Michael Roper: – [Heath 1943–1951]
Michael Roper, CB, MA, DLitt, FRHistS, former Keeper of the Public Records and former Editor of The Heathen, sadly died in a car accident last in Roxwell, Essex, the village he had lived in for the past 24 years. Michael’s Service for the Celebration of his Life took place at St. Michael and All Angels’ Church, The Street, Roxwell, Chelmsford, Essex, CM1 4PA on Wednesday, .
Born and brought up in Halifax, Michael passed the 11-plus scholarship intelligence test and found himself at the beginning of the autumn term 1943 as a new boy at Heath Grammer School in Free School Lane. In those days it was an all-boys school, though towards the end of his time at Heath sixth form girls came from Crossley and Porter school for Latin classes and Princess Mary’s High School for Advanced Maths.
Because it was wartime, school uniform rules had to be minimal: school cap (maroon with a gold badge) and tie (maroon with a gold stripe); in summer, to the boy’s delight, they were allowed to dispense with the tie and wear their shirts open outside their jacket collars.
In his third year at Heath in addition to being a school prefect and cricket secretary he was editor of the school’s magazine, The Heathen.
In 1948 Michael took the School Certificate examinations, distinctions in English language, history and maths; credits in chemistry, French, Latin and advanced maths, passes in English Literature and Greek. He went on to the sixth form to study history and English as main subjects with French and Latin as subsidiaries. Michael’s history teacher at Heath, C.O. Mackley, encouraged him to read widely and taught him to assess the evidence and to select and assemble it in a logical way. This would stand him in good stead in his professional career.
As an active Old Boy, Michael often returned to Heath for its annual dinners; at one he was the guest speaker. He took part in two four-hundredth anniversary celebrations, one in 1985 to celebrate the school charter and another in 1997 to celebrate the date on the school seal. When the school seal was found in the 1960s, Michael was consulted by Arthur Owen, the classics master at Heath, and, as Michael had seen an illustration of an early example of a school seal, he compared this illustration to Heath’s seal and was able to authenticate it as genuine and original.
Michael stayed on for a third year at sixth form and was awarded a scholarship. On leaving Heath he went on to do his National Service and, because of the Cold War and the need for Russian linguists, he was chosen to become one. On completing two years National Service, he was offered a place at Manchester University to read medieval and modern history.
Whilst Michael was at Manchester University he married a Halifax lass, Barbara Earnshaw. It was Barbara, in 1959, who spotted an advertisement for a vacancy as Assistant Keeper of the Public Records and so his career at the PRO began. He eventually achieved his lifetime ambition to become Keeper in 1988, retiring in 1992 after serving over 32 years in a wide range of archival posts within the PRO.
Michael lived with Barbara and his two children in Rayleigh in Essex then Teddington in Middlesex. In 2000, Michael and Barbara moved to Roxwell in Essex; after a long illness his wife Barbara died in 2020 having celebrated 52 years of marriage.
In his professional life, Michael undertook short-term consultancies, training missions, professional visits, lecture tours, and gave conference papers in most countries in Europe and over twenty-five non-European countries. He published over ninety monographs, articles, reports and conference papers on aspects of archives administration and records management. He served on numerous Archivist committees in various capacities and was an external examiner in various countries. Working with UNESCO and the ICA he travelled the world.
In 1991 he was awarded an Honorary Degree of Doctor of Letters by Bradford University and in 1992 he was awarded the Companion of the Order of the Bath (CB) in the Queen’s Honours.
Michael was a King’s Scout and later became Group Scout Leader at Rayleigh Methodist Church; he was also an active member of the Wesley Guild. Michael and Barbara sang in various choirs, travelling to Paris and Sancerre to sing in the cathedrals. A very keen ornithologist and animal conservation supporter, he also had a strong faith, serving as either a committee member, Treasurer or Secretary at each church he worshipped at. Michael was such a busy man that his family joked about having to make an appointment to see him. At 92, he had just completed the Roxwell Walking Trails information boards with QR codes for both visual and oral extra information. He was also one of the villagers who bought and raised money for the renovation of the dilapidated village pub and was looking forward to his first pint in the bar. As a member of RATS (a wine tasting club) and taking a weekly prayer group, he was extremely happy in Roxwell.
Michael was a keen and knowledgeable sports fan, rugby and cricket, football and golf being his main choice of sports. He was an avid reader always with two books on the go, one factual and one fictional. At 92 he could still do the Super Sudoku and always finished the Guardian and the Observer crosswords.
He will be sadly missed as a lovely, kind Yorkshire gentleman, knowledgeable but humble, by all who knew him. His family, Karen, Steven, Nigel, Claire, Wayne, James, Reo and great grandchildren Isabelle, Rory and Erin will miss his calm, loving ways, his interesting stories and Isabelle and Rory will miss playing hide and seek with their Great Grandpa in his home and being spun in the swivel chair.
A Long Life, Well Lived.
With thanks to Karen Phillips, Michael’s daughter.