Papers of Alexander Peter Buchan, 1799-c 1824, comprising 2 volumes. Volume 1 contains manuscript notes and insertions concerning human longevity. The insertions are from James Easton Human Longevity: recording the name, age, place of residence, and year, of the decease of 1712 persons, who attained a century and upwards from AD 66 to 1799, comprising a period of 1733 years with Anecdotes of the most remarkable (Salisbury and London, 1799). Volume 2 contains a manuscript translation of Mssrs A Seguin and Lavoisier Respiration of Animals (Academy of Sciences, 1789).

Scientific and other papers sent to the Royal Society, presented at meetings of Fellows, or commissioned by the Society. They form a complementary series to the Early Letters, both of which were superseded by the Letters and Papers. Many of these items, referred to as the 'Guard Books', are duplicated in the Register Book of the Society. The classification is a simplified form of the 'Philosophical Transactions' abridgment by John Lowthorp. This arrangement was completed in 1741 by Thomas Birch. The majority of the papers in these volumes are manuscript, but a few printed documents occur throughout the series. Some of the papers are earlier in date than the grant on 15 July 1662 of the First Charter to the Society. The Committee of Trades seems to have been associated with the earlier meetings of those philosophers who subsequently became Fellows, and produced a number of practical papers, some of which were written in 1639 and which are mostly found in Volume 3(i). There are still earlier documents, mostly in Volume 25, which may have been included in the gift, in 1667, of the Arundel Library.

Arthur Davies collection, 1878-1916, comprising certificates of attendance, letters of appointment, etc.; papers on tuberculosis; address to the Assurance Medical Society including material on life expectancy, neurasthenia and shell-shock; correspondence with Sir Humphrey Rolleston, Harrington Sainsbury and Clifford Allbutt.

Letter from Matthew Dove of Execution Dock Brewhouse, [London], 15 Sep 1744. Outlining a scheme for a lottery on survivorships for 99 years [apparently relating to some form of insurance or annuity dependent on certain people outliving others].

Autograph, with signature.