Papers of W. G. Symons

Papers of W. G. Symons relating to his involvement with the British Council of Churches, the World Council of Churches, the Student Christian Movement and other similar organisations, together with papers relating to his writings and lecture work.

Administrative/Biographical History

W. G. Symons (known as Christopher) was a leading layman in the Methodist and Free Churches. He was an active member of the British Council of Churches and the World Council of Churches (WCC) and was, for example, the UK member of the WCC's Working Committee of the Department on the Laity in the 1950s. He was formerly a Senior Research Fellow in the Faculty of Economic and Social Studies at the University of Manchester in the 1940s but subsequently moved into industry and worked as a factory inspector. He contributed regularly as a speaker at conferences and wrote articles including one entitled "The Laity - the Christian in his vocation", published in the Ecumenical Review , October 1953. He was also a member of the Christian Frontier Council

Reference: Deposit information.

Access Conditions

Open. Access to all bona fide researchers. All papers held at the Orchard Learning Resources Centre will be viewed at the Birmingham University Information Services, Special Collections Department. Please contact the University Archivist for further information.

Immediate Source of Acquisition

This collection was deposited by the Symons family in the 1980s. It was then transferred to the Orchard Learning Resources Centre which was opened in 1997 following the merger of the Selly Oak Colleges Library and the Westhill College Library.

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Permission to make any published use of any material from the collection must be sought in advance in writing from the University Archivist, Special Collections. Identification of copyright holders of unpublished material is often difficult. Special Collections will assist where possible with identifying copyright owners, but responsibility for ensuring copyright clearance rests with the user of the material.

Following the merger of the Selly Oak Colleges and the University of Birmingham in 1999 the custodial ownership of collections belonging to the Selly Oak Colleges and held at the Orchard Learning and Resource Centre (OLRC) was transferred to the University. These collections now form part of the University's Special Collections Department and are available for consultation at the Main Library on the University's Edgbaston Campus.

The University of Birmingham, Special Collections Department holds a rich collection of archives relating to missions, charities and other religious and ecclesiastical organisations and individuals.