Identity area
Reference code
Title
Date(s)
- 1921 - 1960s (Creation)
Level of description
Extent and medium
1.4 metres
Context area
Name of creator
Biographical history
William Drury was born in Burton-on-Trent, England, in 1876. He studied at Corpus Christi College, Cambridge and became an army chaplain, serving in the Boer War and the First World War. Whilst stationed in Woolwich he developed an interest in civilian life, attending lectures by an expert on poor law and housing. He attached himself to a charitable society and studied its theory and methods of work, and involved himself in debates of the Christian Social Union. As a result of this, he developed an interest in urban planning, and researched and wrote extensively on the subject. He was a founder member of the English Linear Cities Association. He left the army in the mid 1920s and became rector at Binsted, near Arundel, Sussex where he lived for the rest of his life.
Archival history
The papers were passed down through William Drury's family and ended up in the possession of his granddaughters.
Immediate source of acquisition or transfer
The papers were donated to the University of Strathclyde in July 2023 by a granddaughter of William Drury.
Content and structure area
Scope and content
Papers of the Rev. William Drury, a founder member of the English Linear Cities Association, relating to his research and thinking in linear city planning. Contents include:
Drury's research notes and card index; English Linear Cities Association publications (written by Drury and others), 1930s; typed and printed articles by Drury, 1921-1943; letters to Drury, 1930s; letters to Irene Drury, Drury's widow, from George Collins, Associate Professor of Art History, Columbia University, 1960s; Association des Cités-Jardins de France 35th annual report, 1939; report entitled 'The Motor Road - Forerunner of the Universal City' by C. Theodore Larson, 1963; newspaper cuttings, 1930s-1960s; biographical information about Drury.
Appraisal, destruction and scheduling
Accruals
System of arrangement
Conditions of access and use area
Conditions governing access
No access restrictions.
Conditions governing reproduction
Language of material
- English
- French
Script of material
Language and script notes
Physical characteristics and technical requirements
Publications and correspondence are in good condition. Drury's notes are very fragile with some parts detached.
Finding aids
Allied materials area
Existence and location of originals
Existence and location of copies
Related units of description
The George Collins Collection on Linear City Planning in the Frances Loeb Library, Harvard University: https://hollisarchives.lib.harvard.edu/repositories/7/resources/720