20 Facts About Hilary Jenkinson

Hilary Jenkinson was educated at Dulwich College and Pembroke College, Cambridge, graduating with first class honours in Classics in 1904.

In 1906, Hilary Jenkinson joined the staff of the Public Record Office and worked on the arrangement and classification of the records of the medieval Exchequer.

Hilary Jenkinson was appointed secretary and principal assistant keeper in 1938.

From 1947 until his retirement in 1954, Hilary Jenkinson served as the deputy keeper of the repository at the Public Record Office.

Hilary Jenkinson lectured on palaeography, diplomatic, and archives in Cambridge, and at King's College London and University College, London.

Hilary Jenkinson wrote a number of books on palaeography and diplomatic, and his Manual of Archive Administration became a highly influential work on archival practice in Britain and Ireland.

Hilary Jenkinson served as Honorary Secretary of the Surrey Archaeological Society.

Hilary Jenkinson took a leading part in establishing its daughter organisation, the Surrey Record Society, in 1912; and thereafter, as secretary and general editor until 1950, in establishing its principles of editing and records publication.

Hilary Jenkinson was a founder, Joint Honorary Secretary and Vice-President of the British Records Association; President of the Jewish Historical Society of England ; and President of the Society of Archivists.

Hilary Jenkinson played an important role in the setting up of the National Register of Archives in 1945.

Hilary Jenkinson served as the British representative on the UNESCO committee convened in 1948 to establish an International Council on Archives, later becoming a vice-president of the Council.

For example, Hilary Jenkinson rejected the practice of accepting singular documents into an archive, as well as the acceptance of private papers, which he considered to be a flaw of the French and Belgian philosophies.

Hilary Jenkinson saw "the good Archivist" as "perhaps the most selfless devotee of Truth the modern world produces".

John Ridener ascribes their differences in outlook to the fact that, in contrast to Schellenberg's concern with modern records management, Hilary Jenkinson's theory was founded on "medieval record structures", and was unsuited to dealing with the increased bulk of modern records.

Elizabeth Shepherd comments that "it was only after his retirement that the PRO could finally develop a professional archival approach to its work", as Hilary Jenkinson did not like individual interpretations or differing viewpoints of his philosophy.

Hilary Jenkinson was appointed CBE in 1943 and knighted in 1949.

Hilary Jenkinson was granted an honorary fellowship at University College, London, and an honorary LLD at the University of Aberdeen.

Hilary Jenkinson died a year later on 5 March 1961 at St Thomas' Hospital, London.

Hilary Jenkinson influenced University College, London's decision to establish an archives diploma course, and would later present its first lecture.

Since 2007, the Department of Information Studies at University College London has hosted an annual Jenkinson Lecture named in honour of Sir Hilary.