St Anselm Hall is a University hall of residence in Victoria Park, Manchester. The Hall opened in 1907 for male students, and had close connections with the Church of England. In 1933 it was licensed as a general hall of residence by the University and in 1956 was transferred to the ownership of the University. Prior to this, the Hall had been run by a governing body chaired by the bishop of Manchester. As a University-owned hall, St Anselm became eligible for UGC funding, and this allowed it to undertake an expansion of its facilities.
Most of the file comprises correspondence with successive wardens, namely, Ronald Preston (to 1963) and Geoffrey North (post-1963), and there is also correspondence with the bishop of Manchester and diocesan officials concerning the transfer of ownership, including discussions of the position of Anglican worship at the Hall after the University had assumed control. Also of interest is correspondence relating to the acquisition of a mural by the artist John Bratby (1928-1992) in the 1960s. The rest of the file comprises mostly routine correspondence on the appointment of the warden, staffing and estates issues, Hall commemoration days and other social events.
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