The Cayzer Family Archive is a company limited by guarantee and registered by the Charity Commissioners for England and Wales under charity number 1122921. The objects of the charity are to advance education for the public benefit by the preservation, maintenance and exhibition of the books, letters, manuscripts and other memorabilia, which together form the historical archives of the Cayzer Family and its business interests, for study by such scholars and other persons as the charity considers appropriate.
Access Policy – Accessing the archive
For preliminary or general enquiries, please send an email to archive@cayzer.com
Access to the Archive is by prior appointment only, during office hours, and at the discretion of the trustees but access would not normally be denied in the case of accredited students of an institute of higher education undertaking research in connection with their course of study. Applications for appointments should be made in writing to:
Susan Scott
The Cayzer Family Archive
Cayzer House
30 Buckingham Gate
London
SW1E 6NN
Visitors to the archive are required to show a photographic ID and proof of permanent address (e.g. bank statement, utility bill, or driving licence) on a first visit. Accredited students should also provide a formal signed letter of introduction from an academic supervisor or colleague familiar with the applicant’s research.
Access to the Archive will be treated as an acknowledgment of a legal obligation to observe the provisions of the Copyright, Designs and Patents Act 1988. Visitors must also abide by the terms of the EU General Data Protection Regulation (EU) 2016/679 (GDPR), and ensure that any information obtained relating to living persons is used in accordance with the Act.
Limited photocopying facilities may be available where the nature of the Archive material is susceptible to reproduction, but this will at all times be at the discretion of the trustees and a modest charge may be made to cover costs.
In addition, the trustees will at their discretion arrange for research to be undertaken by the Archivist. Enquiries should be directed in the first instance to Susan Scott at the address shown above. Depending upon the nature of the request and the broader circumstances, a charge may be made to cover costs.
Donating to the Cayzer Family Archive
The Archive welcomes donations of papers, artefacts and memorabilia relating to the part played by Cayzer Family businesses and Family members in commercial and public life. One of the aspirations of the Archive is to build up a body of reference material relating to all aspects of the Cayzer Family businesses, from the engine-room or cargo-hold to the boardroom; as such reminiscences from former-employees regarding their experiences working in Cayzer Family businesses are particularly welcomed.
The Archive will also be very grateful to receive financial donations, both large and small, which will be used to help defray the cost of maintaining and developing the Archive’s website and continuing the worthwhile progress already made in cataloguing the considerable body of documents held by the Archive. Financial donations from UK taxpayers can readily be arranged to fall within the Gift Aid scheme.
The Acquisition Policy of the Cayzer Family Archive
The Cayzer Family Archive will, in exceptional cases, consider the purchase of papers, artefacts and memorabilia relating to the part played by Cayzer Family businesses and Family members in commercial and public life, where the intrinsic quality of the material makes this justified and where the material can be proved originally to have been acquired for value. Further inquiries in this connection should be addressed to Susan Scott.
Company History
A history of the Cayzer Family in business and in public and private life has recently been published under the title, Uncharted Waters: The Cayzer Family Firm. Written by former financial journalist, David Sinclair, it traces the development of the Cayzer Family businesses from the death of the founder, Sir Charles Cayzer Bart., in 1916, to the decision by the Cayzer Family to disinvest from British & Commonwealth in 1987. The book, which is hard-bound, runs to 324 pages and is copiously illustrated throughout both in colour and black-and-white. It is available at a cost of £20, plus a further £5 to cover postage and packing to a mainland UK address. Cheques should be made payable to The Cayzer Trust Company Limited and sent to Susan Scott, as above.