880-1945)

➜ CHAQ 2, Acquired Papers, 1945 - 1977

Acquired Papers (CHAQ 1 and CHAQ 2), 1878-1977

➜ CHAQ 1, Acquired Papers, c.1874 - c.1977 (mainly 1880-1945)

➜ CHAQ 2, Acquired Papers, 1945 - 1977