MS 433 03

Reference code

MS 433 03

Title

Wilfred P. Thesiger's family papers

Level

Series

Administrative / Biographical history

Wilfred G. Thesiger and his wife Kathleen had four sons, Wilfred, Brian, Dermot and Roderic. In the early years Wilfred was known as ‘Billy’ to differentiate him from his father. After his father’s death in 1920 he reverted to using the name Wilfred. Wilfred and Brian went to St Aubyn’s school in Rottingdean, on their return to England in 1919. Wilfred went to Eton in 1923 and the same year Brian transferred to Beaudesert School in Minchinhampton, where Dermot and Roderic already were. Brian, Dermot and Roderic all followed Wilfred to Eton College.

Date

1921-1933

Extent & medium

5 boxes containing a total of 19 files

Content description

This collection of papers covers the schooldays of Wilfred P. Thesiger and his three brothers Brian, Dermot and Roderic. The papers were collected by his mother, Kathleen Astley, and passed to Wilfred on her death. It includes invoices for school supplies and school reports for all four Thesiger children.

Also included with the papers are letters home from Brian, Dermot and Roderic. Wilfred Thesiger’s letters home from school were kept separately and have been catalogued as a separate series [MS 433 02 01]

Arrangement

This series was originally kept together in a large box where the papers relating to each of her sons were mixed in together and arranged by year. This arrangement has been maintained and they have been catalogued in chronological order.