The History of the Parliamentary Archives, Part 2: 1834–1945

Following the fire of 1834, which destroyed the medieval Houses of Parliament, architect Charles Barry built the Palace of Westminster we see today. This included the tower which became known as the Victoria Tower, the largest and most splendid part of the new palace. Positioned exactly opposite the Jewel Tower, the previous home of the House of Lords archives, Barry created one of the very earliest purpose-built record repositories in the UK – contemporary to the Public Record Office at Chancery Lane, and in use for longer. The Victoria Tower was even seriously considered as an alternative home for public records during the 1840s. This paper describes the history of the archives from the 1834 fire, including oversight by the Historical Manuscripts Commission, management by the Parliament Office in the House of Lords, and the gradual transfer of archives from the House of Commons to evacuation during the Second World War.