The collection represents the contacts through two centuries of a group of men and women of high distinction ramifying through the medical, legal and literary worlds. It forms a not unimportant fund of minor historical material, comprising more than a thousand letters from nearly five hundred writers.

The autograph letters are mounted in 10 large volumes: -

1. Letterbook of John Arbuthnot (1667-1735). The most interesting letters are those of Pope and Swift and their circle written in 1714 when the Queen's death involved the destruction of their political hopes. Letterbook of William Hunter (1719-1783). It includes letters from Tobias Smollett the novelist, from Dr. Johnson thanking Hunter for presenting his book to the King, and from Edward Gibbon 'proposing himself the pleasure of attending some of Dr. Hunter's Anatomical lectures.'

2. Hunter and Baillie family letters and reminiscences, including the letters written by John to William Hunter from active service in 1761-62; poems by Sophia Baillie, Jenner family letters.

   3. Letters to Matthew Baillie from the Royal Princesses. Letters of the Bentham family, including three from Jeremy Bentham. Autograph letter collection includes letters from Thomas Carlyle and Charles Dickens. 1735 - 1845

3. Denman family collection; autographs collections of Lady Bell and Dr. William Whewell; letters of John Baron, Edward Jenner's biographer; fragment of unpublished music by Mozart; letters from Joanna Baillie's friends including c.1782-1877

4. Letters to Joanna Baillie includes letters from Sir Walter Scott and Maria Edgeworth. Various dates

5. William Hunter's diplomas, and letters to him, Hunter family documents, and notes on family history compiled by Joanna and Matthew Baillie. Locks of hair and christening caps worn by Hunter family. Various dates

6. Matthew Baillie's letters to William Hunter includes material relating to treatment of George III and to his wife Sophia (Denman) and his diplomas. C. 1783-1823

7. Matthew Baillie's professional correspondence including notes on illness of George III and on labour of Princess Charlotte. Letter to Helen Hunter Baillie from George Peachy re Matthew Baillie's notebooks (1923). 1783-1923

8. Joanna Baillie's letters and papers relating to her plays, sale of her works, mss. of two stories and a comedy, letters from Mrs Sigourney, Henry Siddons, Anne Hunter, Mary Somerville; Agnes Baillie's reminiscences, prescriptions by Matthew Baillie

9. Princess Mary's letters to Baillie concerning the illness of Princess Amelia, Anne Hunter's autograph poems, libretto of Haydn's Creation; account of death of Princess Charlotte.

   The Hunter Baillie collection comprises also a number of manuscript books, the oldest of which is a commonplace book of the early eighteenth century, giving details of family history of the Hunters. Matthew Baillie's notebooks include: -

Journal of a tour in Europe in 1788 and A short memoir of my life, 1818. 'Some brief observations from my own experience upon a considerable number of diseases', in two volumes. n.d. With these are his casebooks, fee-books and other professional notes, including details of his attendance on King George III. Baillie records that his total annual fees mounted from £121 in 1792 to £9,995 in 1815.

Papers of Donald Hunter, 1910-1977. There are two large, parallel series of case files and reference files (section C) relating to a wide range of conditions, most but not all connected with occupational hazards and many being dermatological or osteopathic, as well as factory visit notes, correspondence, both personal and professional, publications, writings, and audio-visual material.

'Journal of a Red Cross VAD member on Special Service during the Great War' (in Malta), 1915-1916. The writer, Rosa Louise Hunt, describes her service with the Voluntary Aid Detachment from 25 Nov 1915 until 5 Mar 1916, in Malta, beginning with the news that she was being posted to a military hospital abroad, but breaking off abruptly while she was still in Malta.

Professional papers relating to Hunt's involvement in the Royal College of General Practitioners, 1948-79, which he was fundamental in founding, including articles and correspondence published in the lay and medical press, correspondence, committee minutes and notes, covering his role proposing the College in 1951, his work as Honorary Secretary of the Steering Committee in 1952, and of the Foundation Council and then Council of the College, 1953-66, then as President, 1967-70, and during his remaining years, 1971-78, when he continued to be involved with the College's development; papers relating to his life peerage, as a member of the House of Lords, including correspondence, speeches and articles, 1973-83; papers relating to Hunt's other commitments to various institutions and societies, including St Bartholomew's Hospital, the British Medical Association, Royal Society of Medicine, Medical Society of London, the Armed Forces, Department of Health, and the Hunterian Society, as President, member or adviser, mostly articles produced as a result of his involvement with these bodies, 1932-74; and biographic material relating to his personal life, including his curriculum vitae, bibliography, personal notes, and publications resulting from his DM Thesis, undertaken at the Univeristy of Oxford in 1935, 1935-1988.

Records of Hounslow Hospital, including management and administrative committee minutes, 1923-1976; memoranda, 1928-1948; registers of in-patients, 1922-1977; registers of operations, 1927-1977; registers of minor operations, 1930-1951; registers of war casualties, 1939-1941; patient statistics, 1944-1951; registers of student nurses, 1913-1944 and photographs of student nurse prize givings, 1960-1964.

Records of Hounslow Community Health Council (CHC) and predecessors (1994-2003). Includes Minutes (1994-2003).

Report of the Hospital Visiting Working Party (May 1993).

Records of the Royal College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists' Hospital Recognition Committee, 1936-2007, comprising correspondence and papers (1936-1994); committee agenda, minutes and papers (1947-2004); files on individual hospitals inspected (1937-2003); lists of recognised hospital appointments for trainees for Membership and Diploma (1975-1999, 2001); guidelines for recognition of hospital appointments (1988-2000); minute books (1951-2007).

Pharmacopoeia of Guy's and Saint Thomas Hospitals inscribed J Langford Moore, and pharmacopoeia of the North Middlesex Hospital, Middlesex County Council, inscribed Jas Coutts.

Records of the Hospital of the Savoy, comprising grant of lands, bargain and sales, grant of annuity, and lease.

Papers of the Hospital Infection Society chiefly comprising the papers collected by its officers, 1979-1995. They include membership records, council and AGM minutes, and papers from conferences and meetings.

Records of the Hospital for Diseases of the Throat, Golden Square including the official corporate records of the hospital.

Patient records have a general closure period of 100 years from date of birth.

Records of the Hospital for Diseases of the Skin, including Committee of Management minutes, 1842-1907; financial records, 1881-1945 and papers relating to endowments, 1886-1914.

Records of the Malaria Therapy Unit, Horton Hospital, including patient casebooks, 1931-1962; patient ward books, 1949-1950; malaria documentation books, 19-- -1966; indigenous malaria subject files arranged by location, 1917 - 1962; Public Health Laboratory Service correspondence and malaria case questionnaires, 1966-1979; mosquito surveys of places in Britain arranged by place and mosquito nuisance subject files, 1920-1968 and research files, 1910 - 1963, including notes on best practice in malaria therapy, lecture scripts, malaria on ships, mosquito identification and control, correspondence, cuttings from newspapers and journals and reviews of work by researchers at the Unit.

Records of Horton Hospital, including Medical Superintendent report books, 1900-1917; Horton Hospital Management Committee (later Management Team) minutes, 1948-1985; Hospital Committees' and Sub-Committees' minutes, 1948-1984; admission, discharge and creed registers, 1907-1984; general registers and indexes of patients, 1902-1971; post mortem registers, 1902-1951; death registers, 1931-1971; operation registers, 1944-1964; patient case books, 1902-1937; Chest unit case files, 1940-1945; Chest Unit admission book, 1944-1947; staff records, 1902-1939; financial records, 1927-1965; maps of the hospital site, 196-; papers of research projects, 1978-1983; glass negatives of patients, 20th century and draft manuscript copy of J.R.Lord's Story of the Horton (County of London) War Hospital, 1920.

Records of the Hornsey Central Hospital, comprising Council minutes, Sep 1921-Jul 1943 and minutes of the House Committee and sub-committees, 1909-1948.

Two volumes of notes on St Marylebone Infirmary (later St Marylebone Hospital and then St Charles' Hospital), relating to Hood's period as Medical Superindendent, 1910-1941, compiled by Dr Hood in the 1950s[?], with indexes by his daughter Mrs L Ross.

Register of admissions and discharges, 1914-1918; Visitors' Register, 1914-1918; patients' personal narratives, 1915-1917.

Records of the Holmhurst Home, comprising Managers' minutes, 1951-1969.

The archive consists of diaries, correspondence, photographs and memorabilia relating to Holme's activities as a suffragette; her work with the Women's Volunteer Reserve and the Scottish Women's Hospital Unit during the First World War; her visits to and relief work in Serbia / Yugoslavia; and her personal life and friendships. Many items across the collection relate to her girlfriend Evelina Haverfield.

Papers and photographs relating to work with UN Relief and Rehabilitation Administration in China, 1946-1947, and the Ex-Services Campaign for Nuclear Disarmament Group, 1984-1987, including four manuscript narrative diaries of Holman's military service, 1941-1945; two photograph albums with views of Egypt, Palestine, South Africa, Aden, and at sea on board HM Hospital Ship LLANDOVERY CASTLE, 1942-1945; booklet by Aubrey Hammond entitled The story of 50 Div (Schindler's Press, Cairo, 1943); papers relating to work with UN Relief and Rehabilitation Administration in China, including edition of the Canton Daily Star, 1946, 137 mostly uncaptioned photographs of urban and rural China, correspondence with UN staff and letters of appointment,references and memoranda, 1946-1947; typescript draft article by Holman on the National Health Service, 1961; sixty six editions of I F Stone's Bi-Weekly and I F Stone's Weekly, 1963-1971; edition of the King-Hall newsletter, 1966; booklet entitled The silent killers. New developments in gas and germ weapons (Campaign for Nuclear Disarmament, London, 1981); papers relating toEx-Services Campaign for Nuclear Disarmament Group, including fourteen editions of 'Ex-Services Campaign for Nuclear Disarmament Group Newsletter', 1984-1987, meeting agendas and associated leaflets and circulars; booklet entitled The soldier's tale (Ex-Services Campaign for Nuclear Disarmament Publications, Bristol, 1987). Also publications, 1937-1987, including four John Playerand Sons cigarette card albums entitled 'The Coronation of HM King George VI and HM Queen Elizabeth 1937', 'Military uniforms of the British Empire overseas' [1937], 'An album of modern naval craft' [1939], and 'Aircraft of the Royal Air Force' [1939]; booklet entitled British, French and German warships at a glance (Sampson Low, Marston and Company, London, 1940); five editions of Lilliputmagazine, 1940-1944.

Case books, containing notes on patients by the medical staff of Holloway Sanatorium Hospital for the Insane, 1889-1926, often accompanied by photographs. Inserted loose in the volumes are letters written by patients, temperature charts, death notices etc.

Records of the Holborn Poor Law Union, 1825-1931, including minutes of meetings of the Board of Guardians; reports and minutes of various Committees; orders of government departments; correspondence with government departments; general correspondence; regulations and instructions; settlement examinations; orders of removal to and from the Union; registers of lunatics; lunatic reception orders; registers for the Broad Street Workhouse, Endell Street Workhouse, City Road Workhouse (Saint Luke's Workhouse), Mitcham Workhouse and Vine Street Casual Wards; registers of apprentices; registers of children at schools; registers for Mitcham School; financial accounts and staff records.

Records of Hither Green Hospital, 1897-1976, including case notes, registers of admission and discharge, creed, post-mortems, operations, and casualties; records of staff service and conduct and Chaplain's records.

Collection of deeds, indentures, extracts from court records, and probate proceedings all relating to London, 1343-1789. Includes churchwardens' accounts for St Clement Danes, 1748, 1751-1752, 1755-1757, and 1760-1762, and other papers relating to the administration of the parish, [1750-1800]; a drawing of 'Houses at Broken Wharf', [1600-1699]; part of a treatise on 'Prerogatives' and 'Concerning the Citie of London', discussing spiritual difficulties when living in London, [1750]; letters from R Bandy to William Archer of Welford, Berkshire, 1726-1727; a printed list of governors of, and contributors to, St George's Hospital, Oct 1733-Dec 1752; papers, mostly printed, relating to elections to the Common Council of the City of London for the Coleman Street ward in Dec 1764 and Dec 1772.

Records of Hendon Group Hospital Management Committee, including Management Committee and Standing Committee signed minutes, 1948-1974; Management Committee minutes and papers, 1948-1974; Finance and General Purposes Committee minutes and papers, 1948-1967; Staff and Establishment Committee minutes and papers, 1948-1967; Finance and Staff Committee minutes and papers, 1967-1974; Planning Committee minutes and papers, 1949-1955; Works and Building Committee and Planning and General Purposes Committee minutes and papers, 1956-1974; Visiting Committees and Hospital Committees minutes, 1949-1970; Joint Consultative Committees minutes and papers, 1948-1960; meeting attendance registers, 1948-1974; standing orders, 1948-1969; annual reports, 1949-1970; papers from annual open meetings including Chairman's reports, 1953-1962; papers regarding Hospital redevelopment, 1961-1968; papers relating to opening ceremonies, 1952-1971; Hendon Group HMC handbook giving information on hospital and other medical and social services available in area, including a history of Edgware General Hospital and photographs of group hospitals, 1958; staff handbooks, 1966-[1973] and publication Colindale Hospital, 1898-1948: An unauthorised history censored from the memories and musings of many people, compiled by the Rev R W Townsend, AKCL, Chaplain and Rural Dean of Hendon, 1948.

Records of the Hendon Group Hospitals, comprising Bushey Maternity Hospital, 1938-1959; Edgware General Hospital, 1928-1958; Hendon District Hospital, 1937-1948 and Hendon Group Hospital Management Committee, 1948-1974. The records include committee minutes, patient registers, case notes, reports, handbooks, photographs, histories and publications.

Annual reports of Hendon District Hospital, 1937-1948.

Records of the Hendon Poor Law Union, 1717-1949, including minutes of meetings of the Board of Guardians; papers relating to poor relief including dietary sheets for Hendon Union Schools; financial accounts; papers relating to the appointment of assistant overseers; papers relating to property ownership including correspondence, contracts and legal papers; poor rate charges; agreements and tenders for maintenance work and utilities supply; building plans for Hendon Union Workhouse, Hendon Union Schools and Redhill Schools; papers relating to legal cases and rates assessment; registers of persons undertaking the nursing and maintenance of infants; report books of infant protection visitors; registers for Hendon Union Edgware Workhouse and Middlesex County Redhill Institution.

Printed material and circular letters relating to the Help Yourself Society, a fundraising charity.

Correspondence, memoranda and press cuttings, 1955-2004, relating to Michael Hellman's attempts to obtain an enquiry into his sectioning in Horton Hospital, Epsom (1955).

Records of the Middlesex County Council Health Department relating to unsupported mothers, 1949-1965, comprising case files and index cards. Please note access to these files is restricted under the Data Protection Act.

Records of the Middlesex County Council Health Department relating to staff, 1947-1965, including general files relating to: medical staff, dental staff, uniforms and protective clothing, midwives, home nurses, training, health visitors, day nursery staff, medical auxiliaries, residential special schools, airports, chest clinics and health education.

Records of the Middlesex County Council Health Department relating to school health, 1944-1965, including general files relating to: juvenile delinquency, physically disabled pupils, special schools, blind and partially sighted pupils, education of the deaf, residential schools, epilepsy, mentally deficient pupils, medical inspections, ear, nose and throat clinics, dermatological survey of schoolchildren, provision of medicines and vitamins, child guidance centres, holiday camps for diabetic and epileptic children, speech therapy, first aid equipment, accidents, employment of children, 'latch-key' children, school canteens, head lice, ophthalmic treatment, colour vision testing, orthopaedic treatment, physiotherapy, surveys of the health and development of children, precautions against tuberculosis, vaccination, maladjusted children, dyslexia, control of infectious diseases and school meals.

Records of the Middlesex County Council Health Department relating to premises belonging to health services, 1948-1965, including policy and correspondence relating to health centres; mobile clinics; accommodation for Health Services staff; policy relating to the maintenance of premises, disposal of surplus equipment; papers relating to Brookfield House Clinic, Edmonton; and proposals for a clinic at Strathmore Road, Teddington.

Registers of notified births in Middlesex, 1914-1950, particularly in Feltham, Friern Barnet, Hampton Wick, Hayes and Harlington, Hendon, Kingsbury, Northwood, Potters Bar, Ruislip, South Mimms, Staines, Sunbury, Uxbridge, West Drayton and Yiewsley.

Records of the Middlesex County Council Health Department relating to mental health services, 1915-1965, including papers regarding staff training; papers relating to psychiatric hospitals; papers relating to residential homes for the mentally ill; policy on after care for mental patients and alcoholics; investigation into autism; survey of children with Down's Syndrome; papers relating to guardianship cases; papers regarding the care of mentally ill or disturbed children; papers relating to training centres, education, occupational therapy and workshops for the mentally ill or disabled; photographs of Enfield Adult Training Centre and papers relating to individual institutions. Also sample case files for mentally defective persons and mentally ill persons: please note that access to case files is restricted under the Data Protection Act.

Records of the Middlesex County Council Health Department relating to local health services, 1934-1965, including papers regarding co-operation between local health authorities, hospital authorities and general practitioners; policy on day nurseries and crèches; policy relating to the care of mothers and babies; policy relating to birth control; papers relating to the midwifery service and general childbirth; papers of the Family Help Service relating to problem families; policy on homeless families; policy relating to welfare foods; policy on health visiting and home nursing; papers regarding vaccination and immunisation; policy relating to the care of the aged; policy on nursing homes; papers relating to research, investigations and trials.

Records of the Middlesex County Council Health Department relating to the dental section, 1922-1965, including orthodontic treatment policy; dental education to aid in the conservation of teeth; dental treatment in schools; research and investigation into sodium fluoride; dental prosthetics; dental anaesthetics; Ministry of Education circulars; Ministry of Health Circulars, and press cuttings.

Records of the Middlesex County Council Health Department relating to administration, 1901-1965, including minutes of Staff Conferences; minutes of meetings of Heads of Sections; reports made to the Middlesex Local Medical Committee; minutes of meetings of Area Chief Clerks; examples of forms in use; general files relating to infant welfare, day nurseries, midwifery, home nursing, vaccination and immunisation, home helps, children in care, clinics, dental care and record keeping; papers relating to the National Health Service; papers relating to the Ambulance Service; papers relating to Regional Hospital Boards; papers relating to public health matters; statistics and returns; circulars from the County Medical Officer to the area medical officers; and papers relating to the reorganisation of London government in 1965.

Records of the Middlesex County Council Health Department relating to financial accounts, 1950-1965, including the Marie Curie Memorial Foundation Fund; car allowance policy; tuberculosis settlements; recuperative holidays and loan of nursing equipment.

Correspondence and reports relating to the establishment of a health room at Imperial College, 1949-1955; minutes and correspondence of the Health Room Committee, 1956-1967; Medical Services Committee, 1968-1977; Royal College of Art Medical Service Register, 1953-1956; report on the future organisation of the health service, 1976; appointment of Director, 1977-1980; reports of the Student Counsellor, 1974.

Photograph album presented to Haughton by RN Hospital Haslar to commemorate the visit of HRH Prince Charles to the hospital, 28 Jun 1982, including photographs of troops wounded in the Falklands War, 1982.

Minutes and reports of Bedford Hospital Staff Occupational Health Department, 1960s-1970s, with reports to DHSS, tape-slide presentation, minutes and papers relating to setting up of Staff Occupational Health Department for Kensington and Chelsea and Westminster Health Authority, 1975-1977.

Records of Harrow Community Health Council (CHC) (1974-2003) including Meeting Papers (1974-1980; 1992-2003), Annual Reports (1996-2003), Visit Reports (1996- 2003), Consultation Responses (1999-2003), Attendance Registers (1982-2003) and Publications (2000-2003).

Papers of Noel Gordon Harris including correspondence; records of involvement in teaching and policy-making in psychiatry, and in treatment, especially of epilepsy, c 1934-1963.

Correspondence between members of the Harland family.

Notebooks of R.D. Harkness compiled as a medical student at Cardiff and at University College Hospital, London, 1940s.

Papers of Richard Henry Hardy, 1952-1992, including records of cases and correspondence, general practice, Exmouth, 1952-1970, and Hereford General Hospital Accident and Emergency Department, 1971-1984, with reprints and unpublished writings, 1948-1992.

Health Visitor's report book, 1912-1921, prepared for the Sanitary Committee of Hanwell Urban District Council; with examination questions on infant welfare, 1918; Health Visitor's reports for Ealing Public Health Department, 1926-1927, and booklet "A Synoptic History of Health and Related Services 1801-1969", 1970.