Samuel Wilderspin papers
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- Creator
- Wilderspin, Samuel (1792-1866) infant educationalist
TitleSamuel Wilderspin papers
Reference codeMS917
Date1823-c1980
Scope and ContentThe papers mostly comprise letters received by Wilderspin, although there are a few in series 6 (Manuscripts) written by him. The rest of the collection comprises material collected by Wilderspin, including notices of his lectures, a few sample lessons and promotional literature on literary, scientific and educational societies, and Wilderspin's and Thomas Young's printed works laying out their theories of education. There are also two theses on Wilderspin. Series 7 (Local Infant Schools), is material collected by Wilderspin's biographers Dr Francis A. Young and Dr Phillip McCann, about schools founded by Wilderspin, in the course of writing their book on him.
Particular points of arrangement:
1. Although the material is arranged in classes there are many items that appear to be in the wrong class or which could belong to more than one. Cross-references, especially for the Gaskell letters and material relating to lectures, have been made but it would be advisable to read all the class descriptions when looking for items. References to individuals other than the Gaskells have not been cross-referenced as the class and list descriptions are a guide only to the nature of the papers.
2. Generally the collection within classes is arranged chronologically. Where material in a class was packaged in date sequences which overlapped it was resorted chronologically on arrival at the archive. The exception is 6/Manuscripts which contains three sets of material each with different provenance.
3. Endorsements - Many pieces are endorsed. Some are by Wilderspin, in ink. He tended to write the sender's name on the back of the letter. Others are in pencil and are by Dr. Francis Young who added possible dates, explanations and possible readings of illegible words. He also wrote some explanations in biro on separate sheets of paper. These have been left with the originals and are numbered in the same sequence.
4. Some letters refer to "enclosed" items. The whereabouts of these are no longer known.
5. For counting purposes note that the previous counting of pieces and items has been confused. The number of items quoted in the class descriptions and recorded on the envelopes containing the papers may not therefore reflect the exact size of the class. For a definition of items and pieces see Cook, M The Manual of Archival Description 2nd edition (1989).
6. For some years there is copious material while for others there is very little.
7. Where possible the main subjects in a class, in terms of quantity, have been identified in the class description. Some classes, however, were too diverse to do this.
8. Many of the dates have been added to the documents in pencil by Dr. Francis Young, brother to John Young, who deposited the papers.
Particular points of arrangement:
1. Although the material is arranged in classes there are many items that appear to be in the wrong class or which could belong to more than one. Cross-references, especially for the Gaskell letters and material relating to lectures, have been made but it would be advisable to read all the class descriptions when looking for items. References to individuals other than the Gaskells have not been cross-referenced as the class and list descriptions are a guide only to the nature of the papers.
2. Generally the collection within classes is arranged chronologically. Where material in a class was packaged in date sequences which overlapped it was resorted chronologically on arrival at the archive. The exception is 6/Manuscripts which contains three sets of material each with different provenance.
3. Endorsements - Many pieces are endorsed. Some are by Wilderspin, in ink. He tended to write the sender's name on the back of the letter. Others are in pencil and are by Dr. Francis Young who added possible dates, explanations and possible readings of illegible words. He also wrote some explanations in biro on separate sheets of paper. These have been left with the originals and are numbered in the same sequence.
4. Some letters refer to "enclosed" items. The whereabouts of these are no longer known.
5. For counting purposes note that the previous counting of pieces and items has been confused. The number of items quoted in the class descriptions and recorded on the envelopes containing the papers may not therefore reflect the exact size of the class. For a definition of items and pieces see Cook, M The Manual of Archival Description 2nd edition (1989).
6. For some years there is copious material while for others there is very little.
7. Where possible the main subjects in a class, in terms of quantity, have been identified in the class description. Some classes, however, were too diverse to do this.
8. Many of the dates have been added to the documents in pencil by Dr. Francis Young, brother to John Young, who deposited the papers.
Conditions governing accessOpen for research. Access to individual items in Senate House Library archives collections may be restricted under the Data Protection Act or the Freedom of Information Act. See Archivist for details. At least 24 hours notice is necessary for research visits.
Extent7 boxes
Finding aidsCatalogued online (click on the "contains" icon below). A pdf version of the hard copy catalogue is also attached to this description.
Related files
Manuscripts
There is a great deal of material about Samuel Wilderspin, which was collected by Dr. Francis Young and Dr. Phillip McCann as they were writing their biography of Wilderspin. This material arrived after the original papers and so was accessioned separately as MS 975. This group comprises material arranged into 76 files, which contain photocopies of articles and manuscripts, notes and a thesis on:
a) education in general
b) Wilderspin's works and career
c) records from schools with which Wilderspin was involved.
There is some overlap of material with the group MS 917, although there are also new sources, which are mentioned in the footnotes of Young and McCann's book, but which do not form part of MS 917. The files are grouped by subject. A file list is available.
Secondary Sources
McCann, Phillip, 'Popular education, socialisation and social control: Spitalfields 1812 - 1824' in McCann, Phillip, ed., Popular Education and Socialisation in the Nineteenth Century (Methuen, 1979)
McCann, Phillip and Young, Francis, Samuel Wilderspin and the Infant School Movement (London, 1982)
Rusk, Robert, A History of Infant Education (London, 1933)
Stewart, W.A.C. and McCann, Phillip, The Educational Innovators 1750 - 1880 (Macmillan, 1967)
Young, Francis A., The Life & Works of Samuel Wilderspin: A Study in the History of Popular Education, Harvard University thesis for the Graduate School of Education (Harvard University, 1949)
Level of descriptionfonds
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