Catalogue description Coggan, Donald (1909-2000)

The majority of the collection comprises official papers from Coggan's period as Archbishop of Canterbury from 1974-1979, most of which was arranged by the Archbishop's staff in yearly sequences of alphabetical subject files (volumes 4-93, 105). Other official papers include material relating to the 1978 Lambeth Conference (volumes 94-98, 221), speeches, sermons and press articles (volumes 99-102, 185-187), papers relating to the 'Call to the Nation' (volumes 102-104, 190-191), official diaries (volumes 107-111), and papers relating to the Archbishops' Advisers on Needs and Resources (volume 157). The papers also include material from before Coggan became Archbishop of Canterbury, including his periods as Principal of the London College of Divinity (volume 1), Bishop of Bradford (volume 2) and Archbishop of York (volumes 3-4). His appointment diaries (volumes 112-156), the large number of photographs (volumes 158-182, 188, 195-196), and the visitors books (volumes 192-194), date from throughout his clerical career. There are two ceremonial artefacts dating from shortly after his retirement (volumes 197-198).

These form part of the Archbishops' Papers. These in turn form part of the archives of the Archbishops of Canterbury, which also comprise: Bishops' Meetings records (BM), Cartae Antiquae et Miscellaneae (Lambeth Charters) (CM), Convocation records (Conv), Court of Arches records (Arches), Faculty Office records (F), Lambeth Conference papers (LC), Temporalities records (ED and T), and Vicar General records (V).

Official papers relating purely to the Diocese of Canterbury have been transferred to Canterbury Cathedral Archives to join their holdings of diocesan material; Borthwick Institute: Bishopthorpe Papers; Audio recordings at the British Library.

Coggan, Donald (1909-2000)

Some correspondence relating to living persons has been closed under the provisions of the Data Protection Act (1998) and withheld. This will be made available in due course.

The bulk of the papers were transferred to Lambeth Palace Library directly from Lambeth Palace where they were originally created and stored. Lord Coggan deposited further papers, mainly sermons and articles from his time at the London College of Divinity and as Bishop of Bradford, and photograph albums, at the Church of England Record Centre in September 1988. These papers were transferred to the Library on 9 November 2005. The letters patent of nobility (as Baron Coggan) and letters patent of armorial bearings were given by Lord Coggan to Lambeth Palace Library in October 1988. They were transferred to Lambeth Palace and transferred back to the Library in October 2005.

Correspondents are selectively identified in the catalogue, for instance members of the clergy and eminent individuals.

For detailed information on the major events of Archbishop Coggan's life see Margaret Pawley: 'Donald Coggan, Servant of Christ' (SPCK, 1987) and the article by Michael Turnbull in the Oxford Dictionary of National Biography.