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| Archive Reference / Library Class No. | D2313 |
| Title | Charles Kay Ogden (1889-1957) born Fleetwood, Lancashire, founder of the Orthological Institute, and Ernest Axon (1868-1947) and Dora nee McLardy (1989-1977) of Manchester and Buxton, librarians and local historian |
| Date | 1943-1951 |
| Description | Letters from Ernest and Dora Axon to Charles Kay Ogden, with pamphlets etc. by Ernest Axon on topics of Buxton Local History
The majority of the letters in this collection were written by Dora Axon in the four years after her husband’s death. There are clear indications that Charles Ogden wrote regularly in response. In the six months after Ernest Axon’s death Dora Axon wrote at almost weekly intervals. There was a slight reduction in frequency in the first six months of 1948, with a further reduction in frequency in the second half of that year. Just six letters survive from 1949; one from 1950 and two from 1951. It may be, of course, that there were additional letters which have not survived, but the text of the available letters suggests that they form a complete series. The letters themselves suggest the initial frequency of the correspondence and subsequent lessening may reflect Dora Axon’s initial vulnerability after her husband’s death and her gradual recovery. |
| Extent | 5 small bundles |
| Level | Fonds |
| Repository | Derbyshire Record Office |
| Full Catalogue List | Click here to view a full list for this collection |
| Archive Creator | Charles Kay Ogden (1889-1957) born Fleetwood, Lancashire, founder of the Orthological Institute |
| Dora Axon, nee Mclardy (1898-1977) of Manchester and Buxton, librarian |
| Ernest Axon (1868-1947) of Manchester and Buxton, antiquarian, genealogist, librarian and local historian |
| Administrative History | Charles Kay Ogden (1889-1957) was the founder of the Orthological Institute which was concerned from 1930-1940 chiefly with the development of Basic English. Educated at Rossell, Lancashire and Buxton, he read Classics at Magdalene College, Cambridge.
Ernest Axon (1868-1947) was an antiquarian, genealogist, librarian and local historian who was born in Manchester and later moved to Buxton. At the time of the 1911 census, Ernest was the Chief Assistant Librarian for Manchester City Council, living with his wife Julia and two children, including his 18-year son Geoffrey who was also an assistant librarian for Manchester City Council.
Dora Mclardy (1898-1977) was a librarian in Manchester and married Ernest Axon in 1933. Although she had not worked during their marriage, after her husband's death she returned to employment, working at several libraries in north Derbyshire. In 1948, she undertook a short-term contract at Chapel en le Frith library while waiting to start a permanent position at Whaley Bridge. The following year she was unsuccessful in an application for the senior post of Librarian and Museums Curator at Buxton [Borough Council], but took a less senior post in Buxton. Within a year the successful applicant had left. Dora maintains that members of the Library Committee wished to appoint her to the post but were summarily opposed by the mayor’s insistence that a chief officer’s post could be filled only by a man. Subsequently Dora Axon pursued a long, determined and ultimately successful campaign for salary re-grading. In this and other respects her letters can be regarded as illustrative of a feminist perspective. |
| Administrative History Sources | Date of birth for Ernest Axon found on the 1939 National Register (Buxton), which corresponds with his age on the death indexes. Note: prior to 27 Aug 2018, his year of birth was given in the catalogue as 1864, but this was incorrect). |
| Custodial History | These items were purchased at auction by Derbyshire Record Office in February 1981. No further information about their provenance is known. Other items relating to Charles Kay Ogden from this sale are held at McMaster University in Ontario, Canada. |
| Organisation Sub-Type | Local historians |
| Format | Document |
| Copies | Digital copies of these items can be seen on the public computers at the record office. |
| Related Material | See Archives and Research Collections at McMaster University, Ontario, Canada for various correspondence, including relating to Cambridge Magazine Heretics, Orthological Institute and Basic English Foundation, as well as other Basic English material, manuscripts, diaries and notebooks, articles and publications relating to Ogden and Basic English, photographic and family material, publications received, notes and catalogues relating to Ogden's book and stamp collection, pictorial material and gramophone records, Cambridge Magazine issues and Psyche photocopies. The collection also includes two letters from Siegfried Sassoon, letters to Valerie Winslow, financial ledgers concerning the sales of Basic English publications. Reference: RC0060.
Charles Ogden's substantial collection of around 5000 rare books dating from the 15th to 20th centuries, primarily relating to language is held at University College London: Special Collections Library.
According to the Oxford Dictionary of National Biography, other archive material relating to Charles Ogden are held by The National Archives, Magdelene College (Cambridge), University of California Los Angeles, University of Reading, the Bodleian Library, University of Sussex, Cambridge University Library and BBC Written Archives Centre.
See W. T. Gordon (1990) C. K. Ogden: a bio-bibliographic study. |
| Term | Linguistics |
| Languages |
| Basic English |
| Librarians |
| Libraries |
| Bereavement |
| Gender discrimination |
| Gender stereotypes |
| Employment opportunities |
| Women |
| Archivist Note | This collection was listed by cataloguing volunteer RJ in August 2020 and arranged by BS, archivist in September 2020. |