Max Aitken

1879-1964

William Maxwell Aitken was born in Maple, Ontario, on 25 May 1879, but spent his childhood in Newcastle, New Brunswick. Soon after his 21st birthday Max Aitken moved to Halifax where he met financier J.F. Stairs who in 1903 set Aitken at the head of a new company, the Royal Securities Corporation. Aitken and his wife moved to Montreal where by 1910 Aitken's financial dealings had made him a multi-millionaire. In December 1910 Aitken ventured into British politics where he was elected as a Liberal M.P. Thereafter, the Aitkens settled permanently in Britain where Aitken was offered a knighthood. Immediately after his election victory, Aitken became involved in the press industry. The Daily Express was his first investment, and by 1916 he was the controlling shareholder. During the WWI, Beaverbrook wrote many reports from the front which he later published in his first book, Canada in Flanders. He also started a daily newspaper for Canadian troops called The Canadian Daily Record. In January 1917 Max Aitken was created Baron Beaverbrook. He continued with his war efforts, publishing three further volumes of Canada in Flanders. In 1918, Aitken was appointed Minister of Information but resigned on 19 October 1918. In 1918 he acquired the Sunday Express, and in 1923 the Evening Standard. During WWII, Churchill appointed Beaverbrook as Minister of Aircraft Production, and later that year as the Minister of Supply. In 1943, Beaverbrook was appointed Lord Privy Seal. After the war, Beaverbrook returned to writing. Among his works were: Men and Power, published 1956; Friends (memoirs of R.B. Bennett), published 1959; Courage (memoirs of Sir James Dunn), 1961; The Divine Propagandist (an interpretation of the life of Christ), published 1962; The Decline and Fall of Lloyd George, published 1963; My Early Life (an autobiography), posthumously published 1964; The Abdication of Edward VIII, published 1966 after Beaverbrook's death. Post-war he proceeded to bestow endowments on his native province of New Brunswick, and set up two charitable organizations in 1954, the First and Second Beaverbrook Foundations (later amalgamated to form the Beaverbrook Foundation Trust) to which he transferred all his UK assets, including his shares in Beaverbrook Newspapers. Lord Beaverbrook was appointed Chancellor of the University of New Brunswick in 1947. Beaverbrook died on 9 June 1964 in Cherkeley, England.

Predominant New Brunswick Residences:

Newcastle

Archival Material

• William Maxwell Aitken (Lord Beaverbrook, 1st Baro
  ⌄
  Location

  University of New Brunswick Archives & Special Collections

  Website/Catalogue Record

  View Archival Record

  Retrieval Number

  MG H 156

  Date Range of Material

  1928-1964, predominant 1946-1964

  Extent

  20 m textual records
  photographs

  Scope and Content Note

  This fonds reflects Lord Beaverbrook's ongoing involvement with Canada, primarily post Second World War, until his death in 1964. A large portion of the fonds is devoted to his many projects in New Brunswick. In particular, there is documentation for his personal and extensive involvement with the University of New Brunswick, especially in the areas of scholarships, buildings and the library collections. Apart from UNB, there is detailed material on the creation of the Beaverbrook Art Gallery (Fredericton, NB), and numerous smaller projects such as skating rinks in Fredericton, Newcastle and Saint John. There is substantial documentation for Beaverbrook's continued interest in Newcastle, NB (and the Miramichi area), his boyhood home. Schools and churches throughout New Brunswick were recipients of his philanthropy. One of his many projects, for which there is considerable record, was the establishment of a Presbyterian Ministers' Pension Fund. Letters, soundscribers, order form, lists, photographs and pamphlet relating primarily to J. Russell Harper's work for Lord Beaverbrook in connection with the proposed Archives in Fredericton and the Beaverbrook Art Gallery. Topics discussed surrounding Archives include: Harper's search for manuscripts, books and maps pertaining to early New Brunswick history (material uncovered or acquired included: microfilm copies of a factum by Boishebert, French commander on the Miramichi in 1750s and a factum prepared shortly after 1700 setting out in detail all of the French land grants in Acadia, items relating to Indians of the St. John River, Colonial Office Records for Nova Scotia, pamphlet describing Sir William Phipps' capture of Port Royal in 1690, N.B. Fenian stamp, Edmund Walker Head letters, letter from Sir Howard Douglas to Sir Walter Scott describing plans for setting up UNB, House of Lords Blue Books, shipping records and a copy of a letter written by sieur de La Tour in 1644 from the mouth of the River St. John (91013-015); microfilming of the N.B. Customs Records 1815-1850 and the House of Lords Manuscripts; Sir Leonard Tilley and Nicholas Denys papers; Calvin-Knox Collection and Bruce McKeen's work on an annotated bibliography of the book collection; purchase of the Duke of Kent papers; shipment of the Bonar Law papers to UNB; binding of the Winslow papers; suggestions for a site for the archives building; terms of Harper's employment including salary and his decision to accept an archaeological position at Port Royal, N.S. Topics relating to the Beaverbrook Art Gallery include: printing of a catalogue for the Art Gallery; paintings - shipping, cleaning, framing, hanging, photographing and insuring; moving of paintings stored at Bonar Law Bennett Library to the Beaverbrook Art Gallery; arrival of Dalí's Santiago El Grande arrival of works by Krieghoff from M.J. Boylen; offer of several miniature paintings from Beatrice Welling and the possibility of exhibiting works by the Canadian Group of Painters at the gallery. Also included in the file is a list of manuscript material and books to go in the Archives, a list of material owned by Mr. H.C. Drayton, a biographical sketch of artist Frederick Albert Pickett, a copy of the introduction to the Art Gallery Catalogue and a pamphlet on the exhibition of paintings by J. Russell Harper held at the Art Centre of UNB. This fonds is composed primarily of correspondence although photographs, blueprints and plans, soundscriber tapes, catalogues, financial statements, speeches, memorabilia and an assortment of published material are interspersed with the correspondence.

• The Beaverbrook Papers
  ⌄
  Location

  Parliamentary Archives

  Website/Catalogue Record

  View Archival Record

  Retrieval Number

  BBK

  Date Range of Material

  1869-1976

  Extent

  13 series containing 4,197 files

  Scope and Content Note

  The Beaverbrook Papers contain correspondence and a variety of papers, photographs and other images, maps and a few artefacts covering every aspect of the life and work of Lord Beaverbrook, politician and newspaper proprietor, from 1869 to 1972. They include general social and political correspondence and papers in England and in Canada covering Beaverbrook's early years in Canada including his financial dealings (BBK/A), his constituency correspondence as an MP, much detailed correspondence and papers on the Empire Crusade (BBK/B) and also special correspondence with prominent people including politicians, some artists and writers (BBK/C). There are both private and official papers, including Cabinet Papers, and correspondence covering Beaverbrook's work for both the Canadian and British governments during the First World War ending in the nine month period he was Minister of Information. A large amount of material (BBK/D) is concerned with his activities during the Second World War covering his various ministries both in and out of Cabinet. Business papers include correspondence with newspaper editors, managers and other staff, correspondence and papers concerning financial arrangements, newsprint, cinema and film industry, various companies including Canada Cement and other Canadian Companies after 1910 and several trusts including the Beaverbrook Foundations. Beaverbrook's working papers for most of his books have been kept and include numerous extracts and copies of original and secondary sources, some original documents, drafts, and galley proofs (BBK/G). In addition, there are some office memoranda and secretarial files. Beaverbrook's private business and financial papers relate to all the properties he owned - houses, farms, yachts, caravan and racing stables (BBK/J) and there is personal correspondence with family and friends, school records, engagement diaries, visitors' and wine cellar books, petty cash books, medical records, film and tapes of various commemorative occasions (BBK/K). Press cutting books contain newspaper articles about Beaverbrook and those written by him (BBK/L) and there are some photographs and a few prints selected from various sources (BBK/P).