Register of the Ernest William Darling papers
Finding aid prepared by David Jacobs
Hoover Institution Library and Archives
© 2003
434 Galvez Mall
Stanford University
Stanford, CA 94305-6003
hoover-library-archives@stanford.edu
Title: Ernest William Darling papers
Date (inclusive): 1917-1960
Collection Number: 47007
Contributing Institution: Hoover Institution Library and Archives
Language of Material:
English
Physical Description:
9 manuscript boxes
(3.7 Linear Feet)
Abstract: Writings, correspondence, memoranda, reports, pamphlets, leaflets, and clippings, relating to the communist movement, political
conditions, labor, and housing in Great Britain.
Creator:
Darling, Ernest William, 1905-
Physical Location: Hoover Institution Library & Archives
Access
The collection is open for research; materials must be requested in advance via our reservation system. If there are audiovisual
or digital media material in the collection, they must be reformatted before providing access.
Use
For copyright status, please contact the Hoover Institution Library & Archives.
Acquisition Information
Acquired.
Preferred Citation
[Identification of item], Ernest William Darling Papers, [Box no., Folder no. or title], Hoover Institution Library & Archives.
Biographical Note
| 1905 |
Born, London, England |
| 1919 |
Leaves school and starts working in a booksellers warehouse |
| 1921 |
Joins trade union |
| 1926 |
Participates in British General Strike and edits a strike bulletin |
| 1931-1936 |
Works on the staff of the New Fabian Research Bureau |
| 1932-1946 |
Active in the Communist Party of Great Britain as militant, branch secretary, and contributor to party publications |
| 1937-1939 |
Secretary to Legal Bureau, Hampstead Tenants' Defence League |
| 1939-1940 |
Works for British civil defense program |
| 1942-1943 |
Shop steward, Philco factory, London |
| 1946 |
Leaves Communist Party |
Scope and Content Note
Acquired in 1947, with an increment added in 1981, the Ernest William Darling papers in the Hoover Institution Library & Archives
comprise a small but interesting collection of primary documents and printed matter, most of which pertain to the history
of the Communist Party of Great Britain in the 1930s and 1940s. As such, these materials offer a glimpse into the organizational
life of the party at a number of levels, from the central committee down to the local branch level, and they record both public
campaigns and internal party debates during a period extending from the Depression through the end of World War II.
Born into a working class family, Darling became politically involved at an early age, and his activism subsequently included
roles as a trade union delegate, tenants' rights campaigner, and party militant. Materials relating to each of these activities
are organized within separate files in the collection (see COMMUNIST PARTY OF GREAT BRITAIN ORGANIZATIONAL FILE, HAMPSTEAD
TENANTS' DEFENCE LEAGUE FILE, and PHILCO SHOP STEWARDS FILE).
While never a party theorist, Darling did write on a number of topics, with a special emphasis on issues of employment and
housing (see SPEECHES AND WRITINGS series). A significant exchange of letters with the British Communist leader, Harry Pollitt,
can be found in the CORRESPONDENCE series, and these letters enumerate the reasons that led Darling to leave the party in
1946. The PRINTED MATTER series contains a large number of pamphlets issued by the Communist Party of Great Britain, covering
a wide variety of issues ranging from London municipal elections to international politics.
Subjects and Indexing Terms
Great Britain -- Politics and government -- 20th century
Communism -- Great Britain
Housing -- Great Britain
Labor unions -- Great Britain
Communist Party of Great Britain
BIOGRAPHICAL FILE
1930-1953
Scope and Contents note
Autobiography, checklists, and membership cards, arranged alphabetically by physical form
box 1, folder 1
Autobiography, .
1945
Scope and Contents note
Two typescripts
box 1, folder 2
Checklists of publications
n.d.
General note
(Some items listed are no longer part of the collection)
box 1, folder 3
Membership cards, .
1930-1953
Scope and Contents note
Includes cards for the Communist Party of Great Britain
CORRESPONDENCE
1937-1946
Scope and Contents note
Letters and enclosures, arranged alphabetically by name of correspondent
SPEECHES AND WRITINGS
1928-1960
Scope and Contents note
Articles, letters to the editor, memoranda, notes, outlines, pamphlets, proposals, reports, and transcripts, arranged chronologically
by title. Includes related correspondence
box 1, folder 11
"Marxism and the War,"
n.d.
Scope and Contents note
Typescript
box 1, folder 12
"Report of the Subcommittee on the Law of Distress," paper prepared for the Haldane Society
n.d.
Scope and Contents note
Typescript
box 1, folder 13-14
"Who Opposes Full Employment?"
n.d.
Scope and Contents note
Three typescripts
box 1, folder 15
"The B.B.C. and Working-Class Education,"
Socialist Review, .
1928 July
Scope and Contents note
Printed copy
box 2, folder 1
"The Present and Future Work of NFRB (New Fabian Research Bureau)," .
1933 September 21
Scope and Contents note
Two typescripts
box 2, folder 2
"Notes on
The Daily Worker," .
1933 October 22
Scope and Contents note
Two typescripts
box 2, folder 3
"Notes on the Discussion on the Labour Party's Foreign Policy," paper prepared for the New Fabian Research Bureau, .
1934 February 27
Scope and Contents note
Two typescripts
box 2, folder 4
"A New Foreign Policy for the Labour Party," paper prepared for the New Fabian Research Bureau(?), .
1934 June 11
Scope and Contents note
Typescript
box 2, folder 5
"Notes on Research into Local Housing Conditions," paper prepared for the New Fabian Research Bureau, .
1935 February 11
Scope and Contents note
Typescript
box 2, folder 6
"The British Labour Party in Transition - 1935," (pseudonym used, D. E. Williams).
1935 February 14
Scope and Contents note
Holograph notes and two typescripts
box 2, folder 7
"The International Situation," statement written for a conference of the Socialist League, London, England, .
1935 June 7
Scope and Contents note
Three typescripts
box 2, folder 8
The Two Classes, .
1935 November
Scope and Contents note
Printed copy
box 2, folder 9
"Hampstead Housing," .
1937 August 6
Scope and Contents note
Typescript
box 2, folder 10
"A Social Programme for Hampstead," .
1937 September 12
Scope and Contents note
Two typescripts
box 2, folder 11
"TDL (Tenants' Defence League) Campaign for 1600 Houses," .
1937 October 2
Scope and Contents note
Typescript
box 2, folder 12
"Assisted Wiring Scheme in Hampstead," .
1938 May 18
Scope and Contents note
Typescript
box 2, folder 13
"Statement to Hampstead Borough Council in Support of the Petition of Kilburn Tenants," .
1938 November 21
Scope and Contents note
Typescript
box 2, folder 14
Speech at a meeting of the Hampstead Borough Council, .
1938 November 24
Scope and Contents note
Two typescripts
box 2, folder 15
Open letters on behalf of the Hampstead Tenants' Defence League, .
1938 December
Scope and Contents note
Two typescripts
box 2, folder 16
Testimony given before the Distress for Rent Committee, Ministry of Health, London, England, .
1939 March 1
Scope and Contents note
Transcript
box 2, folder 17
Speech at factory meeting of Philco workers, London, England, .
1942 April 16
Scope and Contents note
Typescript
box 2, folder 18
"Land Control in the Future,"
Social Service News, .
1942 November
Scope and Contents note
Typescript
box 2, folder 19
"Question of Reconstruction," .
1942 December 3
Scope and Contents note
Holograph and typewritten notes, and typescript (incomplete) with holograph corrections
"The Politics of the Beveridge, or British Revolutions in the Making,"
1942 December 12
box 2, folder 20
Correspondence and memoranda
box 2, folder 22
"Statement by E. W. Darling on the Report (by Hugh Mackay) on South West St. Pancras," London, England, .
1943 May 31
Scope and Contents note
Two typescripts and one transcript of ensuing discussion
box 2, folder 23
"Notes on Franchise Law and Electoral Reform," .
1943 December 5
Scope and Contents note
Typescript
"The British Trade Union Movement of Today,"
1944
Electoral Reform, .
1944 February 18
Scope and Contents note
Proposals written by Ernest William Darling and presented to the House of Commons, London, England, by William Gallacher,
Member of Parliament
box 3, folder 1
Correspondence, outline, and typescript preliminary draft
box 3, folder 4
"Our National Traditions," article submitted to
World News and Views, (not published).
1944 May 10
Scope and Contents note
Correspondence and two typescripts
box 3, folder 5
"Full Employment," .
1944 May 28
Scope and Contents note
Typescript
box 3, folder 6
"National Debt and Full Employment," .
1944 May 29
Scope and Contents note
Typescript notes
box 3, folder 7
"The 6th of June," .
1944 June 7
Scope and Contents note
Two typescripts
box 3, folder 8-10
"The Government's Policy of Full Employment," .
1944 June 15
Scope and Contents note
Three typescripts
box 3, folder 11
Memorandum concerning Lever Brothers and Unilever, .
1945 May 16
Scope and Contents note
Typescript
box 3, folder 12
"Re Newcastle Council Tenants Association," .
1945 June 27
Scope and Contents note
Typescript
box 3, folder 13
"Lease Lend, Full Employment and the Colonies," .
1945 September 25
Scope and Contents note
Typescript
box 3, folder 14
Letter to the editor,
World News and Views, .
1945 November 11
Scope and Contents note
Correspondence and typescript
box 3, folder 15
Letter to the editor,
Guardian (Manchester), .
1960 March 10
Scope and Contents note
Typescript
COMMUNIST PARTY OF GREAT BRITAIN ORGANIZATIONAL FILE
1934-1946
Scope and Contents note
Bulletins, clippings, correspondence, course materials, leaflets, memoranda, newsletters, notes, resolutions, and statements,
arranged alphabetically by physical form Bulletins, clippings, constitution, correspondence, financial records, forms, leaflets,
reports, and statements, arranged alphabetically by physical form, and other material arranged within a subject file
box 3, folder 18
Congress resolutions and statements
1934-1946
box 4, folder 1
Central Committee
1942-1943
box 4, folder 2
Executive Committee
1943-1945
box 4, folder 3
London District Committee
1946
box 4, folder 4
Internal bulletins, memoranda, newsletters, and statements
1934-1945
box 4, folder 6
Notes for speakers
1934-1945
box 4, folder 7
Training course materials
1935-1936
HAMPSTEAD TENANTS' DEFENCE LEAGUE FILE
1937-1943
Scope and Contents note
Bulletins, clippings, constitution, correspondence, financial records, forms, leaflets, reports, and statements, arranged
alphabetically by physical form, and other material arranged within a subject file
box 4, folder 8
Bulletins, reports, and statements
1938-1940
box 4, folder 12
Financial records
1937-1938
Subject file, .
1938-1940
Scope and Contents note
Bulletins, correspondence, financial records, leaflets, reports, and resolutions
box 5, folder 3
Stepney Tenants' Defence League
1938-1939
box 5, folder 4
Federation of Tenants' and Residents' Associations
1939-1940
PHILCO SHOP STEWARDS COMMITTEE FILE
1941-1942
Scope and Contents note
Correspondence, leaflet, and minutes, arranged alphabetically by physical form
SUBJECT FILE
1923-1947
Scope and Contents note
Clippings, financial records, leaflets reports, and serial issues, arranged alphabetically by subject
box 5, folder 12
Labour Party (Great Britain)
box 5, folder 14
New Fabian Research Bureau
box 6, folder 1-2
New Fabian Research Bureau (Contd.)
box 6, folder 3
Trade-unions - Great Britain
box 6, folder 4
Workers' Educational Association
box 6, folder 5
PHOTOGRAPH
undated
Scope and Contents note
One print depicting Ernest William Darling(?) as an adolescent with his family
PRINTED MATTER
1920-1945
Scope and Contents note
Bulletins, campaign literature, leaflets, pamphlets, and serial issues, largely relating to the Communist Party of Great Britain
and other radical organizations
