Notes from the Archive: The Papers of Miss Anne Roper (1903-1988)
by Pernille Richards
On the 4th of September, 2012, the papers of Miss Anne Roper were deposited with the KAS by her literary executor Peter Lambert and they are now available for consultation by appointment. Anne Roper is principally associated with the study of the Romney Marsh and Churches in the South East of England. Miss Roper came to Kent to convalesce after a hockey accident at University and she discovered the New Romney Archives and began to study there; so began a life-time’s dedication to the history of the Marsh and the South East of England and a very active involvement in numerous local history projects, lecturing and writing. She joined the KAS in 1929 and served on the Council for 40 years eventually becoming Vice President of the Society in 1979. In her Obituary in Archaeologia Cantiana, vol. 100 she is remembered as a woman in possession of immense knowledge about her subject and as someone with the facility for encouraging the study of others.
The collection comprises 62 boxes arranged thematically according to topic. All Anne Roper’s major research interests are represented. As such there is a large amount of material on the Romney Marsh, its history, landscape, agriculture and churches. There is material on the Cinque Ports and locations in the South East, such as Ashford, Tenterden, Wye and Brook. The box on Eltham and the children’s author E. Nesbit caught my attention, but one topic stands out as likely to become very popular; this is her section on Inns and Brewing. Anne Roper compiled this material for the book she co-wrote with H. R. Pratt Boorman, Kent Inns, A Distillation, published by the Kent Messenger in 1955. The box contains research notes on a number of Kent Inns as well as newspaper cuttings, magazines and ephemera. It also comprises photos of Inn signs. The majority of these are houses belonging to the Whitbread group, but others are also represented. Included here are two images not reproduced in Kent Inns; the sign for The Huntsman in Rochester, a Style & Winch Ltd. House, executed by Sir Garrard Tyrwhitt-Drake and, what was at that point the cutting edge of modernity, the sign of The Canopus Inn, Rochester, by Miss Kathleen M. Claxton, 1938. The Canopus Inn was a Whitbread pub overlooking the Medway and named after the famous flying boat produced at the nearby Short brothers’ works. According to an accompanying newspaper article special permission was granted for the Inn to carry the name by Sir John Reith, Chairman of Imperial Airways.
Peter Lambert took over as executor of Anne Roper’s Literary Executor after the late Kenneth Gravett and he has compiled a short guide to the collection, which will be available on the Library page of the Website and in hard copy in the Library. It is hoped that her collection of research papers, cuttings, pamphlets and correspondence will be a source of inspiration and information for current researchers. “I am delighted to accept this collection into the KAS Archive as I think it represents a significant collection of material compiled by an important Local Historian, which may prove a valuable resource for future researchers,” says The Hon. Librarian, Dr Frank Panton.
Please consult the online guide to the collection and contact Pernille Richards at Pernillerichards@gmail.com if you wish to view any of the papers. Access is usually on a Wednesday or a Thursday morning.