| Level | Fonds |
| Finding Number (Click this to use the hierarchy browser to access the full catalogue) | BC |
| Title | Papers of Beatrice, Ida, Hilda and Ethel Chamberlain |
| Extent | 1046 items |
| Date | 1857-1963 |
| Description | The letters and papers tell of the worlds the four sisters observed at close quarters, within the extended family, at the pinnacle of Birmingham society, and among the governing elite at Westminster. They witnessed the trials and triumphs of their menfolk: their father, Joseph Chamberlain as Colonial Secretary at the height of the British Empire; and their brothers, Austen at Locarno; and Neville at Munich, and then the outbreak of war he had so dearly sought to avoid. Through it all they tell each other of their daily lives, of their delights and anxieties, and of their abiding concern for each other. Subjects include social and political history, womens' history, family history.
The collection includes papers relating to Beatrice's American visit, 1897-1898; correspondence between Beatrice and Neville Chamberlain, 1890-1918; correspondence between Beatrice and other family members, 1875-1918; correspondence between Ida and Hilda Chamberlain, 1888-1963; miscellaneous family items including papers of and relating to Ida, 1857-1953; and papers of Ethel Chamberlain, 1893-1910. |
| Arrangement | The papers are arranged by individual correspondents and family members. |
| Access Conditions | Access to all registered researchers |
| Copyright | Permission to make any published use of any material from the collection must be sought in advance in writing from the Director of Special Collections (email: special-collections@bham.ac.uk). Identification of copyright holders of unpublished material is often difficult. Special Collections will assist where possible with identifying copyright owners, but responsibility for ensuring copyright clearance rests with the user of the material. |
| Language | English |
| Finding Aids | A paper catalogue to file and item level is available in the Special Collections Department and at the National Register of Archives in London. |
| Access Status | Open |
| Administrative History | Beatrice Mary Chamberlain (1862-1918), daughter of the Right Honourable Joseph Chamberlain and Harriet Chamberlain (née Kenrick); sister of the Right Honourable Sir Austen Chamberlain, half-sister of Neville Chamberlain. She died in the influenza epidemic which closed the First World War.
(Florence) Ida Chamberlain (1870-1943), daughter of the Right Honourable Joseph and Florence (née Kenrick); sister of Neville Chamberlain, half-sister of the Right Honourable Sir Austen Chamberlain.
(Caroline) Hilda Chamberlain (1871-1967), daughter of the Right Honourable Joseph and Florence (née Kenrick); sister of Neville Chamberlain, half-sister of the Right Honourable Sir Austen Chamberlain.
Ethel Chamberlain (1873-1905), daughter of the Right Honourable Joseph Chamberlain and Florence (née Kenrick); sister of Neville Chamberlain, half-sister of the Right Honourable Sir Austen Chamberlain. She was the only daughter to marry -she married Whitmore Lionel Richards (1868-1956) by whom she had a daughter, Hilda - but was the first to die, in a Swiss sanatorium with her sister Hilda at her side.
Reference: Guide to the Chamberlain Collection ( The University of Birmingham Library, 1978 ); P.E.Marsh, The Chamberlain Papers from University of Birmingham Library. Series One: The Papers of Neville Chamberlain ( Primary Source Microfilm, Reading, 2000 ). |
| Acquisition | This collection was deposited in University of Birmingham Library in 1975, with additions deposited in 1987 by different depositors. The papers relating to Ethel Chamberlain were given in September 1993. |
| Copies | The Papers of Beatrice, Ida, Hilda and Ethel Chamberlain have been microfilmed by Primary Source Media as part of a micropublication of all the Chamberlain Papers held by the University of Birmingham Information Services, Special Collections Department.
The Special Collections Department holds a set of the published microfilms. Facilities are available in the University's Main Library for researchers to make paper copies of individual items from these microfilms for their own private research purposes. |
| Related Material | The University of Birmingham Special Collections Department also holds the papers of Joseph Chamberlain (GB 0150 JC), Austen Chamberlain (GB 0150 AC), Neville Chamberlain (GB 0150 NC), and a general Chamberlain family collection (GB 0150 C). Further artificial collections of letters also exist for Neville, Austen and Joseph Chamberlain. |