| Description | Correspondence and various other papers relating to the Chamberlain family, including correspondence between Neville Chamberlain and other family members.
The diverse range of other papers include family trees and other papers connected with the Chamberlain (and associated families) family history; pamphlets and other printed items relating to Neville's father Joseph Chamberlain; Neville's memoir of Joseph; birth certificates of Neville and Hilda, and Neville and Anne's marriage certificate; articles about Neville and Joseph Chamberlain by Hilda; and diaries of Emily Maxwell.
The family letters includes correspondence between Neville (and Anne) and his father Joseph; Joseph's third wife Mary; his half brother Austen; his half sister Beatrice; his sisters Ida, Hilda and Ethel; his wife Anne; his children Dorothy and Frank; his cousin Norman; his aunts Clara [Ryland, née Chamberlain] and Lina [Caroline] James; his uncle George Kenrick; and Austen's wife Ivy. Some of these letters can provide much information about Neville Chamberlain and his family. For example, there are a number of letters in which Neville gives details of his work running his sisal business in the Bahamas and his life there. Some letters are also included which refer to Neville's political work including during his premiership between 1937 and 1940.
Various other family letters given to or collected by Neville are also included such as some letters from Neville's father Joseph Chamberlain to his business partner Joseph Nettlefold; some transcriptions of 19th century letters from the Kenrick family; some letters from Neville's grandfather Joseph Chamberlain (1796-1874) to the latter's wife, Caroline.
Other letters are included which are grouped into files on a particular subject (relating to the family, but the correspondents are not necessarily family members). This includes: letters concerning biographies of Joseph and Austen Chamberlain by Garvin and Petrie; letters of condolence on the death of Beatrice; letters relating to the death of Norman and Neville's biography of Norman; and letters concerning Neville Chamberlain's and Anne Vere Cole's engagement and wedding. |