Arthur Macdonald Allchin Archive

Biographical History

Arthur Macdonald ‘Donald’ Allchin was born on the 20th April 1930 at 48 Birch Grove, Acton, London, the third son and youngest surviving child of Frank Macdonald Allchin (1891-1977), a physician, and his wife Louise Maude Allchin (née Wright).

He was educated at Westminster School, an all-boys public school in London, and went on to study modern history at Christ Church, Oxford, from which he graduated with a Bachelor of Arts degree in 1951. His BA degree was promoted to a Master of Arts (MA Oxon) in 1955. In 1954 he matriculated into Cuddesdon Theological College where he trained for the priesthood, with ordination following in 1956 leading to a four-year curacy at St Mary Abbots, Kensington.

In 1960 he became editor of the Society of St Alban and St Sergius’ journal, Sobornos (a title he held until 1977), a society of which he had been a member since his days as an undergraduate. In the same year he returned to Oxford as librarian of Pusey House, the Anglo-Catholic chaplaincy to the university, where he remained until 1969. Over the course of his career as a theologian, he was awarded a number of honorary Doctor of Divinity (DD) degrees; by the Bucharest Theological Institute (1977), Nashotah House (1985), Aarhus University (1992), the University of Wales (1993) and a Lambeth DD in 2006.

During the 1960s Allchin developed his interests in Orthodoxy and ecumenism, and between 1968-1973, became warden of the ministry of the Sisters of the Love of God - an Anglican contemplative community at Fairacres, east Oxford. He also developed a friendship with Trappist monk Thomas Merton at Gethsemani Abbey in Kentucky, who he met during his time teaching at the General Theological Seminary in New York in 1967 and with whom he corresponded. Allchin was later elected the first president of the British Thomas Merton Society. Allchin also became extremely passionate about Wales during this period. During his time at Canterbury as residentiary canon in 1973, he learned Welsh and immersed himself in the Welsh spiritual tradition, although this had no effect on his commitment to the Orthodox tradition.  After resigning his post at Canterbury in 1987, he returned to Oxford as director of the St Theosavia Centre for Christian Spirituality until 1994 when he retired to Bangor, where he was appointed honorary professor in the university’s departments of theology and Welsh.

Allchin published several collections of essays during his lifetime. These included ‘The Silent Revolution’ and a full-length study of the nineteenth-century Danish theologian N.F.S. Grundtvig (1997). During his years in Bangor he wrote also wrote a series of books and co-authored an analysis of the poetry of D. Gwenallt Jones.

By 2007, his health was failing and illness necessitated his return to Oxford, where he was cared for by the Fairacres Sisters and friends in Woodstock. He died of pneumonia in the John Radcliffe Hospital, Oxford, on the 23rd December 2010.

Scope and Content

This archive contains Arthur Macdonald 'Donald' Allchin's collection of books, articles written by Allchin, a combination of his handwritten and typed research papers, and his correspondence. It reflects Allchin’s research interests in 17th Century Anglicanism, Celtic Christianity, the work of Thomas Merton, monasticism and religious communities, and the Danish polymath Nikolaj Frederik Severin Grundtvig (1783-1872).

Physical Description and Extent

The Arthur Macdonald Allchin Archive consists of 60 archive boxes and 3 large bankers boxes that are still to be processed. Records are paper and include books, articles, research papers, and correspondence.

Provenance

The archive was deposited at Gladstone’s Library in 2011 following the death of Arthur Macdonald Allchin in 2010. Peter Francis, the warden at Gladstone's Library at the time, was the executor of Allchin's estate.

Arrangement

The archive had no discernible arrangement when it was transferred to Gladstone’s Library and so an arrangement was created for it by interns. It has been organised thematically based on Allchin’s research interests. Researchers familiar with Allchin’s work have said that the arrangement does not reflect Allchin’s work and a future project will be to rearrange the archive.

Access and Finding Aid

This archive is in the process of being catalogued but an inventory of this archive exists which can be viewed here.

The majority of the archive is available to be viewed upon request. To arrange a viewing, complete the Request to View Archives form and email it to [email protected] at least 14 day's prior to your intended visit.

As this is a contemporary archive, some items are restricted under GDPR. In these cases, they may only be viewed by individuals completing historical, scientific, or statistical research and with a view to publish some journalistic, academic, artistic, or literary material that is in the public interest. If any of the material that you have requested does contain personal data, you will be sent an application form that enables us to check that your request is lawful.

Reprographics

All reprographics queries should be directed to [email protected]. Information about Gladstone’s Library’s reprographics services can be found here.

Related Collections

Arthur Macdonald Allchin's books can be found by searching MainCAT, where a note in the record indicates that they are part of the 'A. M. Allchin Bequest'.

Additional Information

Arthur Macdonald 'Donald' Allchin’s obituary in the Guardian can be found here.