The working drawings of John Smeaton, civil engineer. They illustrate his researches on waterwheels and applied mechanics, and the relative efficiency of overshot as opposed to undershot wheels. With supplementary engravings and manuscript notes.

Letters from Sir Robert Moray to his friend Alexander Bruce, Earl of Kincardine, also known as 'The Kincardine Papers'. Bruce was sick of the ague in Bremen for part of this time, and the letters were written to alleviate the tedium of of Bruce's illness, hence ranging over topics which might not otherwise have been the subjects of correspondence. They include accounts of chemical experiments in his laboratory, his interest in magnetism, medicine in all its aspects, horticulture, fuel, whale fishing, its risks and profits, coal mining, water wheels and tide mills, stone quarrying and the various qualities of different stones, the pumping works needed for undersea coal mines at Bruce's home at Culross in Fifeshire, even to the trees whose wood was best for pipelines, and the diameter of the bore best suited to the purpose. Familiarity is shown with mathematical and surveying instruments, with music, and all sorts of mechanical devices and especially clocks and watches, more particularly the taking out of a patent in respect of a clock for use at sea for finding longitude. Bruce is advised on the choice of books over a wide range of subjects. Moray includes anecdotes to amuse his ailing correspondent; he describes his quiet life and is enthusiastic about many of his chemical experiments. Notable at the end of the letters Moray added what he described as his Masonic signature - a pentagram which also occurs in his crest.

Records of the Metropolitan Water Board relating to the Croydon Corporation Waterworks, comprising plans from the Engineering Department including Croydon Corporation Waterworks; Waddon Pumping Station; Stroud Green Waterworks; Surrey Street Pumping Station and water mains, ponds, wells and rivers.

Papers of Herbert Alfred Humphrey, 1883-1945, comprising volume of testimonials, letters of introduction, 1887-1915; correspondence, 1900-1918, notably with the Admiralty concerning proposals for a torpedo, 1914, Ministry of Munitions concerning chemical plants, 1917-1918; correspondence with Brunner, Mond and Co, 1890-1919, relating to his employment with the company, experiments with TNT, 1890-1919, and notes and diagrams on the manufacture of calcium nitrate, 1916; correspondence relating to Industrial Chemical Industries, 1920-1946, concerning chemical manufacture, his employment; papers concerning Brunner, Mond and Co, [1930]-1948, comprising notes concerning the history of the chemical plant at Billingham, [1930];
correspondence concerning enemy attack, technical education, 1940-1948; reports and correspondence relating to the Department of Explosive Supplies, Ministry of Munitions, 1915-1917, concerning TNT, manufacture of ammonium nitrate, calcium nitrate, explosives trials; reports relating to war service, 1914-1919, concerning the purification of TNT, shells, Hausser process; correspondence and printed papers relating to war service, 1916, inventions, 1939-1944;
correspondence with professional institutes, 1887-1938; letters, papers and reports relating to visits, annual dinners, 1886-1945; patents, 1895-1934, relating to engines, purifying gases and raising liquids; papers relating to the Metropolitan Water Board, 1909-1913, concerning water pumps; engineering drawings of pump schemes never built [1910-1912]; papers and diagrams concerning projected installation of Humphrey pumps at El Mex, Egypt, 1911-1914; articles, mostly concerning the Humphrey Pump, 1909-1936; photographs and papers relating to the Humphrey Pump, 1913;
student notebooks made whilst a student at Finsbury Technical College and Central Institution, 1883-1887.

Records of the General Hydraulic Power Company Limited, 1882-1992, containing corporate and administrative records, accounting records, share details, property and legal records, personnel records, technical records and printed material for the General Hydraulic Power Company Limited and associated companies.

Papers of J R Edmonds, 1895-1917, comprising typescripts of papers read before Woolwich Polytechnic Engineering Society, on 'Pumps', 1896; 'The Slide Rule', 1898; 'Steam Turbines', 1903; notes on 'Motor Cars', 1896, 'Florence Nightingale', 1913; 'Women's Co-Operative Guild', [c 1905]; printed lectures on Experiments on a Simple Non-Condensing Steam Engine, 1900; De Laval Steam Turbines, 1902; Design of Marine Steam Turbines, 1908; Channel Tunnel, 1913, 1917.

Laboratory notebook possibly compiled in laboratories at Crossness Pumping Station, Belvedere Road, Abbey Wood, SE2; containing wide range of analyses including: water quality, gas testing, Thames mud, sand, sewage, cow shed water, asbestos, petroleum, and so on. Several entries concern a Thames Pollution enquiry. The volume also contained 'Oxygen Sag Curve' analyses of the Thames. It is probable that the work was carried out for the Metropolitan Board of Works.

Records from the Lee Conservancy Board Engineer's Office at Enfield Lock. The engineer appears also to have been responsible to the Lee Conservancy Catchment Board (for example, see Acc 2423/062).

The collection consists of nineteenth and twentieth century plans, papers and volumes concerning the Lee Conservancy Board, the Lee Conservancy Catchment Board, and the British Waterways Board, covering many aspects of maintenance work on waterways and administration. The papers comprise:

• Plans 1760-1954 (ACC 2423/P/0001-3786) A large proportion of the collection consists of plans, many reused with annotations. Items relate to repair work on sewers and buildings, improvements to rivers and pumping stations, and the purchase of land for new projects.
  • Parliamentary Plans 1840-1965 (ACC 2423/PP/001-041) Plans produced for or submitted for Parliamentary Sessions to illustrate forthcoming work on waterways, for example, sewerage work, or waterways affected by the construction of railways.
  • Specific Plans 1867-1964 (ACC 2423/R/001-076) A set of plans illustrating large projects, which seems to have been kept as a set distinct and separate from the main ACC 2423/P plan series by the placing of the letter `R' before each original plan number.
  • General Plans 1828-1974 (ACC 2423/X/001-300) A collection of more general plans relating to projects focusing on improvements to the Lea River and Navigation, the Stort River and Navigation, the Bow Back Rivers and the Grand Union Canal.
  • Ordnance Survey Maps 1838-1955 (ACC 2423/05/001-139) Maps used to plan forthcoming work, with frequent annotations, particularly for the drafting of courses for sewers.
  • Engineers' Reports and Letter Books 1858-1961 (ACC 2423/001-136) Sets of volumes and files recording reports, contracts and specifications, and other maintenance records.
  • Administrative and Legal Documents 1829-1977 (ACC 2423/AL/001-119) Administrative files relating to accidents and damage, together with inventories of assets, minutes of meetings, and engineers' reports. Legal documents include material on agreements for sale and tenancy, the conveyance of property, and contracts.
  • Engineering and Maintenance Records 1892-1978 (ACC 2423/EM/001-097) Records relating to the maintenance and improvement of waterways, including development plans, moratorium surveys, pumping records, and related graphs and operation sheets.