Stenton Archive, Library and Coin Collection – Collections

Britannia antiqua illustrata, by Aylett Sammes. London, 1676 — *Britannia antiqua illustrata*, by Aylett Sammes. London, 1676.

Sir Frank Merry Stenton (1880-1967) was Professor of Modern History from 1912 to 1946 and Vice Chancellor of the University of Reading from 1946 to 1950. His major published works were The First Century of English Feudalism, 1066-1166 (1932) and Anglo-Saxon England, (1943). He also contributed to the Victoria County Histories and studied English place names and coins.

Lady Doris Stenton, (1894-1971), was Lecturer and eventually Reader in History at the University of Reading from 1920 to 1959. Her major published works were English Society in the Early Middle Ages (1066-1307), (1951) and The English Woman in History, (1957). She made important contributions to the study of medieval charters and was instrumental in reviving the Pipe Roll Society.

The Stentons were medievalists and English medieval history is the emphasis of all three collections. 

Sir Frank and Lady Doris Stenton Archive

References: MS 950 and MS 1148 Date: c.1524-c.1921

The Stenton Family archive contains the papers of several generations of the family with by far the bulk of the material relating to the lives and work of Sir Frank and Lady Doris Stenton. The collection includes correspondence, photographs, financial records, wills, diaries and notebooks of members of the family. There are also deeds and charters, (1587-1803); transcripts and historical notes; drafts of articles, addresses and books, including Anglo-Saxon England; reviews and committee papers, especially of the History of the Parliamentary Trust, (1948-1953) relating to the work of Sir Frank and Lady Doris Stenton.

This collection is partially catalogued and work continues to make this material accessible.

Please contact Special Collections for more information.

An online catalogue for material catalogued can be found here

Stenton Library

Reference: STENTON LIBRARY Date: 1500s to date Extent: Around 5,000 volumes

The Stenton Library is the combined academic working libraries of Sir Frank Stenton (1880-1967) and Lady Doris Stenton (1894-1971), searchable via the catalogue.

Other collection strengths include English history in general, religion and church history, local history, charters, law, and women’s history.

Among a number of maps and atlases is an early (pre-railway) boxed set of the first edition of the Ordnance Survey.

Additions, both antiquarian and modern, are made, and some subscriptions are maintained.

Stenton Coin Collection

The coins in the collection date from as early as the reign of King Offa of Mercia (AD. 757-96), with a substantial number of Anglo-Saxon and Norman coins.

Books on coins and coin collecting are also available at Special Collections.

More information

Sylloge of coins of the British Isles 11 : University Collection Reading : Anglo-Saxon and Norman coins (London : Published for the British Academy, 1969).