The Reverend Canon Dr. J. Douglas Leighton Archives was formerly known as the Verschoyle Phillip Cronyn Memorial Archives.
The Diocese of Huron has long recognized the importance of preserving records that document the life, ministry, and history of Anglican communities across Southwestern Ontario. The Archives serves as the central repository for records created by parishes, clergy, diocesan organizations, and Synod. Its holdings include parish registers recording baptisms, marriages, and burials; church histories; administrative records; photographs; and other materials that document the history of the Diocese of Huron.
Although a Committee on Historical Records had existed since 1927, there was no dedicated diocesan archives until the 1970s. Prior to that time, historical records and artifacts remained in the care of individual parishes throughout the Diocese. Concerned that valuable records could be lost or damaged, the Reverend Canon Dr. J. Douglas Leighton, professor of history at Huron College and later Canon Historian for the Diocese of Huron, began working in 1976 to gather and preserve diocesan records in partnership with Huron College's library. His efforts led to the official establishment of the Diocesan Archives by Synod in 1977.
For nearly five decades, the Archives operated in partnership with Huron University. Initially housed within the university library, the collection moved in 1994 to a dedicated archival facility beneath the chapel. That same year, the Verschoyle Phillip Cronyn Memorial Archives officially opened, providing appropriate environmental conditions for the long-term preservation of diocesan records. In 1996, the Archives Association of Ontario recognized the Archives' contribution to the archival community with its first Institutional Award.
The Archives owes much of its existence to the vision and dedication of the Reverend Canon Dr. J. Douglas Leighton (1942-2022). In addition to establishing the diocesan archives, he spent decades advocating for the preservation of Anglican history in Huron through research, teaching, writing, and service. His commitment ensured that generations of records documenting the life and ministry of the Diocese would be preserved and made accessible for future researchers, clergy, parishioners, and the wider community.
Following the relocation of the Archives to St. Paul's Cathedral in London in 2026, the Archives was renamed the Reverend Canon Dr. J. Douglas Leighton Archives in recognition of his foundational role in its creation and development. The new name honours his enduring legacy as historian, educator, priest, and champion of preserving the Diocese of Huron's collective memory.