A STUDY OF THE THEORY OF APPRAISAL FOR SELECTION By ...

The historical development of the archival practice of
records destruction, and the emerging concept of appraisal were
presented in the Grigg Report, and the identified inadequacy of
the practice was used as evidence to argue for change. The
Report's analysis of the development of appraisal practice is
instructive, and provides an understanding of the historical
context in which the ideas of Jenkinson and Grigg evolved. In
1838, the Public Records Office Act was passed to provide unified
control and better public access to the legal records of the
government, under "the charge and superintendence" of the Master
of the Rolls.5 The act also allowed for periodic transfer to the
newly created Public Record Office (PRO) of legal records, as
well as other "Records belonging to Her Mijesty."6 Departmental
records began to be informally transferred, but some raised
questions regarding the legality of the practice. In 1845, an
informal agreement was reached between the Master of the Rolls
and the various government departments that the PRO would act as
an agency or extension of the departments, but that the
departments accepted ultimate responsibility to ensure that their
records were properly maintained and preserved. 7 The status of
departmental records was clarified in an 1852 Order in Council
that explicitly brought them under the control of the Master of
the Rolls. The Grigg Report notes that, "Since 1852 the Master
5 Grigg Report, 10, paragraph 5.
6 Ibid, 11, paragraph 8.
7 Ibid, 25, paragraph 46.
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