Metadata: Foreign and Commonwealth Office and predecessors: Records of Former Colonial Administrations: Migrated Archives
Collection
- Country:
- United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland
- Holding institution:
- The National Archives (UK)
- Holding institution (official language):
- The National Archives (UK)
- Postal address:
- KewRichmondLondonGreater LondonUnited KingdomTW9 4DU
- Phone number:
- Telephone: 020 8876 3444
- Web address:
- http://www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/
- Reference number:
- FCO 141
- Title:
- Foreign and Commonwealth Office and predecessors: Records of Former Colonial Administrations: Migrated Archives
- Title (official language):
- Foreign and Commonwealth Office and predecessors: Records of Former Colonial Administrations: Migrated Archives
- Date(s):
- 1835/2012
- Language:
- English
- Extent:
- 19,957 file(s)
- Scope and content:
- The records cover a wide range of subject matter relating to colonial administration. The material contains a resource that represents what was happening in the territories, mostly prior to independence and Her Majesty's Government's views. The records complement the material already held at The National Archives.This series contains material from the following territories: Aden; Anguilla; Bahamas; Basutoland; Bechuanaland; British Guiana; British Indian Ocean Territories; Brunei; Cameroons; Ceylon; Cyprus; Fiji; Gambia; Gilbert and Ellice Islands; Gold Coast; Jamaica; Kenya; Malaya; Malta; Mauritius; New Hebrides; Nigeria; North Borneo; Northern Rhodesia; Nyasaland; Palestine; Sarawak; Seychelles; Sierra Leone; Singapore; Solomons (BSIP); Southern Rhodesia; Swaziland; Tanganyika; Trinidad and Tobago; Turks and Caicos; Tuvalu; Uganda; West Indies; Western Pacific; Zanzibar.This material was created by former British colonial administrations as part of their daily administration activities. As British dependent territories came to independence decisions had to be taken about which papers to destroy, which to leave for successor administrations, and which to ship back to the UK. The general rule, as set out in a Colonial Office guidance telegram of 3 May 1961 on the 'disposal of classified records and accountable documents', was that successor Governments should not be given papers which: might embarrass HMG or other governments; might embarrass members of the police, military forces, public servants or others eg police informers; might compromise sources of intelligence information; or might be used unethically by Ministers in the successor government. In addition 'There would be little object in handing over documents which would patently be of no value to the successor government'. A great many documents were destroyed on this basis, but others were returned to the UK.The content and status of the migrated archives is covered in the FCO internal review carried out by Anthony Cary (former British High Commissioner to Canada 2007-2010) and laid before Parliament in February 2011. Some files created by the Colonial Office Intelligence and Security Department (CO 1035) and the records management branch of the FCO have been included in this series. These records provide background information on the colonial administration files and how they were managed over time, including some destruction records.
- Administrative/biographical history:
- The Foreign Office was created in 1782 and became the Foreign and Commonwealth Office in 1968. It was the government department responsible for the conduct of British relations with nearly all foreign states between those dates (British colonies and dominions were dealt with by separate departments).From 1968, the Foreign and Commonwealth Office assumed these roles, in addition to administering the remaining British dependencies and managing relations with the Commonwealth (previously the responsibility of the Commonwealth Office).
- Access points: locations:
- Great Britain
- Access, restrictions:
- UK public records, open for research unless otherwise stated in The National Archives' catalogue
- Finding aids:
-
More information is available in The National Archives' catalogue.
Research guidance is available on The National Archives' website.
- Yerusha Network member:
- AIM25
