The Cambridgeshire Tuberculosis Colony was founded initially at Bourn in 1915 and moved to Papworth Hall in neighbouring Papworth Everard in February 1918, taking the name Papworth Village Settlement, by which it is best known, in 1927. Further historical background to the history of the Settlement is given in the Introduction to the Archive Lists.
The ‘Papworth Village Settlement Archive’ is a collection of records of the Settlement and various other records relating to its host village of Papworth Everard put together since 1972 by the honorary archivist to the Settlement, Frank Jordan. Mr Jordan, who gave great support and assistance to the Archives Project but sadly died in August 2004 before completion of its first and main phase, was a son of a colonist (as persons formally admitted into the Settlement were termed), a TB-sufferer and colonist himself since 1942, working within the Buildings Department, and also a prominent member of the community, including for a time clerk to the parish council. He was thus well placed to collect records of all kinds relating to its history, both from within and outside the Settlement’s organisation.
The period from the commencement of his active collection to their deposit with Cambridgeshire Archives Service in 1988 was one of massive reorganisation, when documents were at greatest risk of destruction. Whilst the main formal administrative archive of the Settlement remained at Papworth Hall until 2003 when, as a result of the Project, they were deposited with Cambridgeshire Archives Service, it is very largely due to Mr Jordan’s efforts that this collection, containing much else of value, was saved. The relationship of this collection to the formal archive of what has become the Papworth Trust emphasises how important it is to understand the context in which different archives develop for a full understanding of what they contain.
The archive includes:
- Administrative papers of the Settlement and of its commercial branch, Papworth Industries, including papers of the governing bodies, c.1920-c.1980.
- Academic and publicity publications on the treatment of tuberculosis at Papworth and nationally.
- Personnel records of patients or colonists at the settlement, whether as patients or as colonists employed by Papworth Industries 1932-45.
- Accounts, commercial publicity material, etc., of Papworth Industries.
- Collected records of other local bodies, including the school, and of community groups (Cricket Club, Horticultural Society, etc.).
- Photographs made by or for the Settlement, and extensive photographic collections
- Cine film made for publicity purposes c.1920-c.1970
A full list of the Archive, including Appendixes of itemised lists of some classes of illustrations, etc, is in the PDF file below.
As well as the ‘Village Settlement Archive’ Cambridgeshire Archives Service is fortunate in having amongst its holdings other archives that have been generated by or relate closely to the Settlement. Archive lists of these are given in the second PDF file.
The Papworth Village Settlement catalogue is being made available online, as part of our CALM project. Please follow the link in the right hand column to "Online catalogue."