Manuscript volume containing a copy of a Parliamentary 'Act for Continuance of the Receipt of Excise until 29th Sept 1653', 1650.

Manuscript volume entitled 'Mémoire sur l'administration des Finances', 1787, signed by Séguy de Fontigny, giving an account of the financial reforms undertaken by Jean-Baptiste Colbert, Marquis de Torcy, and highlighting their present relevance. The manuscript is addressed to the Contrôleur Général des Finances.

The collection contains account books recording purchases made by Captain Patrick Lawson in London, Madras and Canton. Also contains memoranda and accounts regarding the administration of his estate on behalf of his creditors from 1777 to 1799.

Manuscript volume containing tables giving a statement of the [English] excise revenue from Michaelmas 1662 to [Jul 1875]. There is a possibility that this manuscript was created by Sir Grey Cooper, Secretary to the Treasury.

Manuscript volume containing a list of papers concerning the financial administration of Argenta in the province of Ferrara, Italy, 1624-1667, notably the farming of the revenues of the chamberlain of Argenta for a year from Jan 1667, and various exemptions from tolls. This manuscript is a copy of an extract made by the public notary Guieseppe Girollo Beccari from a printed book entitled Instrumento d'affitte sopra l'appalto delle dogane, macinato, augmento del sale, e delle can cellarie de Ferrara, e suo stato...(Ferrara 1667).

Manuscript volume containing transcripts of directives issued by the Treasury Board and the Board of Customs, 1671-1678, including warrants petitions and legal documents relating to the customs. The documents are signed by statesmen including Anthony Ashley Cooper, 1st Earl of Shaftesbury; Thomas Clifford, 1st Baron Clifford of Chudleigh; Thomas Osborne, 1st Duke of Leeds; Henry Bennet, 1st Earl of Arlington; Sir John Coventry; and Charles Bertie.

Manuscript report entitled 'A State of the Coynage in Barcelona', [1714], with a note that 'This paper was attested upon oath before the Commissioners of Accounts the 14th day of May 1714 by Mr. [John] Mead'. The remainder of the volume comprises a printed copy of the answer of James Stanhope, 1st Earl Stanhope, to allegations concerning his financial administration as Commander-in-Chief of the British Army in Catalonia during 1708, and contains manuscript annotations in Stanhope's hand.

Manuscript memoranda book, 1817-1824, relating to the issue of the new silver coinage in February 1817 when the Hon William Wellesley-Pole (later 1st Baron Maryborough and 3rd Earl of Mornington) was Master of the Mint. Full details are given of the administrative measures taken to collect the old silver coin of the realm and to replace it by the new issue. The operation began on 13 February and was completed in fourteen days. Enclosed is a draft of a letter dated 10 February 1824 to Mr. B. Barnard, banker, of 50 Cornhill, London, announcing the presentation to him, by officers of the Mint, on the occasion of the Master's retirement (1824), of a bronze medal 'for assisting in the arrangement for the exchange of the silver coin in 1817'.

Manuscript tract on taxation entitled 'Observations sur l'impôt territorial en nature proposé à l'assemblée des notables', written by Donat Vosgien at Épinal in 1787.

A general and farm account books, 1749-1800, kept by William Phillips of Broadway, Worcestershire.

Collection of papers concerned chiefly with Hewitt's work in the West Indies 1767-1771 and 1776-1781, financial papers and accounts, 1759-1781; a diary of his voyage to the West Indies, 1766; correspondence, 1772-1781, especially to the Treasury Board concerning his salary; documents concerning personal property, mainly bonds concerning payment for Crown lands in Dominica, 1767-1777, and papers relating to slaves owned by Hewitt, 1768-1781; legal papers, 1768-1781; official papers concerning land in Tobago, St Vincent and Dominica, 1764-1781, including commissioners' instructions, surveys, maps and correspondence; papers created following the death of William Hewitt, mainly relating to the settlement of his estate, 1781-1790.

Notebook compiled by Jonathan Baker containing mathematical problems and tables, dated 29 July 1765. The notebook was also used for entering his accounts between 1782 and 1796, with some later, more general, additions to 1800, mostly relating to his work as a cobbler, but also accounts of household expenses and rents received. The accounts mention places between Cirencester and Newnham.

Account books, 1751-1799, kept by Charles Polhill while administering the family estates centred on Chipstead in the parish of Chevening, Kent.

A collection, from 1659-1697, of twelve documents relating to Sir Robert Clayton and Alderman Morris concerning loans, good health, relatives and sales.

Redeemed mortgage, 1849, of £1500 for seven years at 5%.

Accounts and rental kept by John Humphries for the estates of Thomas Lodington Fairfax in Steeton, Bilbrough, Newton, Kyme, Aughton, 'Ruddings' and Ellerton, all in Yorkshire, and in Bracebridge, Cantley, Washingborough and Heighington, Lincolnshire, 1827-1840.

A copy of the original Minute Book of the National Land Bank, 1695-1696.

Manuscript volume containing papers relating to coinage and the Royal Mint, 1722-1774, including a table of the gold and silver minted in the reigns of kings and queens of England from Queen Elizabeth I up to 1772, with a value in sterling for the total in each reign; a table of gold and silver minted from 20 Jul 1660-31 Dec 1751, with a value in sterling for the amount minted in each reign within this period; table of the weight of gold brought to the Mint for 20 years [1751-1770], with columns showing by whom it was brought and in what species it was coined; a table of 'gold at the Mint before the diminished guineas were sent', with a monthly account of gold coined from Aug 1773 to May 1774 and a statement of all gold coined from 1760-1774; an account of cut guineas imported into the Mint between 25 Aug 1773 and 9 Aug 1774, and delivered out between 13 Oct 1773 and 5 Oct 1774; tables giving the costs of coining various metals; a calculation table [for measuring fineness]; details of rises in salaries for officers of the Mint; details of salary scales for officers of the Mint, [Aug 1772].

Manuscript volume, [1729], containing an monthly account of the differences in exchange between London and Amsterdam from Mar 1697 to Dec 1728.

Manuscript volume containing transcripts of papers relating to the Royal Mint, [1732-1770], including a copy confirmation of the Charter of the Royal Mint, dated 24 Apr 1662, including the original grant of 1 May 1308 and successive confirmations and grants; a copy of the indenture dated 23 Aug 1732 appointing John Conduitt as Warden of the Mint, with corrections in red ink to form the basis of an indenture for the Hon Charles Sloane Cadogan, 23 Nov 1770; copy of a warrant dated 24 Jul 1729 for John Conduitt to coin British copper, with a note of a similar warrant dated 17 Aug 1738 for Richard Arundell, Master of the Irish Mint; copy of a warrant dated 20 Nov 1740 for Richard Arundell, Master of the Irish Mint, to coin copper for Ireland.

An essay on paper credit and banking, c1758.

Manuscript of a book on finance between England and Holland, c1770.

Manuscript volume containing a [transcript of a] report by Maximilien Lasowski on the state of English finances in 1784, addressed to his pupil François Alexandre Frédéric, Duc de La Rochefoucauld-Liancourt (1747-1827), a French educator and social reformer. The report is written in the form of four letters, dated at Bury St. Edmunds, 10 Jun, 25 Jun, 14 Jul and 2 Aug, and includes a letter addressed to the Duc de Liancourt concerning the laws and principles surrounding parliamentary elections in England, and various impressions of political customs there, [1784]. The manuscript is written on the left half only of each page, and there are additions in pencil and ink in the right hand margin.

Manuscript volume, 1573, containing documents and tables relating to the Royal Mint, including papers on the prevention of counterfeiting and clipping of coins, and methods of replenishing the circulation of silver coins.

Manuscript Articles of Agreement, 1 Feb 1793, between a company of gentlemen for raising a fund of fifty thousand pounds, for the purpose of establishing a general insurance office, 'to ensure persons from loss of property by burglaries, highway and footpad robberies, public and private thefts, together with the expense of prosecution'. Includes the signatures of the 84 original shareholders against the number of shares held by each.

Manuscript volume containing three documents relating to communal tolls/taxation of the Italian city states of Florence and Pisa, 1554-1579.

Manuscript volume, [1580], containing instruction for all (Dutch) Exchangers for the alteration of coinage books and manuals following a proclamation that the fortieth part of all golden moneys is to be reserved for their salaries. The manuscript gives translations of the mottoes on various coins in place of the engravings of the coins found in the printed book.

Book contains full notes on the administration and officers of the Port of London, customs and excise, freights, smuggling, etc., arranged in alphabetical order, preceded by an index, 1842-1863.

Manuscript volume concerning the expenditure of the royal household of King Edward III, [1550], namely an abstract from the accounts of Walter Wentwage of 'the rates of wages of peace and warre, expenses necessarie of officers and other charges concerning the household', dating from 21 Apr 1344-23 Nov 1374 and mainly relating to armed forces. Includes a statement of the costs of diplomatic, military and naval activity taken from the accounts of William Norwell, Keeper of the King's Wardrobe, for the period 15 Jul 1348-25 May 1350.

Manuscript volume containing an 18th century transcript of a petition headed 'The particulars examined and proved concerning the grievances by farthing tokens', [1644], complaining that the patentees, in order to circulate their farthings, allowed one shilling over in twenty to those who came to buy them, and small trades people, taking most of their payments in farthings, thus sustained a loss.

Manuscript volume containing an 'Account of the gross produce of the several duties under the management of Excise, with their respective appropriations and rates, and the times of their commencement', written in [1763], and covering the period 1662 to 1763. There is a possibility that this manuscript was created by James Bindley, Commissioner of Stamp Duties, 1765-1818.

Letter from George Macirone of 163 Bishopsgate Street Without, [London] to Henry Clarke, Esq, 29 Nov 1826. Discussing repayment of money due to Macirone.

Autograph, with signature. A copy of Clarke's reply (probably written the following day), is attached.

Letter from Henry Blain to Joseph T Pooley of 5 Church Court, [c1842]. Discussing the corn laws (with reference to Blain's pamphlet on the subject) and proposed duties [taxes]. Autograph, with signature ('H.B.'). Dated 'Sunday night'.

Manuscript volume containing transcripts of various proposals concerning the reformation of the coinage, 1695-1696, made in response to a request by the Exchequer for views on ideas discussed in A report...for the amendment of the silver coins (1695) by William Lowndes, Permanent Secretary of the Treasury. Comprising papers on the coinage by Sir Christopher Wren, Dr John Locke, Gilbert Heathcote, Alderman [Francis] Gardner, [Rev] Samuel Pratt [Dean of Rochester], [William] Corbet, Sir John Houblon, Dr John Wallis, Dr Isaac Newton, and William James, with further treatises entitled 'A merchant's demonstration superior to imagination, that the raising of bullion cannot be anyways injurious but highly advantageous to these three kingdoms above all others', and 'Some considerations offered to the House of Commons in relation to mending the coyne'. A note written in 1963 by E S de Beer regarding several of the items described above is inserted into the manuscript.

Bedfordshire account books, 1785-1800, comprise fourteen volumes of account books for provisions and drapery in the parish of Westoning in Bedfordshire.

Manuscript account book kept by John Goodman of Eversholt for the sales of household goods and groceries, 1786-1800. The accounts are arranged under the names of customers and cancelled as they were settled.

Two volumes of account books, for rent and general purposes, kept between 1783-1795 by a member of the Tayler family. Includes details of stocks and bonds such as Battersea Bridge tolls, and income from property in London, as well as household accounts.

An account book covering the period 31 March 1802-31 October 1808.

Transcripts relating to local taxation in Edinburgh from 1745 to 1760, including:

1. 'Memorandum offered by the members of the College of Justice appointed by the Faculty of Advocates and Society of Writers to the Signet to the preses and other remanent stent-masters of the city of Edinburgh in relation to the imposing the stent on the inhabitants of the town for the year 1749'. The memorandum, dated 18 July 1749, contains eight questions put to the stent-masters, and these are answered in the following eight pages of the manuscript, written for the most part in another hand, and dated 19 July 1749.
2. A 'Report to the Faculty of Advocates of the stent-masters appointed by them to meet with the stent-masters of the town of Edinburgh for imposing the stent or cess for the year 1749', written in the second hand. A note in the original hand says that the reports were 'drop'd'.
3. Comments on the collusion between the Faculty of Advocates and the Town Council regarding the stent-masters, with a copy of a letter to George Chalmers, writer to the Signet, from Robert Thomson of Aberdeen, dated 13 Feb 1745, concerning stents at Aberdeen.
   4. The final leaf, dated 14 Jul 1760, contains in a third hand an 'Estimate of the land cess and trade stent to be imposed by the...Magistrats & Town Council of Edinburgh for the service of the year, viz. from 25 March 1759 to 25 March 1760'.

Customs declarations certificates, 1890-1893, comprising two certificates in Portuguese of a personal history nature (perhaps for emigration purposes), one dated 4 Sep 1890 and certified by Charles O'Donnell, British Consul in Lisbon, as being in the hand of Emygdio José da Silva, notary public of Lisbon, and the second of similar date in the same hand; and a third certificate in Spanish of 20 Dec 1893 relating to a cargo of soap from London on the Spanish vessel Molina, certified by John W. Witty, British Pro-Consul in Barcelona, as bearing the true signature of M. Martinez, Chief Collector of Customs, Barcelona.

Manuscript volume containing papers relating to the issue of Exchequer Bills during the reign of King William III in order to carry on the war with France (the War of the Grand Alliance), 1696-1697, notably a holograph memorandum by Charles Montagu, 1st Earl of Halifax, advocating steps to encourage subscriptions to Exchequer bills and steps to make the bills assignable, [1696]; a draft of letters patent of King William III concerning the payment of Dutch troops, written in Dutch, [1696]; a list of subscribers to the contract for exchanging bills, 4 May 1697; a copy of the sign manual warrant to the Treasury ordering payment to the trustees of the second contract for Exchequer bills of the interest on the subscription contracted, [1697]; a Statement of Exchequer bills from 27 Apr to 9 Jun, 11 Jun 1697; a tract [by William Paterson] headed 'A proposall for setling a transferrable fund of perpetual interest', which is possibly the first proposal for a funded debt.

A wives' certificate book of the Benevolent Company of Dublin, from the period 1771 to 1801.

Manuscript volume containing transcripts of parliamentary papers relating to grants in England and Ireland, 1690-1702, including an account of royal grants made in Ireland from Jan 1698 to Dec 1699, presented by William Lowndes, Secretary to the Treasury, 1699; a report by the Commissioners of Enquiry into the Forfeited Estates in Ireland, [Dec 1699]; an account of rents in the honour of Windsor presented by David Cobb, 13 Feb 1700; an abstract of the sale of fee-farm rents, presented by William Haward and Sir John Talbot, [13 Dec 1700]; an account of royal grants made in the Duchy of Lancaster Mar 1699 to Jan 1702, presented by John Bennett, Auditor of the Duchy, 1699-1702; extracts from parliamentary proceedings relating to policy towards forfeited estates in Ireland, 4 Apr 1690-26 Feb 1700; an alphabetical list of those holding land of the crown [in Ireland], their debts to the Crown, and notes of proceedings against them; an account of all royal grants made in England from Feb 1685 to Jan 1702, presented by William Lowndes, 1700-1702; an account of grants and gratuities paid by the Commissioners for Prizes since Jun 1692, Mar 1701.

A collection of 240 invoices, printed forms completed in manuscript, often with engraved headings and scenes, dated between 1833 and 1879, addressed to 107 companies and individuals in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, and to 2 in New York, from one German and 89 British manufacturers. Goods invoiced consist mainly of textile and textile machinery, pottery, cutlery and tools. Most invoices after Sep 1835 bear the stamp of the Custom House, Philadelphia, and after Feb 1869 many have attached a consular certificate combined with a sworn declaration by the manufacturer as to the origin, destination and price of the goods.

Manuscript volume containing a memorandum proposing the re-establishment of the Composition Trade, c1675, by which foreign merchants were allowed to import goods for re-shipment to foreign parts on payment of a customs duty, and beginning 'The inhabitants of France, Spain, Flanders and other parts, finding that their merchant ships did not pass the seas with that security as those of England...'.

Manuscript volume containing accounts of a sinking fund, 1718-1728, entitled 'Accounts shewing the surplus's on the several Fonds composing the sinking fond from the first establishment thereof to Michaelmas 1728'.

A deed of assignment, 1719, whereby 'William Mourthatt, of Saint Martin Le Grand, London, Silkman' assigns an annuity payable by the Exchequer to 'William Hayton, of London, Merchant.' The annuity (item) originally belonged to Joseph Cooper who purchased it in 1708. It then passed into the hands of William Mourthatt.

Manuscript volume containing the rules of the Agreeable United Fair (Friendly Society), a women's society intended to provide relief in the event of sickness or old age. The Society was held near Fetter Lane, Holborn, London. The rules are signed by fifteen members, six of whom give a mark in place of a signature, c 1785.

Manuscript volumes containing 'An abstract of the total number of ships with their tonnage which have been registered in the British Dominions in pursuance of the Acts [of Parliament]...Distinguishing such as are British built, such as are foreign built, and such as are Prizes made free, and distinguishing the Ports at which they have been respectively registered', with a volume devoted to each year between 1788 and 1793. Includes a commentary on the statistics given, and dedicatory epistle in Volume I to King George III.

Account books, 1743-1772, recording profits and rents due to Francis Naylor for land owned in various parts of Sussex.