BRITISH CONSERVATISM AND THE PRIMROSE LEAGUE ... - ideals

facility in London's East End to the Conservative Party Archives of the
Bodleian Library in Oxford.
A special debt of gratitude is owed to
Lord Blake, Provost of The Queen's College, Oxford as well as Lord Home
and Lord Mowbray and Stourton for having generously contributed their
time and effort to ensure the timely acquisition of these papers.
Particular thanks are owed to D.G. Vaisey, Keeper of Western
Manuscripts at the Bodleian, Stephen Stacey, Archivist of the
Conservative Party Archives, and various members of the staff for their
kindness in making the documents available to me immediately upon their
arrival at Oxford, a courtesy indispensable to the completion of this
thesis.
My appreciation also extends to the executive of the Primrose
League for their efforts which enabled me to examine the papers.
In obtaining archival materials necessary to the completion of
the dissertation, I was fortunate to be able to enlist the assistance
of a number of individuals and institutions including Joan West, the
librarian for the Conservative Party Research Department, and Miss Ann
Hay, Secretary to the Scottish Conservative and Unionist Association.
Miss Hay generously made available, not only the collection of Scottish
Grand Council records, but, for a good portion of my stay in Edinburgh,
the use of her office as well.
A number of archivists rendered
valuable assistance including Miss M.M. Stewart at Churchill College,
R.H. Harcourt Williams of Hatfield House, and Dr. B.S. Benedikz of
Birmingham University Library.
I am also grateful for the opportunity
to examine papers from the estates of Lord Balfour and the late Duke of
Beaufort.
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