An introduction to Blenheim Archives

Blenheim Archives Mission Statement

Blenheim Archives are privately owned by Blenheim Palace Heritage Foundation and are housed at Blenheim Palace.

The material largely consists of:

• Private and personal papers of the Spencer-Churchill family at Blenheim, the largest collection being those of the 9th Duke of Marlborough.
• Daily transactions and records reflecting the administrative organisation of the Estate, including Estate Ledgers, Cash Books, correspondence, invoices and receipts.
  
• Manor Court Rolls.
  
• Land and property documents, maps and plans of the Estates in Buckinghamshire, Oxfordshire, Surrey and Wiltshire.
  
• Records of those working and living on the Estates in the form of Wage Books, Cottage Rentals and correspondence, etc. 
  
• You can see a summary of our collections here

Blenheim Archives aims to:

• Facilitate the long-term preservation of archival material, including books, documents, maps, drawings and photographs in line with Blenheim’s restoration goal and mission to share and protect this extraordinary place.
• Improve accessibility for internal and external researchers thus enhancing the lives of local people and other stakeholders. This is demonstrated in the ways in which we support local history groups and wider stakeholders while they are researching the history of their community.
• Use digital assets as part of the visitor attraction to improve our audiences’ experience by enhancing exhibitions and tours with rediscovered material.
• Develop educational programmes to support education, such as creating online projects based on digital resources for primary and secondary pupils.
• Provide opportunities for Archives work experience placements, internships and apprenticeships and to enable skill-sharing to proactively support career development in the archives’ profession.
• Advise and support community Archives, looking to develop their services.
• Facilitate collaborative working with multiple archives, such as The British Library, The National Archives, The Bodleian Library, Churchill Archives, Oxfordshire History Centre and other historic houses, to consolidate and reunite Blenheim-related papers, concurrent with fulfilling Blenheim’s goal to bring back the old collection. This will provide a seamless educational and research resources improving the Archives service by making material available to a wider range of researchers.
• Provide opportunities for income generation, such as through the sale of a variety of merchandise inspired by historic material.
• Establish Blenheim Palace as forward-thinking in its approach to archive management within the Historic Houses group and among the archives and records management profession.
• Encourage Blenheim-related deposits by demonstrating to donors that their material will be securely preserved in an appropriate environment complying with industry standards British Standard 5454 (2000).

Blenheim Archives Holdings

Blenheim Archives holds a unique private collection of historically-significant material relating to the Spencer-Churchill family, Blenheim Palace and the wider Dukes of Marlboroughs’ Estates. The archival material is owned by Blenheim Palace Heritage Foundation (Registered Charity Number 1166164).

Blenheim Archives holds the papers of some of the Dukes of Marlborough. Only a small proportion of this material is open for researchers to view but it is likely that more will become available as cataloguing continues.

Blenheim Archives Collections

Apple Store (AS) – a disparate collection of items predominately relating to the administration of the 10th and 11th Dukes of Marlborough’s estates. Example: leases and property sales; restoration projects; receipts; correspondence relating to the running of the estate extending to records of events and documents relating to Blenheim Palace visitors. These papers were received into the Archives from 2019 to date from the Apple Store at Blenheim Palace following their transfer from the Estate Office. This collection is closed to researchers due to Data Protection and GDPR legislation.

Arrow Collection (AC) – a specific collection of items acquired together. These items were purchased by Blenheim Palace Heritage Foundation in July 2019. The donor wishes to remain anonymous. The collection covers a wide range of material from the 1st Duke of Marlborough to the 11th Duke of Marlborough. Example: pictures, books, artefacts, postcards, maps and plans, media articles and photographs.

Black Boxes (BB) – a specific collection of items acquired together. These documents resided in the Duke's Study at Blenheim Palace in black dispatch boxes belonging to the 9th Duke of Marlborough. Following the death of 11th Duke of Marlborough (16/10/2014) the 'Black Boxes' were transferred into Blenheim Archives. The material is predominately the personal papers of the 9th Duke of Marlborough but also covers work carried out during the 8th Duke’s era.

David Green (DG) – a specific collection of items acquired together. The papers were donated by Anthony Green (Grandson) in September 2017. David Green lived in Church Hanborough and his interest in Blenheim Palace grew into a lifelong passion. David wrote the first Blenheim Palace guidebook which was on sale to the first visitors when the Palace opened its doors to the public on 1st April 1950. He was then commissioned by Country Life to write the definitive book on Blenheim Palace and this was published in 1951. He wrote numerous books based on Blenheim related themes and developed a very close relationship with the 10th Duke and his family. Subjects include Sarah 1st Duchess of Marlborough, The Battle of Blenheim, Grinling Gibbons, Henry Wise (Gardener to Queen Anne), Queen Anne, The Churchills of Blenheim, Country Neighbours. In 1956, when the BBC came to film a documentary with veteran presenter Richard Dimbleby, David Green wrote the script. Example: research notes, drafts of his publications, lectures and personal correspondence.

Estate Papers (EP) – a disparate collection of items but all relating to the administration of the Dukes of Marlborough’s estates. Most of the archives fall into this category. Example: leases; wage books; receipts; correspondence relating to the running of the estate.

Green Boxes (GB) – a disparate collection of items historically stored together. This collection covers the oldest archival material in Blenheim Archives including early printed books dating from the C15th. In lieu of death duties for the 10th Duke of Marlborough, the majority of the 1st and 4th Duke’s papers and other significant archives were transferred to the British Library as a gift to the nation in the late 1970s. The Green Boxes collection is the valuable material that was left by the Treasury after this transfer. Example: incunabula; 1st Duke and Duchess account books; manuscripts.

Personal Papers (PP) – a disparate collection of items but all having in common that they are papers created by/for the personal use of individuals connected with the Spencer-Churchill family. Example: a letter written to Consuelo Vanderbilt from her mother.

Related Papers (RP) – a disparate collection of items that were not created by the Dukes of Marlborough, members of the Spencer-Churchill family or estate staff but that are about/relate to Blenheim Palace, the Dukes of Marlborough’s estates and/or the Spencer-Churchill family. Example: 20th Century magazine article about paintings at Blenheim or maps of Oxfordshire.

Vickers Collection (VC) – a specific collection of items acquired together. These papers were purchased from Hugo Vickers in 2019 and relate to Gladys Deacon (the 9th Duke’s second wife). Hugo is a well-known biographer (Gladys Deacon, Cecil Beaton, Duchess of Windsor), broadcaster, writer and Royal correspondent. Gladys’ was the first biography written by Hugo; he was allowed access to her private papers after her death and eventually he went on to purchase many of her papers and photograph albums at auction. Example: letters; diaries; photographs.

Withers Collection (WC) – a specific collection of items acquired together. These legal papers were transferred from the Duke’s solicitors, Withers in May 2018. They are predominately from the 9th Duke’s time to the present day but there are earlier papers relating to all Dukes. Example: leases; property sales; legal correspondence; probates. This collection is closed to researchers due to Data Protection and GDPR legislation and because of the sensitivity of the material to protect the privacy of the Spencer-Churchill Family.