NATIONAL FARMERS UNION COLLECTION

Contains: Records of the National Farmers' Union 1909-1946: accounts of general fund 1918-1931, branch contributions 1918-1942, branch publications 1921-1942, sugar beet growers 1926-1937, supply of labels and wrappings 1928-1932, advertisements in NFU Record and Yearbook 1930-1943; cash books of the General fund 1909-1942, Sugar Beet Growers 1926-1935, Glass House Produce Committee 1939-1940; Wages books 1920-1932; Investments Register 1920; expenses register 1923-1936; debtors ledgers 1939-1940; Minutes of the Council Meetings 1909-1940; General Purpose 1919-1943; Executive Committee 1909-1920, General Purpose 1919-1943, Co-ordinating Committee 1936-1939, Organisation 1919-1946, Parliamentary Press and Publicity 1918-1939, Legal 1921-1939, Labour 1919-1941, Economics 1933-1935, Trades Advisory and Statistical 1920-1923, Land Tenure and Taxation 1918-1938, Education 1919-1938, Welsh Divisional 1921-1946, Milk and Dairy Produce 1918-1923, Joint Committee of Milk Producers and Distributors 1922-1933; Hops, Fruit and Vegetables 1919-1938, Cereals, Livestock and Wool 1919-1945, Potato 1923-1945, Sugar Beet 1923-1924, annual general meetings 1924-1945; Cyclo books containing copies of minutes of various NFU committees 1920-1941; minutes of Wessex Glasshouse Growers Branch 1937-1943; volumes of National Farmers Union News Sheets 1921-1938; yearbooks 1923-1940.

Records of Agricultural Organisation Society 1912-1923: agendas of Governors Meeting 1912; minutes of Finance and General Purpose Committee and Governors Meetings 1912-1920, General Executive Committee 1921-1923; Joint Committee of Agricultural Organisation Society and Farmers Central Trading Board 1917-1918.

Records of National Poultry Council 1919-1943: Minutes of Council, Executive Committee and Conference Meetings 1919-1938, sub committee 1923-1939, Laying trials Committee 1923-1939, Annual General Meetings including annual reports 1939-1943

The National Farmers Union was formed in 1908. It developed from the Lincolnshire Farmers' Union which was founded by Colin Campbell. Membership was composed mainly of tenant farmers and so focused on their problems and interests. There had been previous attempts at setting up organisation to represent farmers such as the Farmers' Alliance in 1879 and the National Agricultural Union in the 1890's but these had not been a success. By 1913 the NFU had 20000 members and by 1935 this had increased to 120000. Membership reached its peak in the 1950's with 210000. The union opposed land nationalization but supported reforms in land tenure, which gave greater security to tenants.

Records of the National Farmers Union

AC Accounts

AC1 Ledgers

AC4 Journal

AC6 Other Accounts

AD Administrative and Commercial Records

AD1 Minutes

AD6 Branch Records

P Publications, Promotions and Advertising Records

P4 News Sheets and Yearbooks

Records of Agricultural Organisation Society

Reocrds of National Poultry Council

Open for consultation

Records deposited in 1974 and 1976. Accession number s S74/1 and S76/1

Compiled by Caroline Gould, 19 December 2002

A detailed catalogue is available at the Museum of English Rural Life

Please contact the Archivist

There have been a number of additional records relating to the National Farmers Union deposited. Please contact the Museum of English Rural Life for further details