The Public Record Office, 1838-1958

John Cantwell had a long and distinguished career in the Public Record Office, retiring in 1985 after more than 30 years of service.

In 1838 an act was passed to create a Public Record Office to house the public records of England and Wales, the "people's evidence" as they were sometimes known.

This history covers the period from the office's foundation to 1958, when a new act was introduced following the Grigg Report of 1954.

It brings out the vital part played by successive deputy keepers and Masters of the Rolls and the office's association with such figures as Lord John Russell, Gladstone, Disraeli, Lloyd George and Churchill.