DIOCESE OF GUILDFORD: RECORDS

The main series of records comprise:

7115/1/ DIOCESAN CONFERENCE MINUTES AND PAPERS 1928-1974

7115/2/ DIOCESAN BOARD OF FINANCE (1733)-1982
The Guildford Diocesan Board of Finance records include minutes; ledgers and cash books; accounts and papers relating to the Bishop's Challenge Fund; papers of the Finance Commission and Priorities Commission; parish trust funds, property deeds, accounts and statistical returns; and correspondence and papers relating to the division of the diocese of Winchester, glebe and tithes, church insurance, clergy stipends, pensions and grants, church property, stewardship and publicity. For annual reports, 1933, 1940-1941, 1948, 1955-1956, 1960 and 1968, see 6551/2/- and 1872/17.

7115/2/ Minutes 1927-1973

7115/2/ Ledgers, cash and account books and papers 1922-1969
For further Diocesan Fund cash books, 1928-1945, see 7300/3/1-4.

7115/2/ Bishop's Challenge Fund 1944-1960
On 13 July 1944 the Diocesan Conference approved the Bishop of Guildford's Challenge to the Diocese to raise one million pounds in the next ten years. The funds were to be for the provision and adequate payment of clergy and lay workers; the diocesan share in central funds for pensions and training; new churches, halls and parsonages in new districts; completion, furnishing and endowment of the first part of the new cathedral; church schools; and the church overseas.

7115/2/ Bishop's Finance Commission 1957-1958

7115/2/ Priorities Commission 1968

7115/2/ Trusts 1928-1969

7115/2/ Parish property deeds (1733)-1937

7115/2/ Parish accounts 1930-1976
2 complete series of parish income and expenditure accounts kept as samples.

7115/2/ Statistical returns 1926-1968

7115/2/ Division of the diocese of Winchester 1928-1939

7115/2/ Glebe and tithes 1878-1962

7115/2/ Insurance 1942-1958

7115/2/ Clergy stipends, pensions and grants 1927-1976

7115/2/ Church property 1932-1982

7115/2/ Stewardship 1959-1967

7115/2/ Publicity 1974-1984

7115/3/ BOARD OF FINANCE PARISH FILES 1929-1980
This series comprises files of two alphabetical series of correspondence between the Diocesan Board of Finance and individual parishes. The date range of the earlier series is roughly 1940s to 1960s (7115/3/1-145) and the later 1960s to 1970s (7115/3/146-313). A large part of the older series related to parsonage dilapidations and contained the same papers as in the Parsonage Board files. For this reason the older series was weeded of correspondence of a routine nature, and the dilapidations papers were removed and merged with the Parsonage Board files (7115/12/-). Material retained in the two series of parish files related to parish buildings (eg church halls), clergy stipends, sale and purchase of property, parish charities and trusts, plans of buildings and some copies of parish annual accounts. The later series of parish files was not weeded.

7115/4/ ABLE AND WILLING, LATER DAY SCHOOLS COMMITTEE 1937-1981
For minutes and papers of the Diocesan Education Committee and Able and Willing Committee, see 7255.

7115/5/ DIOCESAN CHURCH MUSIC COMMITTEE c.1920-1928

7115/6/ PERSONNEL COMMITTEE 1928-1974

7115/6/ Personnel Committee minutes and papers 1928-1958

7115/6/ Pensions 1933-1947

7115/6/ Curates and women workers grants papers 1948-1974
The curates and women workers grants papers include application form from parish, related correspondence, and copy of the parish annual accounts for the previous year.

7115/7/ DIOCESAN ADVISORY COMMITTEE FOR THE CARE OF CHURCHES AND CHURCHYARDS 1918-1978
For minutes of the Diocesan Advisory Committee, 1927-1968, see 1685/-. For quinquennial inspection reports on churches, 1949-1979, see 1337/- and 1338/-. For photographs and drawings of churches, 1918-1935, see 1489/-. For NADFAS records of church furnishings, 1986-2003, see 6674/-. For plans of parsonage houses, 1826-1945, see 472/-

7115/7/ Correspondence and papers 1953-1978

7115/7/ Diocesan Advisory Committee parish case files 1955-1961
These files relate to church architecture, alterations to churches and issue of faculties. Files in number range 1505-1789, with gaps. They are listed with details of proposed alterations and covering dates.

7115/7/ Church drawings 1918-1922
The drawings are in pencil, chalk and pastel, and measure about 36 cms by 26 cms. They are signed 'CBP', but the identity of the artist is unknown. For further drawings of churches in the series, including other view of St Mary's, Guildford, see 1489/2/1-27.

7115/8/ DIOCESAN COUNCIL FOR WOMEN'S CHURCH WORK 1949-1971

7115/9/ DIOCESAN COUNCIL FOR SOCIAL WORK, LATER SOCIAL RESPONSIBILITY 1964-1975

7115/10/ DIOCESAN DILAPIDATIONS BOARD, LATER PARSONAGES BOARD 1943-1968
The Diocesan Dilapidations Board was established by resolution of the Diocesan Conference in July 1927. In July 1968 the Board was renamed the Diocesan Parsonages Board.

7115/10/ Minutes and papers 1943-1968
For minute books of the Dilapidations Board, from 1968 Parsonages Board, 1927-1962 and 1968-1977, see 7300/2/1-3.

7115/11/ DILAPIDATIONS BOARD, LATER PARSONAGES BOARD, PARISH FILES 1934-1974
The files contain the diocesan surveyor's reports on parsonage houses, with some plans (mainly of proposed new houses), and correspondence and papers relating to the sale and purchase of properties. Much routine correspondence relating to the maintenance of properties has not been retained. The minutes of the Board give details of the expenditure for which grants were made.

7115/12/ PASTORAL COMMITTEE 1906-1985

7115/12/ Minutes and papers 1948-1960

7115/12/ Parish case files 1906-1985
The files relate to the alteration of parish boundaries, merging of benefices, and developments in new parishes.

7115/13/ DIOCESAN GUILD OF CHURCH BELL RINGERS 1957

7115/14/ DIOCESE OF GUILDFORD WEST AFRICA FUND 1968-1970

7115/15/ DIOCESAN COUNCIL FOR UNITY AND MISSION 1971-1972

7115/16/ BISHOP'S VISITATION RETURNS 1949
The returns were made by each parish, prior to the bishop's visitation. They are in the form of a printed questionnaire with answers by the incumbent. For visitation returns, 2000, see 7647.

7115/17/ GUILDFORD CATHEDRAL 1936-1970

7115/17/ Correspondence, papers and photographs relating to Guildford Cathedral 1936-1970

7115/17/ Guildford New Cathedral Conventional District 1947-1961

7115/18/ FARNHAM CASTLE 1910-1962
Papers relating to the architecture, use, maintenance and contents of the Castle, formerly used as a residence for the Bishop of Winchester.

7115/19/ DIOCESAN HOUSE, GUILDFORD 1948-1964

7115/20/ DIOCESAN ARCHIVES 1927-1957

7115/21/ DEANERY SYNODS 1971-1978

7115/22/ PAPERS OF LT COL GORDON BLACKBURNE-KANE 1948-1958

7115/23/ COLLECTED PUBLICATIONS 1929-1974

The ancient see of Winchester was one of England's largest dioceses before 1927, extending from the Channel Islands to the Thames and incorporating all of Hampshire and the western half of Surrey. Comprising 600 parishes and 900 clergy, pressure to divide the see had intensified by the early part of the twentieth century and although a suffragan bishop had been appointed to Guildford since 1874, it was generally accepted that Guildford and Portsmouth should be administered separately from Winchester and form their own dioceses.

In 1915 an Archbishop's Committee report approved the principle that any diocese comprising 300 parishes or more formed a forceful prima facie argument for division, and at the Winchester diocesan conference of 1920, bishop Edward Talbot declared that 'our present body corporate is, both by its size and the unhappy difficulties and awkwardness of its transport system, too big for real effectiveness of common counsel and administration and united life'. In 1923 the Church Assembly passed the Winchester Diocese (Division) Measure. Guildford diocese was to comprise the Archdeaconry of Surrey and the parishes of Aldershot, Aldershot Holy Trinity, Ash with Ash Vale, Cove, Crondall, Crookham, Ewshott, Farnborough, Farnborough St Mark, Fleet, Hawley, Minley, Yateley (later allowed to remain in Winchester diocese), Grayshott and Headley.

The measure was not universally welcomed and in an unsuccessful attempt to secure a compromise the bishop of Gloucester, Dr Headlam, suggested the amalgamation of West Surrey with Southwark, as 'the way to meet the spiritual needs of the wealthy people of Guildford was to associate them closely with the poor of South London, and to arouse their spiritual sense by sympathy with the poor whose work and labour gave them their wealth'.

Opposition to the division measure manifested itself in political terms as well as clerical. On being sent to parliament for approval in May 1924, many in both chambers objected to the dismantling of such an ancient diocese and the negative impact the measure would have on clergy stipends. Although the measure was eventually passed by 97 votes to 43 in the Commons, the Lords' vote of 70 to 60 was much narrower.

Although enshrined in statute, the Measure still required two endowments exceeding £200,000 before the division could be formally undertaken. The sum was raised in half the expected time of 5 years and Guildford diocese was officially created on 1 May 1927. Special services were heard in celebration of the formation at Winchester on St Swithun's Day, 15 July 1927, three days after Guildford's first bishop, John Greig, had been enthroned.

Despite concerns about cost and location, Farnham Castle remained the residence for Guildford's bishops and Bishop Greig moved into the Castle in 1932. Repairs and running costs became too burdensome however and the Castle was vacated as the bishop's residence in 1955. Bishops of Guildford have since resided at Willow Grange, Guildford.

At the time of the creation of the diocese in 1927 it consisted of 8 rural deaneries (Aldershot, Dorking, Emly, Farnham, Godalming, Guildford, Leatherhead and Woking). All of the rural deaneries, except for Aldershot, were in the Archdeaconry of Surrey. An Order in Council of 17 August 1928 created the Archdeaconry of Dorking and established new rural deaneries of Cranleigh and Epsom. Much information on the organisation of the Boards and Committees of the diocese and their personnel can be found in the annual Guildford Diocesan Year Books and Directories (see 6551/3/-).

Guildford Cathedral was designed by Sir Edward Maufe. The foundation stone was laid on 22 July 1936 by Dr Cosmo Gordon Lang, Archbishop of Canterbury. Building work was halted during the war and resumed in 1952. The cathedral was consecrated on 17 May 1961.

There are no access restrictions.

Deposited by Commander T E R Kitson, Diocesan Secretary, in July 1989.

An item level description of the archive is available on the Surrey History Centre online catalogue

The records listed below have been selected from a larger body of material. Much routine correspondence of a financial nature has not been retained and many of the files selected for preservation have been weeded.

For the Bishop of Guildford's files relating to clergy and parishes, 1950-1997, see 6148 and 6942;
For the records of the Bishop's visitation of the diocese, 2000, see 7647;
For minutes and papers of the Diocesan West Africa Link project, 1977-1998, see 6577;
For papers of the Diocesan Ecumenical Officer, including minutes and papers of the Diocesan Unity Committee, 1974-1998, see 6641;
For records of the Guildford Diocesan Council for Social Responsibility, 1883-1979, see 3664;
For tithe maps, apportionments and related records for parishes in the diocese of Guildford, 1837-1960, see 864;
For articles of enquiry for parishes in the Archdeaconry of Dorking, 1990 and 1993-1995, and related papers, 1983-1994, see 6313;
For photographs of the construction of Guildford Cathedral, 1955-1970, see 7092;
For diocesan publications including the Gazette and Year Book and Directory, and publications relating to Guildford Cathedral, 1927-2005, see 6551;
For minutes and papers of the Diocesan Board of Education, 1856-2000, see 7255;
For architects' quinquennial inspection reports on churches in the diocese, 1949-1980, see 1337 and 1338;
For NADFAS records of church furnishings in the diocese, 1986-2019, see 6674;
For records of the Diocesan Mothers' Union, 1894-2008, see 7190 and 9576;
For minutes of the Diocesan Buildings Committee and Parsonages Board, 1927-1977, see 7300;
For photographs of Farnham Castle and other properties owned by the diocese, 1959-1981, see 9758;
For minutes and papers of the Diocesan Synod and Bishop's Council, Board of Finance, Press and Publications Committee, Bishop's Advisory Panel on Christian Giving, Parsonages Board, Diocesan Conference and Guildford church for deaf people, 1927-2003, see 9833;
For minutes and collected photographs and drawings of the Diocesan Advisory Committee for the care of churches and churchyards, 1823-1968 and 1995-2002, see 1489, 1685 and 10032;
For two volumes of illustrations (watercolours, ink and pencil drawings) of Surrey churches, mostly produced in the 1830s, inherited by the Diocesan Advisory Committee amd perhaps originally commissioned by the Diocese of Winchester, see 9043;
For trustees' papers of the Diocesan Council for Social Responsibility, 1969-2005, see 9365.

Records of many of the rural deaneries have been deposited as part of parish accessions. Other records have been cross-referenced under the appropriate section below.

Winnett, Arthur R, Attempt Great Things: The Diocese Of Guildford, 1927-1977 (1977);
Diocese of Guildford 1927-1948, a record of twenty-one years, (Woodbridge Press, 1948);
Richards, G S, The Diocese of Guildford in retrospect (1965)