Papers, 1843-1886, collected by the solicitors in the course of their work, comprising sales particulars of Marshalsea Prison including the Admiralty Prison, Southwark; notice of share issue and prospectus for the South London Tramways Company and notice of share issue with application form for construction of underground line from City to Newington Butts for the City of London Southwark Subway Company.

Records of the Chartered Bank of India, Australia and China, later known as the Chartered Bank. Records date from 1851, just prior to the foundation of the bank in 1853 and include reference to the operation and management of the business covering both branches, agencies and head office. There is information relating to premises and staff, inspection of branches and customer accounts, some records of legal actions as well as general administrative records created and maintained by the secretaries and general managers.

Highlights include records relating to the bank during times of War, from accounts of local rebellions and riots through to the Second World War which saw two thirds of the banks' branches occupied by the Japanese and over 100 of the banks' European officers interned. There is a series of letters within the records of the Secretary and a number of personal reminiscences recounting the courageous actions of trustworthy staff members trying to salvage bank records from being seized by the Japanese, from those in internment camps and accounts of conditions in occupied countries (CLC/B/207/CH03/01/07) and a register of employees interned in prisoner of war camps or killed during enemy action (CLC/B/207/CH08/01/004).

There is a series of posterity files (CLC/B/207/CH03/01/09-13) consisting of over 1,300 documents which were retained by the Secretary as a research resource and for historical interest covering a remarkable range of subjects such as legal wrangles and reports on trading conditions in particular countries reflecting how the bank was responsive to early economic development and new trade when seeking to expand its network of branches.

The 'Realms of Silver' centenary publication research files are a valuable source on the history of the bank (CLC/B/207/CH03/01/14-17) covering a range of topics such as key commodities in particular areas, they show staff enduring disease, plague, famine and drought, rebellion and revolution, earthquakes, floods and fire and highlight how the activities of the Bank have touched upon events of world history as well as of local development, often reflecting creative solutions that the bank employed to overcome such problems and tribulations.

There is an extensive collection of premises records (CLC/B/207/CH09) including plans of the branches and often subsequent upgrades and developments of branches and agencies in response to growing business needs. There are also photographs which show not only bank premises but also create a pictorial history reflecting the international operations of the Chartered Bank as well as showing local flora, fauna and methods of trade, for example, in Cebu the use of Buffalo to move Hemp and in Burma the use of Elephants in the emerging logging trade. They also reflect local tragedies such as the effects of the Yokohama Earthquake in Japan in 1923 (CLC/B/207/CH09/08; CLC/B/207/CH08/04; CLC/B/207/CH03/01/16).

There is an extensive series of records relating to accounts and financial matters (CLC/B/207/CH04), including general ledgers; a comprehensive series of half yearly balance sheets from branches and records of the Taxation and Statistics Department (which appears to have fallen under the auspices of the Chief Accountant.

There are also records relating to staff (CLC/B/207/CH08), which give details on the bank's application and registration process, and progress and activities of named staff when they took up their posts. These records include registers of staff (1874-1920), some staff applications and employment agreements (1900-1930) and an extensive series of half-yearly schedules of staff in overseas branches (1863-1960).

This sub-fonds includes records relating to the initial share issue including subscription contract, script registers, published prospectus and script certificates and paperwork.

Records of T T Curwen and Sons, stock and share brokers, including correspondence; notebooks giving details of transactions; and address books.

Letters sent to Hurrell and Mayo, solicitors, including receipts, commission notes, authorisations for the purchase and sale of stocks and shares and for making payments on behalf of clients; the correspondents are chiefly commercial companies, but include some individual clients.

Account book of the clerk of the Coal Exchange. The book includes receipts include money for shares, with names of subscribers; market dues paid by non-proprietors; interest on capital; rents of parts of the premises; and rents of offices in the Exchange, with names of tenants.

Payments include the purchase of the site; building and maintenance work; wages and salaries; cleaning, lighting, watching, and winding the clock; rates, taxes and insurance; half-yearly dinners; newspapers; dividends, with recipients' names.

From 1781 there are receipts and payments towards a 'New Room', funded by subscription.

3 letters from Mrs Bentham of Ryde, [Isle of Wight], 3 letters to Richard Wilson, Esq, of 47 Lincoln's Inn Fields, London, 1816-1818. Enquiring about payments of money to her as she has very little, and her rheumatism is the cause of heavy expenditure on doctors' bills; the doctor had charged 10s 6d a visit and had advised her to move to Bath rather than risk another winter on the Isle of Wight. She had received a quarterly payment of £25 from a Charles Bacon, withdrawn for the year 1817-1818. Enquiring about payment from Mr Bentham [?her husband], to be arranged through Sir James Graham, and about money owing to her from 3 shilling stock, for which she has apparently waited 10 years. Autograph, with signature.

Letter from John Thornton Leslie-Melville of Old Broad Street, [London] to J D Powles, 10 Dec 1824. Stating that he does not wish to injure the market, but at the same time wishes Powles to sell 100 more of his (Melville's) Colombian mine shares at the first favorable opportunity, as his broker says that 50 shares had been sold that morning at £19 10s.

Autograph, with signature.

Manuscript notes on the Japanese exchanges and markets made for Professor Herbert Somerton Foxwell by Juichi Soyeda, a Japanese banker, in 1885-1886.

Papers of William Cheselden, 1749-c 1990, comprising a deed of sale for the copyright of Anatomy of the Human Body by William Cheselden, to the publishers, Charles Hitch and Robert Dodsley for £200, dated 8 Apr 1749; two receipts for shares, dated 19 Oct 1771 by W Woodfall, for one 16th share in Cheselden's Anatomy to Mr Dodsley, and dated 22 Oct - 25 Nov 1778 by the trustees of Mr William Nicoll, also for one 16th share of Cheselden's Anatomy to James Dodsley; and photographs of the original drawings for Cheselden's Osteographia, 1733. The drawings for the vignettes in the Osteographia were by Jacobus Schijnvoet of Amsterdam, and the drawings for the plates were by Gerard van der Gucht. The photographs are mounted on card and numbered on the back.

Ledgers of London stockbrokers Oakley Norris Bros, 1880s-1940.

Papers of Charles William Smith, [1895-1910], comprising papers, correspondence and press cuttings relating to stock exchange speculation.

Notebook containing a draft address to Robert, Earl of Oxford, by the subscription commission of the Corporation for carrying on trade to the South Seas, [1711], including a list of subscribers of more than £3,000. The names of Governors and Directors of the Corporation are indicated by a mark in the margin. The last page of the book has been reused for personal accounts, including the purchase of female mourning clothes, 1720.

Printed reports of the House of Commons Committee of Secrecy, 1721, appointed to enquire into the 'Act for Enabling the South Sea Company to increase their present capital stock by redeeming such publick debts and incumbrances...and for calling in Exchequer Bills remaining uncancelled...'.

Ten original letterbooks, 1862-1889, of David McLean, containing copies of his family and official business correspondence during his career with the Hong Kong and Shanghai Bank. They provide an insight into the work and dealings of a British banker involved in trading with the Far East. The business correspondence is concerned with the condition of stocks and shares of various companies. The family letters are about personal financial matters.