Finding Aid
First accrual. – 1930-1975; predominant 1947-1970. – 16 cm of textual records and graphic material.
Note: In some sections, the descriptions are prefaced by short explanations. The abbreviations “RCW” and “ECW” have been used for Rupert Crawshay-Williams and Elizabeth Crawshay-Williams, respectively. Accession number 501 in the Russell Archives.
501(a) Russell manuscripts, typescripts and proofs
Autobiography. Ms. 3 leaves. Enclosed with Russell’s letter to RCW, 21 , Sept. 1949 (see Russell Remembered, p. 45 n.1).
[Broadcast review of] The Comforts of Unreason. Ms. 13 leaves. The ms. is annotated “broadcast by the BBC almost certainly in 1946 or 1947.”
What Neutrals Can Do to Save the World. [Sept. 1954]. Galley Proofs. In Britain Today, no. 223 (Nov. 1954): 6-10.
Perception. [19 Jan. 1957]. Tscc., 4 leaves, with corrections in Edith Russell’s hand.
Logic and Ontology. [24 Jan. 1957]. Tscc., 7 leaves, with corrections in Edith Russell’s hand. In Journal of Philosophy 54 (24 Apr. 1957): 225-30.
Maxims That Won’t Quite Do. Ts. 1 leaf. Maxims 4 and 5 of “Newly discovered Maxims of the Rochefoucauld” in Fact and Fiction (London: George Allen & Unwin, 1961), pp. 184-5.
501 (b) Crawshay-Williams’s Journal and His Other Writings on Russell
According to Russell Remembered (p. 35), soon after his first encounter with Russell, RCW began to make a “diary or journal entries of incidents” relating to Russell “which seemed amusing or interesting”. Written in a partly Boswellian style, the entries not only discuss RCW’s and his wife’s personal interaction with the Russells, but they also comment on aspects of Russell’s philosophy and his participation in political campaigns. It was on the basis of this journal that Russell Remembered was written.
The extant portions of the journal consist of leaves in red or black, usually unnumbered but dated, and heavily corrected and revised in RCW’s hand. A number of entries are also written on smaller note paper and cards. Although the earliest extracts from the journal in Russell Remembered date from the 1947-1950 period, the earliest surviving entry is May 1956. The last entry is dated 2 July 1973.
[Journal] 1956-1973. Ts. 201 leaves of different size, heavily revised, some leaves wholly in RCW’s hand.
The following is a list of RCW’s other writings on Russell in manuscript or typescript, chronologically arranged.
- The Conquest of Happiness. Notes. n.d. Ms. 6 leaves. Attached to an anonymous 1930 review from The Times Literary Supplement of Russell’s The Conquest of Happiness and Floyd Dell’s Love in the Machine Age.
- Conservative Radical Rating Scale. 1946. Ms. 3 index cards (5" x 8"). See Russell Remembered, p. 20.
- Notes on Pragmatism and Objective Truth. ca.1947. Ts. and ms. 5 index cards (5" x 8''). The cards are foliated 1 to 5 but are also paginated 1 to 9 (verso of the last card unpaginated). The ts. runs from 1 to 7 (i.e. recto of fo1. 4) with the remaining pages in RCW’s hand.
- Profile Bertrand Russell. [1948-49]. Tscc. with revisions in RCW’s hand. 5 leaves. Attached to a news clipping of the article published in The Observer.
- [Review of first volume of] Russell’s Autobiography. [1967]. Tscc. 2 copies revised in RCW’s hand. 10 leaves.
- [Review of second volume of Russell’s Autobiography]. [1968]. Tscc. with revisions in RCW’s hand. 10 leaves foliated continuously to fo1. 9 with two leaves foliated “4a”.
- [Questions Concerning] Bertie’s Memorandum [sic]. [ca. 1970]. Ts. 4 leaves with revisions in RCW’s hand
Russell Remembered
- Cahp [sic] I. Discard re Trotter. [ca. 1970]. 3 leaves foliated 9 to 11. Revised in Russell Remembered, pp. 4-5.
- Chapter II. Brief Biography to Date. [ca. 1970]. Tscc. 15 leaves. On the preliminary leaf RCW has written “All Cut–except for pages 15-17 which are appended to Chapter I”.
- Original Summary of Russell Remembered. [ca.1970]. Ts. 3 leaves with revisions in RCW’s hand.
- Final summary of Contents [ca.1970]. Ts. 9 leaves with revisions in RCW’s hand.
501(c) “What I Believe”
In May 1947, Russell was one of the three free-thinking speakers on the controversial BBC series, “What I Believe”. Condemnatory reaction from the public was both strong and immediate. Russell enclosed a sampling of public correspondence in his letter to RCW of 30 May 1947 in which he remarked (see Russell Remembered, pp. 53-4): “I think it possible that the enclosed batch of letters may interest you as they give a picture of average sentiment in England at the present time. The one that gave me the most pleasure was the one saying that Satan inspired my talk.”
All letters are single letters, unless otherwise specified, written to Russell, and dated 1947. The
letters are from:
Anonymous (2 ls.), W. Bowman, D. Milner Brown, Ernest Edward Carter, W. M. Spencer Edge, Sidney Fagan, D. V. Gostick, P. Griffith, Harold Hallworth, A. Hancock, A. Heasman, Arthur Johnson, B. Marshall, Florence A. Potto and Ivy Herbert, Annie D. Riley, G. A. Robison, W. H. Sanders, G. l. Silverlock, H. Tattersall, M. L. Taylor, E. F. Sumner Ward.
501(d) Other Russell correspondence
The remainder of the letters addressed to Russell. They come under his general heading of “crank mail”. Some of them are described and quoted in Russell Remembered, p. 54.
Anonymous. 5 ls., 1956-59 (Note: The 1956 letter is to Clough Williams-Ellis, is signed C and is not a crank letter.)
Batty, Violet, 1957
Carmel, G. O., 1958
Davies, William J., 1945
Green, A. W., 1960
Morley, Montague R. 2 ls., 1960
Nath, Bhola, 1958
Smelters, Gregory S., 1949
Speedie, Gordon, 1958
Taylor, Rev. R., form l., 1958
Winchester, Bapsy Marchioness, 2 form ls., 1958
Additional “non-crank” letters in this listing are those written by Russell in 1956 concerning the British Government’s policy towards Egypt:
Gaitskell, Hugh.
Manchester Guardian. letter and telegram
501(e) Crawshay-Williams’s correspondence
Chapman, Guy. L. from RCW, 1948
Clark, Ronald W. 3 ls. to RCW, 1974, encl. tscc. of 3 leaves, paginated 780-2, of The Life of Bertrand Russell re the Cuban Missile Crisis; 2 ls. from RCW, 1974
Collier, Sir Laurence. L. to RCW, 1948; 3 ls. from RCW, 1948
Continuum 1 Ltd. (Barry Feinberg). 2 ls. to RCW, 1968, encl. photocopy of 1. from RCW to Russell, 1953
Farley, Christopher. 2 ls. to RCW, 1970; l. from RCW to Carol?, 1970, encl. notes concerning revisions of Russell Remembered
Fish [later Urch], Phyllis. L. to ECW and RCW, 1949; l. to ECW, 1950.
Heenan, Cardinal. L. from Michael Burn, 1972; l. to Burn, 1972; (unsent?) l. to The Sunday Times from RCW, 1972, re Cardinal Heenan statement in The Sunday Times about Russell’s religious views; news clippings from The Sunday Times
Lunik?, Mary. L. to RCW, 1970
Malleson, Lady Constance. 15 ls. to ECW, 1948-49, encl. photographs of herself and her home in Sweden and an undated note re a review of Human Knowledge; l. from [ECW], [1949]
Pears, David. L. to RCW, 1966
Russell, Bertrand. 19 ls. and a telegram to RCW, 1947-57; 20 ls. to ECW, 1947-54; 5 ls. to ECW and RCW 1950-51. Encl.: note added by Patricia Russell in Russell’s l. to RCW of [1948-49]; notes added by Edith Russell in Russell’s ls. to RCW of 19 March 1953 and 26 May 1956; RCW’s review of Human Knowledge; news clippings re Russell’s Australian lecture tour; BBC (T.S. Gregory) to Russell, 1952, with news clipping; Deudraeth Rural District Council (L. Ellis) to Russell 1956. 3 ls. from RCW, 1950-66, enclosing 1. to RCW from Coward Chance & Co. (C. B. Drover), 1950.
Russell, Edith. 5 ls. to RCW, 1958-70; 20 ls. to ECW 1952-70; 4 ls. and p.c. to ECW and RCW, 1954-67, enclosing news clipping advertising sale of cottage; l. from RCW, 1970; l. from RCW to Edith and Bertrand, 1962
Russell, John Conrad, 4th Earl. 2 ls. to RCW, n.d.
Russell, Patricia (“Peter”). L. from Bertrand Russell, 1948; 4 ls. to RCW, 1947-49; 9 ls. to ECW, 1945-49; ls. to ECW and RCW. 1945-[49]; l. to H. T. Pritchard, 1950; l. from Pritchard, 1950. Encl. l. from Patricia to Bertrand in RCW’s hand, 1950
Salmon, Steven C. L. to RCW, 1975
Strachey, John. L. to RCW, 1960, enclosing Strachey’s pamphlet, The Pursuit of Peace and a newsclipping reviewing the pamphlet
Skynner, Robin. 3 ls. to RCW, 1949
Wyatt, Woodrow. L. to RCW, 1959, enclosing preliminary list of Wyatt’s questions used for interview, Bertrand Russell Speaks His Mind.
501(f) Café Royal
On the occasion of Russell’s ninetieth birthday, A. J. Ayer and Crawshay-Williams arranged a dinner in his honour at the Café Royal in London. The celebration was marked by tributes from Ayer and Julia Huxley and E. M. Forster’s reminiscences of the early Cambridge years. The exchange of letters itemized here concerns the planning of the banquet.
Ayer, A. J. 7 ls. to RCW, 1962; 4 ls. from RCW, 1962. Encl.: dinner invitation card, news clipping re the dinner, and a provisional list of guests drawn up by Ayer and Edith Russell
Blackett, Patrick, 1st Baron. L. from RCW, 1962
Huxley, Julia. l. to RCW, 1962; l. from RCW, 1962
501(g) Bertrand Russell Memorial Meeting
In testimony to Russell’s achievement, a memorial meeting sponsored by the Rationalist Press Association and chaired by RCW was held at Central Hall, Westminster, on 8 June 1970. Some twenty-five organizations were represented, and approximately 1,000 people attended. The programme was highlighted by celebrity speakers and ended with a recording of Russell reading “How to Grow Old”. The speeches were published under the title, “Russell Remembered”, New Humanist 88 (Dec. 1972): 318-26. This file contains letters all dated 1970 relating to the meeting.
Farley, Christopher. L. from RCW
Oppenheim-Errera, Gabrielle. L. to RCW
The Rationalist Press Association Ltd. (C.J.G. Macy). L. from Edith Russell; 4 ls. and a receipt to RCW; 2 ls. from Kevin Holland; l. to Holland
RCW’s notes and other anonymous notes re the removal of Russell’s last essay (on the Middle East) from the tribute booklet; a copy of A Meeting in Honour of Bertrand Russell 1972-1970; news clippings.
501(h) Other items; includes photographs
Included in this file are photographs, form letters, leaflets, pamphlets and offprints written by Russell, long reviews of some of his books, and other assorted material.
Photographs: 10 photographs with some negatives of Portmeirion: Russell with the Earl of Huntington; Russell, Harold Nicolson and Lord Samuel (BBC General Overseas Service, London Forum); scowling portrait of Russell at disarmament demonstration; 2 photographs of Russell and Edith with others wearing safety helmets (see Russell Remembered, p. 121); Russell and his grandchildren (Anne, Sara and Lucy); Russell and Edith with others at Portmadoc; 3 photographs of Russell in a dark red kimono.
Leaflets, pamphlets and offprints: To the Electors of the Wimbledon Division of Surrey; Act or Perish; A Call to Action; Win We Must; The Faith of a Rationalist; “Voltaire’s Influence on Me”; “What is Mind?”; The Bertrand Russell Peace Foundation: Its Aim and Its Work.
Reviews: Norman Malcolm on Human Knowledge; Yorrick Smythies on History of Western Philosophy.
Other assorted material: two issues of Black Dwarf containing Russell’s “Private Memorandum Concerning Ralph Schoenman”; advertisement for Nonesuch Records; advertisement for The Spokesman; poster of musical tribute on Russell’s ninetieth birthday, Royal Festival Hall. programme of Bertrand Russell Centenary Year Celebrations, University of Nottingham Adult Education Centre; advertisement for The Bertrand Russell Centenary Art Exhibition and Sale of Works; from 1968, form letter from Centre for Socialist Action (Tony Topham et al.); form letter 1968; from The London Bulletin (Russell D. Stetler) with mimeographed article, “Genocide: The Copenhagen Judgement of the Russell Tribunal”.
501(i) Newsclippings, 1947-75
The news clippings are on a variety of topics – reviews Russell’s books, Russell’s political activities, etc.
Second Accrual. – 1957-1982. – 50 cm of textual records.
Note: Accession number 922. Shelved in Russell Archives as Boxes 7.11 to 7.14.
“The Directive Function of Language”; typescript of unpublished book by RCW.
Box 7.11
F.1-6
Box 7.12
F.17-10, appendix
Box 7.13
Correspondence about RCW:
922 (a) Sir Alfred Ayer / J.S.L. Gilmour; 17 letters; 1977-1982
922 (b) J.S.L. Gilmour / others, 1960-1985. Gilmour’s correspondents include Margaret Storm Jameson, Clough and Amabel Williams-Ellis; only some of the letters are about RCW. File also contains offprints.
922 (c) Memorial service for RCW and ECW, 20 September 1977; correspondence about, list of acceptances. Includes letters from Conrad Russell and Edith Russell.
922 (d) Rob Winkelmeijer / J.S.L. Gilmour, 25 letters, offprint; 1980-1981
Correspondence with RCW:
922 (e) J.S.L. Gilmour / RCW, 5 letters, 1957-1965; file also contains “On Determining the Purpose of Empirical Judgments”, mimeo ts. with corrections, 11 pages by RCW, manuscript notes, correspondence between Gilmour and others.
922 (f) J.S.L. Gilmour / RCW, 12 letters, 1963-1965; file also contains “The Double Criterion of Empirical Judgment”, mimeo ts., 16 pages by RCW, , manuscript notes, correspondence between Gilmour and others.
922 (g) J.S.L Gilmour / RCW, 26 letters, 1958-1959; file also contains “The Double Criterion of Empirical Judgement”, ts., 32 pages by RCW, manuscript notes, tear-sheet from the Times Literary Supplement, containing a letter to the editor which mentions RCW’s Methods and Criteria of Reasoning.
922 (h) J.S.L. Gilmour / RCW, 13 letters, 1959-1960; file also contains “On Determining the Purpose of Empirical Judgements” mimeo ts., 11 pages by RCW, manuscript notes, tear-sheet from the Times Literary Supplement, correspondence between Gilmour and others, including the BBC Third Programme for a talk with Gilmour, RCW, and Arthur Cain.
922 (i) J.S.L. Gilmour / RCW, 56 letters, 1957-1977; includes “Notes by J.S.L.G. on ‘The Classification of Reproducing Organisms’ by R.C.W.”, ts. carbon, 11 pages (3 copies), manuscript notes, correspondence between Gilmour and others.
Box 7.14
RCW’s commonplace books; 5 books numbered by RCW, dating is irregular, but 1960s and 1970s
RCW address book
