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Papers of individuals — Scottish labour history collections

A list of collections of papers of individuals connected with the trade union and labour movements and other socialist groups which are held at the National Library of Scotland.

On the online manuscripts inventories search page, use the NLS reference ['Acc' or 'Dep'] to find out if we have published the inventory for those papers.

  • Airlie, John McDiarmid, Labour councillor and parliamentary candidate:  Miscellaneous letters and papers, 1912-1933, associated with the Airlie printed collection, including material on the Ayr Burghs parliamentary election, 1924. [Acc.11566]
  • Annand, J K, Secretary of Edinburgh University Socialist Society: Acc.4190. copies of ten letters to Annand including letters from J Ramsay MacDonald, Mrs Beatrice Webb and R B Cunninghame-Graham, 1928-1929.
  • Clunie, James, Labour MP: Some correspondence, 1908-1962, chiefly letters from John MacLean, 1921-1923. [Acc.4334]
  • Craigen, James Mark, Labour and Co-op MP and administrator: Papers, 1971-1991, including Scottish Trade Union Congress papers on unemployment; M Litt thesis on the history of the STUC; papers on Scottish devolution, 1968-1984; papers relating to the Co-operative Party and the Co-operative Wholesale Society, 1960-1991; and on the Trustee Savings Banks flotation, 1983-1986. [Acc.10316, Acc.10476]
  • Duncan, Joseph Forbes, Independent Labour Party activist and trade union leader: Correspondence and papers, 1905-1908, 1914-1963. [Acc.5490, Acc.5601]
  • Dunlop, John, member of the XV International Brigade during the Spanish Civil War: Papers relating to Dunlop's time in Spain, and more recent correspondence and papers regarding the International Brigade Association and writings on the Spanish Civil War by John Dunlop and others, 1937-1999. [Acc.12087]
  • Elliot, Donald M, member of the National Union of Journalists: Some papers, 1926-1940, relating to his activities in the National Union of Journalists, Edinburgh Branch; papers relating to wartime press censorship in Scotland, 1939-1940. [Acc.6302]
  • Flynn, Thomas Vincent, General Secretary of the Society of Graphical and Allied Trades: Correspondence and papers 1923-1991, including material relating to politics and the theatre in Glasgow, 1943-1983, the history of the bookbinding unions, and industrial relations in London, 1972-1976. [Acc.11504]
  • Gollan, John, General Secretary of the Communist Party of Great Britain: Drafts for a biography (unpublished) by Margot Kettle, including tapes of interviews with friends and associates, circa 1990. [Acc.11479]
  • Grieve, Christopher Murray [Hugh MacDiarmid], poet, Scottish Nationalist and Communist: Political correspondence (around 5,000 letters), 1929-1978, some relating to his relations with the Communist Party of Great Britain [Acc.7361]; and correspondence and papers relating to his election campaign as Communist candidate in Kinross and West Perthshire, 1964. [Acc.7361; Acc.10517]
  • Hardie, James Keir, MP and Leader of the Parliamentary Labour Party: Some personal correspondence and papers (including photographs), 1889-1915 (Dep. 176), and minutes of the provisional committee for the foundation of the 'Daily Herald' written and signed by James Keir Hardie, 1911 [MSS.20670, ff.98-99]. [Dep.176; MSS.20670, ff.98-99]
  • Hughes, Emrys, author, journalist and Labour M.P.: Dep.176. correspondence and papers, 1914-1969, including an unpublished autobiography, and correspondence as editor of the 'Forward' newspaper, Glasgow, 1931-1946.
  • Johnston, Thomas, journalist, Labour MP and Secretary of State for Scotland: Acc.5862. a small collection of surviving personal papers and letters, 1904-1957.
  • Lawson, George McArthur, Labour MP: Political correspondence and papers, 1948-1978, including material relating to the Scottish steel industry, and to the 'No' campaign in the Scottish devolution referendum, 1978. [Acc.9588]
  • Livingstone, Angus Cook, Independent Labour Party activist, Provost of Bo'ness, West Lothian: A small collection of political letters and papers [photocopies of originals], 1911-1932. [Acc.9630]
  • MacDonald, J Ramsay, Labour Prime Minister: A collection of letters and telegrams of condolence following the death of his wife, Margaret Ethel MacDonald, 1911. [Acc 11180]
  • Mackay, Benjamin Skene, Labour activist, Organising Secretary, National Union of Vehicle Builders: A small collection of personal papers, circa 1910-1930. [Acc.9741]
  • Mackintosh, John Pitcairn, Historian, political scientist and Labour MP:  Political and academic correspondence and papers, 1944-1978. [Dep.323 (some files restricted)]
  • Maclean John, Clydeside socialist: Family and political correspondence and papers, 1909-1923; papers concerning him, 1924-1973. [Acc.4251, Acc.4335]
  • Mathers, George, Labour MP and Deputy Chief Whip, Baron Mathers of Newton St Boswells: Personal and political correspondence and papers, 1915-1961. [Acc.4826]
  • Millar, James Primrose Malcolm, General Secretary, National Council of Labour Colleges: Correspondence and papers, 1913-1965, in the NCLC archive; papers, 1926, relating to the General Strike in Edinburgh [Acc.5695] [Acc.5120, Acc.5695]
  • Muirhead, Roland Eugene, Independent Labour Party supporter and Scottish Nationalist: personal correspondence and records of his Scottish Secretariat, includes correspondence with many Labour MPs, and material relating to his financial and other support of the ILP and of the Glasgow Forward, circa 1900-1960. [Acc.3721]
  • Murray, David, industrial journalist and broadcaster: correspondence and papers, 1934-1974. Much of the correspondence, 1936-1942, relates to the Independent Labour Party and to its involvement in the Spanish Civil War; and (1934-1945) to the iron and steel industry. [Acc.7914; Acc.7915]
  • Murray, Thomas, Communist activist: correspondence and papers, including letters from Spain, and material relating to the Spanish Civil War, 1923-1968. [Acc.9083]
  • Ritchie-Calder, Peter, Baron Ritchie-Calder of Balmashannar, science writer, journalist, and Labour Life Peer: [Dep. 370]; correspondence and papers, 1940-1981. [Acc.10318]
  • Shaw, Benjamin, Scottish Secretary of the Labour Party: A small collection of personal letters and papers, 1893-1922. [Acc.6471]
  • Small, William, Lanarkshire miners' leader: A small collection of papers relating to his public life, including an autobiographical memoir, 1899-1953. [Acc.3350]
  • Woodburn, Arthur, Labour MP, Secretary of State for Scotland:  Correspondence and papers, including drafts of an unpublished autobiography, 1907-1978. [Acc.7656]
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