Records of the Royal College of Psychiatrists relating to Divisions

Records of the College relating to Divisions consist mainly of executive committee and business minutes, meeting programmes and newsletters. The archive comprise:

RCPSYCH/M1 - Files relating to the South-East Division, 1897 - 2010.

RCPSYCH/M2 - Files relating to the South-West Division, 1955 - 2009.

RCPSYCH/M3 - Files relating to the Northern and Midland Division, 1964 - 1972.

RCPSYCH/M4 - Files relating to the Chiltern and Thames Valley Division, 1973 - 1995.

RCPSYCH/M5 - Files relating to the East Anglian Division, 1971 - 1994.

RCPSYCH/M6 - Files relating to the Midlands Dvision, 1972 - 1985.

RCPSYCH/M7 - Files relating to the North East Division (or Northern and Yorkshire Division), 1973 - 1994.

RCPSYCH/M8 - Files relating to the North West Division, 1985 - 1997.

RCPSYCH/M9 - Files relating to the Southern Division, 1971 - 1995.

RCPSYCH/M10 - File relating to the Welsh Division, 1965 - 2004.

RCPSYCH/M11 - Files relating to the Irish Division, 1998 - 2008.

RCPSYCH/M12 - Files relating to the Indian Division, 1935 - 1948.

RCPSYCH/M13 - Records of the Scottish Division from 1869 to 1970 can be found at the Lothian Health Services Archive: http://www.lhsa.lib.ed.ac.uk/collections/GD15/gd15_tlfa.htm

The Divisions of the Royal College of Psychiatrists began officially in 1894, although there were local meetings of the Medico-Psychological Association (a predecessor body of the College) in Ireland and Scotland prior to this date. England was divided into three divisions, namely Northern and Midland, South East and South West. This structure remained unchanged even when the Association became the Royal Medico-Psychological Association.

At the inception of the College in 1971 a new divisional structure emerged. This consisted of the Scottish, Irish and Welsh Divisions, and seven separate English Divisions, which were North East; North West; Midlands; South Western; Chiltern and Thames Valley; East Anglian; and Southern. The Divisional structure was again reorganised in 1995 in order to have College Divisions that would be contiguous with the National Health Service Regions. This resulted in the creation of the Trent Division in 1997.

International Divisions were formally established at the College`s annual meeting in 2004, although the Indian Division existed btween 1935 and 1948.

In 2003 The Northern Ireland Division was established, and for some time it existed side by side with the Irish Division. In 2009 the Irish College of Psychiatrists (formerly the Irish Division) left the Royal College of Psychiatrists when it merged with other Irish Psychiatric Associations to form the The College of Psychiatry in Ireland.

The current College Divisional structure comprise eight English Divisions, eight international divisions, and the Royal College in Scotland; the Royal College in Northern Ireland; and the Royal College in Wales.

The archive is subject to the College`s 30 year closur rule. Access to the material which is open is by appointment with the Archivist on telephone: 0207 235 2351 ext 6169, e-mail: archives@rcpsych.ac.uk. The College Archives is open Mondays to Fridays 09.30 hrs to 16.30 hrs. The Archives is not open during weekends and bank holidays.

An item list is available.

Description compiled by Francis Maunze, Archivist and Records Manager, March 2012.

Further additions to the archive are expected.