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Rupert Crawshay-Williams fonds. -- 1930-1975; predominant 1947-1970. -- 66cm of textual records and graphic material.

Rupert Crawshay-Williams, author and humanist, was born in London in 1908 and educated at Queen's College, Oxford. He worked for Gramophone Records and High Fidelity Reproduction until 1939 and was a regular reviewer for the periodical Gramophone Records. He was a founding member of the Classification Society and an honorary associate of the Rationalist Press Association. In the 1940s he moved to Portmeirion, Wales where he met Bertrand Russell. He published a memoir, Russell Remembered, in 1970, as well as two books of philosophy. He died on 12 June 1977. A more detailed biographical sketch can be found in the published finding aid listed below.

There have been two accruals. The first accrual is arranged as follows: Russell manuscripts, typescripts and proofs; Crawshay-Williams's journal and his other writings on Russell; correspondence; Café Royal; Bertrand Russell memorial meeting; other items including photographs; news clippings. The second accrual consists of Crawshay-Williams's commonplace books and the manuscript of "The Directive Function of Language". It also includes correspondence with J.S.L. Gilmour (1906-1986), botantist and horticulturalist, mainly concerning Crawshay-Williams's writings.

Title based on content of fonds.
The first accrual (Recent Acquisition number 501) was acquired from the estate of Rupert Crawshay-Williams in February 1978. The second accrual (Recent Acquisition number 922) was acquired from Mrs. John Gilmour in November 1985.
Finding aid available in hard copy and electronically. A finding aid for the first accrual was also published as: "Rupert Crawshay-Williams's Bequest", Russell: the Journal of the Bertrand Russell Archives , n.s. 3, no. 1 (Summer 1983): 29-40.
There are no access restrictions.
Further accruals are not expected.

Contact: archives@mcmaster.ca
Last Reviewed: December 1, 2006
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