Catalogue description The Papers of Lord Vansittart of Denham (1881-1957)

The following relates to Vansittart One (VNST)

VNST 1. Cabinet Papers.

VNST 2. Minutes.

VNST 3. Official Files.

VNST 4. Personal Papers.

The first three groups include not only Cabinet and Foreign Office papers which were officially registered, but also some secret official correspondence which did not go through the registry and some semi-official correspondence.

Where possible the Cabinet papers in section 1 have been identified. Both the number of the copy and the registry number have been given in this catalogue, but some copies are either draft or proof and state neither numbers nor title. For this reason the pagination or foliation has also been included and a title assigned where necessary (distinguished by square brackets). Where several copies of one paper have survived they usually represent different stages in the process of revision or circulation. Other Cabinet Papers are to be found in section 2, where details are given, and section 3, where it was not possible to list them in detail.

Where the original reference numbers of the papers are given:

CP means that it was a Cabinet Paper.

FP means that it was a Foreign Policy Committee Paper.

A serial number means that it was a Foreign Office Confidential Print.

C means that it was a Foreign Office print.

Not all the Official Minutes in section 2 were written by Lord Vansittart. Some are original and some are copies. Most are in typescript, but a few are in manuscript. In a few cases marginal comments on the minutes have been cut out (e.g. 2/14, 22). It was apparently Lord Vansittart's practice to have anthologies of his minutes on particular subjects compiled from time to time. The most elaborate of these (2/29) was compiled at the request of Sir Stephen Gaselee (F.O. Librarian) and is concerned with the previous two and a half years.

Of the Official Files only 3/2-7 are still in their original covers with lists of contents. Even these have been disarranged with some listed items missing and some contents filed in reverse order. 3/1 appears to have been an original file for secret information which Lord Vansittart obtained about the German Air Force. It was presumably an ex-registry file. 3/8 and 9 contain semi-official correspondence which was found together and which appears to have escaped destruction by accident. For further information about these papers reference should be made to The Records of the Foreign Office (1969) and The Records of the Cabinet Office to 1922 (1966).

The following relates to Vansittart Two (VNST II)

VNST II Section 1 : Correspondence.

VNST II Section 2 : Official and Public Papers.

VNST II Section 3 : Writings.

VNST II Section 4 : Broadcasts and Speeches.

VNST II Section 5 : Cuttings and Publications Relating to Vansittart.

VNST II Section 6 : Career and Personal Papers.

VNST II Section 7 : Vansittart's Forebears.

VNST II Section 8 : Kitchener, Germany, Bulgaria and Miscellaneous.

This additional material touches on many of the topics already covered by the first Vansittart deposit in 1966 but often in greater depth. Particularly interesting are the personal letters, several from prominent persons, which give a vivid picture of Lord Vansittart's passionate concern about the twin menaces of fascism and communism. There are copies of most of Lord Vansittart's books, plays and poems and many of his articles as well as copies of his broadcasts and some other speeches and correspondence about these.

There is also a small pile of early nineteenth century letters relating to Lord Vansittart's ancestors mainly centred around Nicholas Vansittart who was Chancellor of the Exchequer from 1812 to 1823 and created Baron Bexley in 1823. Among the correspondents are numbered Spencer Percival, Castlereagh. Bishop Heber, George Canning, William Wilberforce and the Duke of Wellington.

Somewhat unexpectedly, the collection also contains papers and copies of papers about Lord Kitchener, apparently collected by Sir George Arthur for his book Life of Lord Kitchener.

Amongst the personal papers and documents illustrating Lord Vansittart's career in the Diplomatic Service there are also charming photographs of Lord and Lady Vansittart of their home, Denham Place.

The arrangement of the VNST 1 papers before cataloguing was not good and files had been split up in some instances. Except for some of the official files (VNST 3/2-7) it has proved impossible to restore the original order.

The papers have been divided into two main groups:

(a) Official papers or copies of official papers (1-3)

(b) Personal papers (4)

Vansittart, Robert Gilbert, 1881-1957, 1st Baron Vansittart of Denham, diplomat.

The collection is open for consultation by researchers using Churchill Archives Centre, Churchill College, Cambridge. Individual closures of files are indicated in the catalogue. Churchill Archives Centre is open from Monday to Friday, 9am-5pm. A prior appointment and two forms of identification are required.

The following relates to Vansittart One (VNST)

In August 1966 Lord Vansittart's widow deposited the surviving portion of her husband's papers at Churchill College.

The following relates to Vansittart two (VNST II)

These additional papers of Lord Vansittart of Denham (VNST II) were uncovered by his step-son, Sir Colville Barclay on the death of his mother, Lord Vansittart's second wife, Sarita, in 1985, and given by him to Churchill College in two batches in September 1985 and May 1986.

Although many of Lord Vansittart's official papers are preserved in the Foreign Office archives (now at the Public Record Office), it is clear that he must have kept many more papers than are listed here. It is said that he destroyed papers in 1940 for security reasons, but many personal papers are also missing. Most of the surviving papers were kept in his house at Denham Place in Buckinghamshire (see Vansittart in Office, p.7), but the official minutes were deposited for a time at Drummond's Bank (VNST 2/44).

The Mist Procession. The Autobiography of Lord Vansittart. (London, 1958)

Lord Vansittart, Lessons of my Life (London 1943)

Ian Colvin, Vansittart in Office (London 1965)

• Foreign Office, 1782-1968
• Foreign policy
• Fascism
• Communism
• Diplomacy

1881 Born 25 June, son of R A Vansittart, a former Cavalry officer.

Educated at Eton.

Entered the Diplomatic Service.

1902 Attaché

1903 A secretary at the Paris Embassy

1906 MVO

1907 3rd Secretary at Teheran Legation.

1909 2nd Secretary at Cairo Residency

1911 Eastern Department of Foreign Office.

1914 Moved to Swedish section of Contraband Department as Assistant Clerk.

1919 1st Secretary at Paris Conference.

1920 Secretary to Foreign Secretary (to 1924)

CMG

1921 Married Gladys, daughter of General William C Heppenheimer.

1924 Head of American Department of Foreign Office.

1927 CB

1928 Under Secretary of State and principal private secretary to Prime Minister.(to 1930)

Wife Died

1929 KCB

1930 Permanent Under-Secretary of State (to 1938)

1931 Married Sarita Enriqueta, widow of Sir Colville Barclay.

GCMG

1938 GCB

Chief Diplomatic Adviser to Foreign Secretary, 1 January.

1940 PC, 7 June

1941 January, published Black Record

25 June, retired.

3 November, libel action against Time

1957 Died 14 February.

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