Fonds LAPS - Papers of G. T. Lapsley

Zone d'identification

Cote

LAPS

Titre

Papers of G. T. Lapsley

Date(s)

  • 1901-48 (Production)

Niveau de description

Fonds

Étendue matérielle et support

7 boxes

Zone du contexte

Nom du producteur

(1871-1949)

Notice biographique

G. T. Lapsley was born in New York in 1871 and originally studied law, graduating from Harvard in 1893. He became an authority on medieval constitutional history and was elected a Fellow of Trinity College, Cambridge in 1904. He was successively Lecturer, Tutor and Reader until 1937, when ill-health and the advent of war prompted his return to the United States. He died there in 1949. Although The County Palatine of Durham, published in 1900, was his only book, a selection of his articles was published posthumously in a volume entitled Crown, Community and Parliament in the Later Middle Ages. In addition to his interest in medieval history, Lapsley was widely read in English and French literature and a close friend of Henry James and Edith Wharton, and served as Wharton's literary executor.

Histoire archivistique

A finding aid was made for this collection in August 1997, at which time it was arranged following the order found. Cards were made for the card catalogue as well.

Source immédiate d'acquisition ou de transfert

The provenance of this collection is unknown.

Zone du contenu et de la structure

Portée et contenu

The papers consist of writings, research papers, printed material, photographs, and miscellaneous materials, and are arranged into seven series: A. Book Reviews by Lapsley of the books of others; B. Notes on Edith Wharton and Henry de Bracton; C. Lecture Notes: files of documents including notes, bibliographies and narrative sequences used in planning 'English Constitutional History to 1485'; D. Pamphlets, Journals and Books; E. Manuscript index cards, in sections, of books relevant to Lapsley's work; F. Photographs; G. Miscellaneous.

The writings reflect Lapsley's interest in medieval history, with a sizeable amount of work on Henry de Bracton, amongst others. Other papers reflect his work as Edith Wharton's literary executor, and a selection of her material survives in this collection, such as a transcript of her speech to the American Academy of Arts and Letters on accepting the Gold Medal for her services to Letters.

There are also a number of lecture notes and reviews published in the 'Cambridge Review' and other periodicals, and a variety of letters from friends, editors and fellow historians.

The printed materials are a mixture of historical journals and college documents including the WWII roll of honour. The photographs consist of three cabinet card photographs, one of them a duplicate, of two images of Edith Wharton posing with dogs.

Appraisal, destruction and scheduling

Accruals

System of arrangement

Zone des conditions d'accès et d'utilisation

Conditions d’accès

This material is open for research unless otherwise stated.

Conditions governing reproduction

Language of material

    Script of material

      Language and script notes

      Caractéristiques matérielle et contraintes techniques

      Finding aids

      Finding aid originally created in August 1997.

      Instrument de recherche téléversé

      Zone des sources complémentaires

      Existence and location of originals

      Existence and location of copies

      Related units of description

      O.11.a.2/46: G. T. Lapsley: ''The Sexcentenary of the King's Hall. October 1337. An address to be delivered in the chapel of Trinity College on 7 Oct. 1937...'

      Publication note

      The Edith Wharton Papers at the Beinecke Rare Book and Manuscript Library at Yale University (YCAL 42) includes the Gaillard Lapsley bequest, letters to Lapsley from Edith Wharton and a number of her friends for the years 1895-1939.

      Zone des notes

      Note

      Cite as: Trinity College Library Cambridge, Papers of Gaillard Thomas Lapsley, LAPS.

      Identifiant(s) alternatif(s)

      Mots-clés

      Mots-clés - Sujets

      Mots-clés - Lieux

      Mots-clés - Genre

      Identifiant de la description

      Identifiant du service d'archives

      Rules and/or conventions used

      Statut

      Niveau de détail

      Dates of creation revision deletion

      Langue(s)

        Écriture(s)

          Sources

          Archivist's note

          Collection level description created by Diana Smith in May 2019, using the original finding aid created in August 1997.

          Accession area