UK Parliamentary Archives

• Held At: Parliamentary Archives: GB-061
• Catalogue Reference: GRE
• Accession Number: 2175
• Former Archival Reference: Historical Collection 297
• Ref No: GRE
• Date: 1822-1856
• Level: Fonds
• Extent: 4 files
• Creator Name: Greene; Thomas (1794-1872), MP
• Administrative or Biographical History: Thomas Greene graduated at Oxford and was later called to the bar at Gray's Inn in 1819 but never practised. He was elected as one of the Members for Lancaster Borough in 1824. He held this seat, with one short break in 1852-53, until he retired in the election of 1857. Greene was a Conservative and was opposed to dissenters graduating at universities. He introduced Bills for the commutation of tithes in 1826, 1827 and 1829. Greene was Chairman of Ways and Means 1841-47, and, in consequence, sat on several select committees concerned with public works and the new Houses of Parliament. In April 1848 he was appointed one of three special commissioners (the others being Lord de Grey and Sir John Fox Burgoyne) to superintend the completion of the New Palace, determine upon designs for decorations, fittings and furnishings and settle all relevant problems, subject to the financial control of the treasury. The commission, which was intended to hasten the completion of the New Palace, in fact probably delayed matters by confusing the authorities with whom Sir Charles Barry had to deal. Greene made manuscript notes on the requirements for space of different offices and received complaints from members. In December 1851, the commission was wound up at its own request on the grounds that the general arrangements of the building had been completed in all essentials and that therefore its management should revert to the Office of Works.
• Acquisition: Purchased from Lady Lichfield by Parliamentary Archives with the assistance of the National Heritage Memorial Fund, on 26 January 1983. Accession number 2175.
• Category: Personal/Political Papers
• Description: The papers comprise correspondence between Thomas Greene and Charles Barry, commissioners, MPs and others, mainly connected either with the construction of the new Chamber of the House of Commons or the control of expenditure on the building (GRE/1). One file contains memoranda and notes about the rebuilding (GRE/2), including a notebook kept by Greene between March and June 1848 on the progress of the work (GRE/2/1), and lists of Greene's questions with Barry's answers written in (GRE/2/7,12,14,17). There is a long note in Barry's hand, dated 29th May 1851, entitled "Scheme for filling the windows of the Great Hall and approaches at the New Palace of Westminster" (with stained glass) (GRE/2/21). In addition, there are copies of Parliamentary Papers concerning the rebuilding, 1848-51 (GRE/3), and some rather more rare pamphlets such as "A Portion of the Papers relating to the Great Clock for the new Palace of Westminster" and "A Narrative of Facts as to the New Houses of Parliament by Dr D B Reid" (engineer in charge of ventilation for the New Palace) (GRE/3/22/23). Another file contains political papers and correspondence on such matters as Greene's appointment as Chairman of Ways and Means, various tithe bills and the general election of 1847 (GRE/4).
• Terms:
  • Palace of Westminster,
  • Politicians,
  • Building design,
• Language: English
• System of Arrangement: In chronological order within the files
• Related Material: The remainder of the papers of Thomas Greene are held at the Lancashire Record Office, and consist of correspondence, papers, notebooks, accounts and journals (c1796-1872) in DDGr.
• Access Status: Open
• Physical Description: Manuscript and printed

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