The ICAEW Library & Information Service provides a collection of resources which have been developed to help researchers tracing the history of individuals, firms and the accountancy profession.
Chartered accountants in England and Wales- a guide to historical records is an essential work for anyone interested in tracing the history of accounting firms and the profession in England And Wales. The book is based around a survey of the archives of accounting archives conducted by the ICAEW in 1991 and 1992.
The ICAEW Library & Information Service provides a range of articles, tools and resources that can help researchers looking into the history of accountancy practices.
The ICAEW Library & Information Service provides a range of articles and publications that can help researchers looking into the history of the accountancy profession.
The ICAEW Library & Information Service provides a range of articles, tools and resources that can help researchers looking into accountants of the past.
The hundredth anniversary of the ill-fated Gallipoli campaign is commemorated in 2015, remembering the start of a campaign which cost the lives of over 100,000 soldiers from all sides.
The accountants' directory for 1877 provides a snapshot of the membership of the first professional bodies for accountancy in the 1870s, just a few years before the establishment of the ICAEW.
A collection of articles and resources that can help with research into members of your family or firm who served during the First and Second World Wars.
London has played an important part in the history of accounting. The purpose of this brief guide by Professor R.H.Parker is to show clearly those places in and around the City of London which are of interest to accounting historians.
Our Act of Parliament clock is both a fine example of Georgian clockmaking and a reminder of the importance of designing taxes that work in practice, not just on paper.
The role accountants played in industry and government ministries during and between the two world wars laid the foundations for the government’s use of chartered accountants to this day.
How an accountant of flawless integrity ensured bribery and corruption helped to win the Second World War. On the 80th Anniversary of VE Day, ICAEW salutes the career of John Franklyn Venner FCA.
To mark this year’s Armistice Day, we remember the achievements of Baron Henry Alexander Benson, who was a major influence in British and international accountancy.
The architect chosen to build a headquarters befitting of an ambitious new professional body was John Belcher (1841-1913). Read about him and the angels on the exterior of our building.
In August 2022 award-winning British artist Alexander Beleschenko added three new stained glass windows to Members' Room in Chartered Accountants' hall
The collection of the ICAEW Library & Information Service holds a range of biographical sources that provide an insight into the profession throughout the years
In 1992, Cathy Ward (1960- ) was commissioned to design a frieze for Chartered Accountants' Hall which was originally mounted in the restaurant on the lower ground floor. Today, it hangs in the lift lobby of the same floor.
The ICAEW Library & Information Service maintains a collection of consultation documents along with the responses from ICAEW and, in some cases, other parties.
Replete with grit and dedication, these three tales show that accountants were among the most outstanding combatants and volunteers of the Second World War.
During the Second World War changes were made to exam regulations to aid articles clerks who volunteered or were called up to serve in the armed forces. In addition to this many accountants took exams while on active service and while held in Prisoner of Wars Camps.
The ICAEW Library & Information Service holds a collection of resources that can be used to trace the history of a firm, including firms’ family trees, published histories and information on archival material held by the firms.
The ICAEW Library & Information Service maintains a collection of newsletters published by accountancy firms, including client-facing newsletters designed to provide updates in a particular area and internal staff newsletters.
Phyllis Ridgway became the first council member of an accountancy body (the SIAA) in 1940. ICAEW's first female council members were Jane Robinson and Mary Robinson in 1979.
Ahead of International Women’s Day on 8 March and the 80th Anniversary of VE Day (8 May), we celebrate the story of how one of ICAEW’s early female members became a tactical genius of the Second World War.
Gerard van de Linde entered the accountancy profession in 1875 and became a member of the ICAEW in 1880. His book Reminiscences describes his travels, working life and some of the personalities he met along the way.
The collection of the ICAEW Library & Information Service includes many resources that can be used by researchers to trace the history of the profession, the evolution of accounting practice and the lives of accountants. In this guide we highlight some of the material within the collection and the tools available to help you make best use of it.
The ICAEW Library & Information Service holds various editions of the ICAEW code of ethics and the ethical guidance that pre-dated this. On this page you can find a summary of the material held in the collection.
This research guide sets out where to find historical materials relating to ACA examinations, highlighting relevant holdings in the ICAEW Library and elsewhere.
The ICAEW Library & Information Service holds every edition of the Institute's annual review and financial statements. On this page you can find information on these publications and how to access them.
In addition to the ACA, ICAEW has offered a number of specialist qualifications and programmes over the years. The ICAEW Library holds a range of materials relating to these courses.
This page covers sources of information on historical ICAEW examination results, including pass lists, records of Orders of Merit and prize-winners, and sets of statistics.
In the final article of our series marking the 80th anniversary of the end of the Second World War, we look at the post-war efforts to rebuild the profession.
The ICAEW Library & Information Service provides a range of articles and publications that can help researchers looking into the history of ICAEW and Chartered Accountants' Hall.
This guide provides an overview of the historical ICAEW Members' Handbooks, regulations, and related guidance which are available via the Library & Information Service.
This index provides information on professional associations, bodies, societies and institutes in the UK and Republic of Ireland that are related to the accountancy profession.
The ICAEW Library & Information Service maintains a historical collection of printed members' handbooks for key professional accountancy bodies other than ICAEW.
Joseph Coates, a chartered accountant with Price Waterhouse for over 65 years, known as 'Financial Adviser to the North of England', his life is described by Ronald Legge in 'A Man of Trust'
This page pays tribute to the men of the Liverpool Society of Chartered Accountants who are remembered on the memorials to both World Wars, on display at The Church of Our Lady and St Nicholas in Liverpool
A study of practising accountants listed in London trade directories published before 1840, which provides an insight into the number of accountants practising in the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries in London. It is reproduced here by kind permission of the author, Peter Boys.
Tasked with one of the most dangerous espionage jobs during the Second World War, articled clerk Gilbert Norman far surpassed the role’s life expectancy. But eventually, his luck ran out and he lost his life on 6 September 1944.
The ICAEW Library & Information Service maintains a collection of manuals published by accountancy firms and publishing houses in the accountancy sector, including manuals covering accounting practice and auditing.
This research article by Peter Boys investigates and corrects long-standing factual errors in the recorded history of ICAEW and its five founder bodies — particularly with regard to the membership of those bodies at the time of the granting of a royal charter in May 1880.
In the Second World War, captured accountants distinguished themselves not just in their commitment to continuing their training – but the courage to attempt escapes.
ICAEW reflects on the 80th anniversary of the end of the Second World War and remembers an extraordinary lifeline that emerged for captive accountants: professional exams held in the unlikely setting of German prison camps.
In this article we look at the stories of two young men who were held as Prisoners of War in World War Two and made heroic attempts to escape their incarceration.
In the early days of the Institute the preliminary examination tested the general knowledge of candidates seeking admission to the ICAEW. The following sample questions provide a glimpse of the type of questions candidates were expected to be able to answer.
On this page we point to key sources of historical information on ACA examination prizes and prize-winners, and set out some notes on the origins and evolution of these prizes.
The ICAEW Library & Information Service maintains a collection of material on the history and development of the professional bodies in the accountancy sector, including publications issued by many early accountancy bodies that are no longer in existence.
This guide is intended to provide a guide to the resources available from the ICAEW Library & Information Service that can be used to trace the history of a firm.
Sir Harold Gibson Howitt's escape from German lines in 1918 was immortalised in the John Buchan novel 'Mr. Standfast' (1919). Read how this event was captured in the novel and in Sir Harold Gibson Howitt's later autobiography.
The ICAEW Library & Information Service holds a collection of the Statements of Insolvency Practice (SIPs) issued by ICAEW and other bodies for England & Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland. Many of these are available in digital format.
The official list of subjects for the Preliminary, Intermediate and Final Examinations were published in 'The Accountant' ahead of the first examinations in July 1882. Alongside these, a list of recommended texts was also published, covering a remarkable range of subjects.
This guide provides information about Technical Releases and representations issued by ICAEW, and explains how you can find the full text of a Technical Release or representation.
ICAEW has issued a number of Technical Releases on behalf of the Accountants Joint Parliamentary Committee (AJPC) and Consultative Committee of Accountancy Bodies (CCAB) since 1972.
The Institute of Chartered Accountants in England and Wales (ICAEW) has issued technical releases providing guidance to members on audit issues and details of the Institute's representations on auditing since 1972. On this page you can view a timeline of Technical Releases and Representations issued by the Institute on auditing.
ICAEW has issued Technical Releases and representations on aspects of business and company law since 1972. On this page you can view a timeline of Technical Releases and representations issued by the Institute on this topic.
ICAEW has issued Technical Releases and representations on corporate finance issues since the 1970s. On this page you can view a timeline of Technical Releases and representations issued by the Institute on this topic.
ICAEW has issued Technical Releases and representations on financial/corporate reporting since the 1970s. On this page you can view a timeline of Technical Releases and representations issued by the Institute on this topic.
ICAEW has issued Technical Releases and representations on financial services since the 1970s. On this page you can view a timeline of Technical Releases and representations issued by the Institute on this topic.
ICAEW has issued Technical Releases providing guidance to members on insolvency issues and representations on insolvency matters since 1972. Our collection includes Statements of Insolvency Practice issued by ICAEW as Technical Releases together with the other licensing bodies acting through the Joint Insolvency Committee.
ICAEW has issued Technical Releases providing guidance to members on tax issues and representations on taxation matters since 1972. Following the creation of the Tax Faculty in 1991, Technical Releases on taxation have been issued by the faculty.
This article — written for The Accountant in 1948 by the ICAEW Librarian at that time, Cosmo Gordon — outlines the origins and meaning of the 'Institute Lady', also known as Economia.
In 1980, Eduardo Paolozzi (1924-2005) was commissioned to design a tapestry for Chartered Accountants' Hall which originally hung on the east wall of the Great Hall. Today, it overhangs the staircase in the lobby of the Copthall Avenue entrance to the building.
A conscientious objector whose religious beliefs prevented him from fighting, Dickinson provided vital medical aid to Allied troops in World War II – and gave his life in captivity.
Trying to trace an ancestor or relative who was an accountant? The ICAEW Library & Information Service has produced a short guide for genealogists to highlight some of the resources that are available.
It was with great delight that I learnt soon after being elected Vice President that the ICAEW would be celebrating the centenary of our first female member, Mary Harris Smith, during my Presidential year. This was a wonderful bit of serendipity as I am only the third female to hold this role since 1880.
A series of simplified family trees showing the development of the big accountancy firms of the day. The series is a key resource for accounting historians grappling with the tangled history of mergers and demergers in the accountancy sector.
The book 'With the colours; a list of Chartered and Incorporated Accountants and their Clerks who are serving with the British Forces on land and sea, 1914-1916' reproduced the lists of names previously published in The Accountant.
Female accountants and articled clerks also volunteered for or were called up for the armed forces or other civil defence roles as well as filling jobs vacated by men who were serving. Here we highlight some of those women.
The heart of our 100 years of women campaign in 2020, brought to light the stories of our members in chartered accountancy, so we could fully grasp the progress we’ve made and understand what more there is to do to achieve gender equality in the profession.
Although they probably never met, two members of the Royal Navy Volunteer Reserve are connected by playing their parts in saving lives in the port city of Liverpool during the blitz.
Robert Aitken took part in the famous attack on the German battleship Tirpitz for which he was awarded a Distinguished Service Order but was captured and spent the rest of the war in a PoW camp.
An accountant that worked across Europe in the 1930s and then used his local knowledge, as well as his business and accounting skills to mastermind clandestine activities during the Second World War.
The story of a man who could have spent the Second World War using his accountancy skills behind a Civil Service desk, but who chose to become a field agent, commanding a team in enemy territory and paying the ultimate price.
A resume of the history of the West Yorkshire Society of Chartered Accountants (WYSCA) researched and compiled by Roger Oakley (WYSCA President, 2000/01) from the 19th century to the the present.
The outbreak of war in August 1914 brought the old order in Europe to an end, but also marked a halt in the progress of many men who were on their way to becoming Chartered Accountants.