The times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1897-1901, 1900-11-18
old ENGLISH RECORDS
Parchments Of Great Value Stored
Away in London.
The Magma Charta Great Britain's
BaiWark Of Liberty Among the
Prtee1ess Treasures-A Document
Of the Period Of william the Con-
Qseror Characters of Dickens.

Familiar to all Londoners for a genera
ton and more. the stately Late-Gothic
building of Sir James Pennethorne, be-
tween Fetter Lane and Chancery Lane,
has of recent years received a remarka-
bic addition. The Public Record Office,
formerly hidden between the two streets
Qf, indeed, SO large building can be said
TO be hidden, has now asserted itself in
fine new facade fronting on Chancery
Lane. 1t took many and many a year,
according to the London Graphic" to in
duce Parliament to build any sort of re-
posltory at all for the national records.
The disgraceful disorder in which they
were kept" says Mr.. Thornbury. had
long been subject of regret among Eng
lish antiQuaries. There was no certainty
OF finding any required document among
such mass Of ill-stored. dusty. unclassi-
field bundles and rolls. many of them new
er opened since the day King John sullen-
ly signed Magma Charter" Then. after
several centuries spent in thinking that
something ought to be done, Parliament
decided, in 1850, that something should be
done, and in 1851 the first stone was laid
Of Sir James Pennethorne's building THE
number OF records adds Mr. Thornbury
stored within this building can only be
reckoned by hundreds of millions. There,
in cramped bundles and rolls, dusty as
papyrf. lie charters and official notices
that once made mailed knights tremble
and proud priests shake in their sandals
Now-the magic gone, the words power
less-they lie in their several bins in
strange companionship."
But the Record Office has happily par
ticipated. and continues to participate, in
the general movement all over the civilized
world in favor OF sweetness and light The
House Of Commons voted a further sum of
ES.5o0. for the financial year 1876, to-
ward the erection of the new block, the
total cost Of which was some sS0.OOO. The
building Is known as the third INSTALL
ment of the General Repository of Rec
ords." 1t was designed by Mr.. John Taylor.
c. B.. Of the Office of Works and Public
Buildings. on the site occupied by twelve
old houses in chancery Lane. and resem-
bles in character the earlier building of Sir
James Pennethorne. but the material is
better and more durable. The whole build
inEf is freproof and lighted by electricity;
rarioos documents tscores of thousands in
number) are stored in the northern half
in steel presses on slate shelves, and in
the southern part are the rooms of the
deputy keeper. the secretary, and othr
members OF the staff, who were formerly
located in the Rolls House. On the first
floor is the museum. little visited as yet,
strange to say, save by foreigners (espe-
cially Americans,. but containing docu-
ments OF worldwide interest.
The records OF the contents OF these
buildings. which. before many years have
passed. viii be the greatest and grandest
repository Of national archives in the
world. Mr.. S. r. Scargill- Bird. F. s. A..
who has spent almost his entire life among
them, says: THE public records of this
country have been said 10 excel all others
In age. beauty, correctness. and authority.
For period of s-ellnigh SEQ years they
contain, In an almost unbroksn chain of
evidence. not only the political and con-
stitutional history of the realm and the re-
hottest particulars in regard to its finan-
ciai and eccial progress. but also the his
tory of the land a-d OF Its successive own
ers from generation to generation, and of
the legal procedure Of the country from a
time whereof the memory OF man runneth
not to the contrary.
Although many of them were busfetel
about in civil wars and Gissersions, and
others hidden way for years in r.oiso,ne
cellars to be the refuge and food o: YER
min, they have yet survived TO form q
magnificent monument of the past mu,i-
lated here and there, it is true. by tie
ravages of time and neglect. out still
speaking in authoritative voice TO the
centuries to come of struggles for civil
and political liberty, and of the social
and domestic condition of the English
race from its earliest infancy to he
present time
Here. among these priceless historical |
treasures, a small but earnes- enthusi- |
astic band of workers spend their Jays |
Month after month. year after year tie |
search rooms of the Record Office are &C. |
cupied by searchers, professional and |
private. Few of those" says Mr. Wal
ter Rye, in book on he subject of he
records. who frequent the search rooms
at the Record Office have any idea of he
Inconvenience which attached u tn 1sa |
who. like myself. used to search twenty
five years ago in a long. unpleasant room