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Manuscript and typescript letterbook containing letters from Guy Francis Hamilton Acheson, 1921-1924, and Cecil Arthur Verner Bowra, 1924, in the London Office of the Inspectorate General of Chinese Maritime Customs, to Sir Francis Arthur Aglen in Peking (Beijing), including some enclosures.

Records of Agassiz, Son and Company, merchants, including partnership agreements; personal papers of Lewis Agassiz; yearly accounts and account books; bills and receipts; business letters from diverse suppliers including from Switzerland, France, Argentina, Uruguay, India, Spain, Germany, the Netherlands, Belgium and Italy; and inventory of the offices.

Manuscript and typescript letterbook containing letters from Sir Francis Arthur Aglen in Peking (Beijing) to Guy Francis Hamilton Acheson, 1921-1923, and Cecil Arthur Verner Bowra, 1924-1926, in London, including some enclosures, also including letters to Bowra from A F H Edwards, 1926.

Journal of William Alley describing fourteen voyages to India, Malaya and the East Indies in several ships. The typescripts cover most of the journal's text and include material from the records of the East India Company reporting Alley's activities.

Archives of Alto Parana Development, comprising constitutional documents, minutes and financial material.

Agreement between Don Francisco de Paula Alvarez and Henry Clay and Bock and Company Ltd, 1890.

Legal papers, 1900-1901, of the Anglo-Argentine Refrigerating Company Ltd, comprising agreements and an associated letter.

Records of the Anglo-Portuguese Bank Limited, including memorandum and articles of association; Board minutes; annual reports and accounts; correspondence; financial records; manager's files; some staff files; and communications with headquarters in Portugal.

Records of the Anglo-Thai Corporation and predecessors; including partnership deeds; agreements; articles of association; Directors' minute books; press cuttings; annual reports; papers relating to shares; financial records; correspondence, tenders; employment contracts; deeds for property and photographs.

Records of Antony Gibbs and Sons Limited, merchants and foreign bankers, and their branches and subsidiaries. Records include papers relating to the Gibbs family; correspondence, letters and letter books; ledgers and other financial records; papers and correspondence of branches in Peru, Chile, Australia, the West Indies, New York, Bristol and Liverpool; memoranda; trading agreements; minutes and reports; papers relating to the guano business and papers relating to the iodine industry.

Correspondence with foreign branches will be found in a number of different points in the catalogue. A keyword search of the online catalogue by the name of the branch and 'Gibbs' is the easiest access to branch correspondence.

Records of Arnhold and Company Limited including a profit and loss book, ledgers mainly relating to the business in China, journals and cash books.

The archives consist almost entirely of business and partnership correspondence of A.G. Wentworth Gray between 1856 and 1906. They therefore include some private and family material. The firm dealt in a wide variety of goods and cargoes. The records contain references to, inter alia: beef, pork, cocoa, flour, sugar, limes, molasses, rice and timber.

Access to Mss 21409, 21411, 21412 and 21413 is subject to special conditions: for further information please ask a member of staff.

Letters, 1927-1941, of and relating to Jack F Blackburn, mainly comprising his letters to his mother Margaret Blackburn in Guildford, 1927-1941, concerning his activities and discussing family affairs, describing visits as a naval officer to the ports of Singapore, Malaya, Cairo, and Aden, and including information on his work with the Chinese Maritime Customs; also including two letters from well-wishers to his mother congratulating her on Blackburn's behaviour on HMS LADYBIRD in 1941.

Records of the Borneo Company, as follows:
1.Deed of settlement; memorandum and articles of association: Ms 27174-7;

2. Board, AGM and committee minutes; annual reports and accounts: Ms 27178-90;
3. Secretary's papers: Ms 27191-8;
4. Accounts: Ms 27199-231;
5. Overseas operations records:-
   Agency and general agreements-Ms 27232-43;
   Java and Sumatra-Ms 27244-58;
   Malaya and Singapore-Ms 27259-76;
   Philippines-Ms 27277;
   Sarawak, North Borneo and Brunei-Ms 27278-304;
   Siam-Ms 27305-29;
6. Investments, takeovers and subsidiary company papers:-
   Australia-Ms 27330-45;
   Canada -Ms 27346-50;
   Hong Kong-Ms 27351;
   Colombia-Ms 27352;
   Cuba-Ms 27353;
   India-Ms 27354-5;
   Java and Sumatra-Ms 27356-9;
   Malaya and Singapore-Ms 27360-400;
   Netherlands-Ms 27401-2;
   Sarawak, North Borneo and Brunei-Ms 27403-19;
   Siam-Ms 27420;
   United Kingdom-Ms 27421-3;
7. Publicity and sales material: Ms 27424-6;
8. Staff records: Ms 27427-43;
9. Property records (London only): Ms 27430-6;
10. Centenary celebrations and notes for centenary history: Ms 27437-43;
11. Photographs: Ms 27444-66;
12. Branch records:-
    Sarawak: Kuching-Ms 27467-70;
    Siam: Bangkok -Ms 27471-4.

Diaries, correspondence, genealogical papers, photographs and press cuttings, 1793-1966, of Edward Charles Mackintosh Bowra and Cecil Arthur Verner Bowra.

Papers of Thomas Bowrey, sea captain and merchant, including ledger; correspondence; diaries; drawings; charts; and maps; relating to travel and trade in India, Africa, Holland, France, Batavia (Jakarta) and Persia (Iran); the "Coffree" language of Delagoa and the Telenga language; shipping insurance and Lloyd's coffee house; whaling; and piracy.

A signed holograph proposal, 1739, for preventing the illicit practice of wool, tea and brandy smuggling, submitted to both Houses of Parliament.

Papers concerning relations between Britain and Russia 1922-1923, with particular reference to the recognition of the USSR by the United Kingdom, trade relations and famine relief, collected by Charles Roden Buxton MP. The include circulars by the Union of Democratic Control, including ED Morel's reports on his visit to Russia and of the National "Hands off Russia" Committee.

Authorisation, 1668, to seize upon contraband Irish beef and other provisions, on the attempt being made to import them into Scotland.

Manuscript letterbooks, 1898-1906, containing copies of letters from James Duncan Campbell in London to Sir Robert Hart.

The records comprise deeds and legal, administrative and financial papers relating to the Castle Wemyss Estate, Jamaica, 1802-1845, belonging (during the period covered by the papers) successively to Gilbert Mathison, Simon Halliday and Rev Walter Stevenson Halliday. The deeds and legal papers record the ownership of the estate and financial claims upon it by other parties, as well as compensation claims under the Abolition Act. They include the title deeds to the estate 1802-1845; together with correspondence and other papers concerning financial claims upon it (particularly an annuity payable to Catherine Mathison, widow of Gilbert) 1830-1845, compensation payable under the Abolition Act 1834-1835, and the fate of the estate in 1843-1845 when it was no longer viable financially.
The administrative and financial papers illustrate the management of a West Indian sugar estate by attorneys on behalf of absentee landlords, and the process of shipping the sugar and rum produced back to London for sale by a firm of merchants. A fairly complete series of correspondence between Simon Halliday and his attorneys and merchants survives for the period 1823-1828, giving many details of the practical problems of managing a sugar estate and of ensuring an adequate performance by the attorneys. There are many reports on the progress of crops, as well as references to maintenance work required, the need for new cattle (a continuing problem on the Castle Wemyss estate) and the work and health of the slaves. There is further detailed information on the slaves in a series of returns; in addition there are lists of them in the title deeds to the estate after 1807 (following the abolition of the slave trade). There are references to specific events involving the slaves in the correspondence and/or the returns: for example, the case of Catalina alias Susannah Mathison who induced an abortion by taking Vervain and Contrayerva in 1824; and allegations of mistreatment of the slaves by one of the overseers, in 1827.
The correspondence of 1823-1828 also includes letters between Halliday and the firms of merchants he used in London to sell his produce. The state of the sugar and rum markets are regularly discussed, and both attorneys and merchants report on the despatch and receipt of shipments of sugar and rum, on which the successful running of the estate depended. There is one instance of a ship being wrecked and part of the cargo lost.There are also financial accounts, both of the attorneys and of the merchants, which illustrate the returns and financial problems of the estate.

A manuscript volume containing a collection of papers made by George Chalmers chiefly relating to Ireland including notes and transcripts relating to royal activity in Ireland from the time of King Henry II, tables of imports and exports for Ireland made in the late seventeenth or eighteenth century, a letter by Sir Peter Pett dated Dec 1678, and letters to Chalmers from General Charles Vallancey, Apr 1791, and Francis Douce, [1808]. On one paper, giving the exports of Ireland for 1641, 1665 and 1669, Chalmers has written 'This paper is worth more than its weight in gold'.

Records of Charles Lester and Company Limited, general traders, comprising board and general meeting minutes.

Access to records less than 30 years old (or records less than 70 years old which relate to staff) should be sought from Elementis plc (contact details may be obtained from a member of staff).

Records of Child, Macfarland and Company, export agents, comprising private ledger and sales ledger.

Letter from Sir Josiah Child of Streatham to the Hon. Sir Thomas Cooke, Governor of the East India Company, 28 Dec 1692. Recommending 'Bearer' [unidentified], who is willing 'to returne to Bombay a leift. In the meane time he is willing to be knowne to his Masters of which you are nowe ye Cheif'.

Autograph, with signature.

Papers, 1889-1969, of the China Association, including minutes and committee papers of the General Committee and Executive Committee; correspondence with the Foreign Office, Board of Trade, Sino-British Trade Council, Tientsin and Hong Kong Chambers of Commerce, Hong Kong Association and the British Consulate in Shanghai; annual reports (1889-1962); and separate items including the minutes and papers of the China Association's School of Practical Chinese Endowment Fund (1908-1955). Also includes committee papers and minutes of the British Chambers of Commerce in Hankow and Tientsin, the Hong Kong Association, the Sino-British Trade Council, and the British Residents' Association in Shanghai. Also includes photographs of banquets (1896-1906), and albums of newspaper cuttings on China (1940-1947) and Japan (1942-1949).

Records, 1926-1951, of the Chinese Government Purchasing Commission (CGPC), including information on the state of Chinese communications; the workings of the Chinese Ministries of Communications, Railways and Industries; Chinese banking; construction and engineering technology and the work of British manufacturers; and some information on Chinese educational and cultural institutions in receipt of subsidies from the Board of Trustees for the Administration of the Indemnity Funds Remitted by the British Government.

Records, 1926-1951, relating to the foundation and constitution of the CGPC comprise printed report of the Anglo-Chinese Advisory Committee (China Indemnity Advisory Committee), 1926; correspondence, largely letters from the Board of Trustees to the CPGC, 1931-1950, concerning the constitution of the Commission, procedural issues, personnel and financial matters; file on procedure on appointment of a new member of the Commission, 1947-1948; correspondence concerning events preceding the winding-up of the Commission, 1951.

Financial records, 1931-1951, comprise papers on the Board Account, 1937-1950; papers on the Chin Fund (apparently a grant paid to Constance Chin, a patient of the Bethlem Royal Hospital), 1945-1951; summaries of expenses relating to purchase orders made by Chinese ministries, 1931-1951; Indemnity Fund cash books, 1937-1950; invoices and receipts relating to CGPC business, 1937-1951; financial statements and correspondence relating to banking matters with the Hong Kong and Shanghai Bank, 1931-1951, the subjects including investments and tax.

Operational records, c1928-1951, relating to the administration of purchase orders, comprise register of tenders/purchase orders, 1942-1946; contract registers (not comprehensive), 1931-1949, recording the management of contracts for the supply and delivery in China of plant, machinery and other materials manufactured in the UK for the Chinese government, and over 1,000 related contract files for engineering companies and manufacturers for industrial, construction, railway and other projects; tender forms, 1934, issued to contractors by the CGPC; specifications and standards, c1928-1937 and undated, largely for the construction of railways and carriages; correspondence concerning administration of purchase orders, 1932-1951, relating especially to delivery of locomotive spare parts and related materials; registers of export licences issue to British manufacturers under wartime regulations, 1941-1946; applications for export licences, 1939-1945; registers of shipments, insurance, freight and inspection fees, 1931-1951; shipping letters, 1937-1950, issued for CGPC shipments; general correspondence concerning the administration of the CGPC, 1931-1951, including correspondence with solicitors and correspondence concerning the CGPC premises in Tothill Street, London.

Annual reports and accounts, 1931-1950, comprise typescript accounts and reports, 1931-1950, of the CGPC and published annual reports, 1931-1950, including summaries of receipts and payments; and annual reports of the Board of Trustees, 1931-1938.

Miscellaneous records, c1932-1950, comprise one file including papers on subjects including railways, training Chinese students, Japanese imperialism, and CGPC records, a photograph of ships in harbour, and maps of China and the Far East.

Records, 1939-1943, of the China Purchasing Agency Ltd comprise standing regulations of the Board of Directors, undated; correspondence, 1939-1943, concerning various purchase orders; miscellaneous items, c1939-1940, including list of tenders passed for acceptance, 1939, and an undated schedule of materials shipped.

Transcripts of the papers given during the conference 'Cocoa Production and Economic Development in the Nineteenth and Twentieth Centuries', 1993, concerning the world-wide trade in cocoa, including discussion of the issues in Africa, South America, South East Asia and the West Indies.

Letter from Jean-Baptiste Colbert of Versailles, [France] to M Daguesseau, 1 Jan 1683. Promoting the manufacturers of Saptes and Clermont in France, and their exports to the Levant.

With autograph signature.

Manuscript volume containing a report giving a list of all the costs of the upkeep of a galley in a squadron, [1700-1750], requested by 'S R Gerosna', entitled 'Relazione distinta di tutta la somma che si spende e consuma per il manteninento di una galera dalla squadra di questa S R Gerosna'. Includes frequent references to the port at Malta, and to Sicily, Sardinia and other islands in the Mediterranean, and notes of advice for captains of galleys trading in the area.

Records of Courage (Export) Limited, brewers, comprising board meeting minutes.

'A memoriall concerning the free-trade now tolerated between France and Holland', addressed to Sidney Godolphin.

The records of Davis and Soper Limited, export merchants, comprise minutes, details of overseas staff appointments, and a volume of contracts of sales.

The collection consists of chapters, drafts, notes and correspondence of Ralph Davis on published works (1971-1979); tables and statistics concerning overseas trade, exports and imports in the 18th and 19th centuries; teaching materials, course notes, etc (1964-1975); correspondence (1965-1978).

Records of Deli Estates Engineering and General Union Limited, including articles of association; minute books; annual reports; circulars to shareholders and a ledger.

Access to records less than 30 years old (or records less than 70 years old which relate to staff) should be sought from Elementis plc (contact details may be obtained from a member of staff).

Tariff information contained in press cuttings relating to Latin American trade, with separate volumes on Argentina, Bolivia, Brazil, Chile, Colombia, Ecuador, Peru, Uruguay, and Venezuela.

Records of Dodwell and Company Limited, importers, exporters and shipping agents, including board minutes; register of directors; annual reports; financial accounts; private notebooks of George Benjamin Dodwell (relating to the business); correspondence; company handbook; publicity material; newspaper cuttings; photographs; and personal papers of George Benjamin Dodwell.

Records of Duncan Macneill and Company, including partnership deeds; correspondence; financial accounts; annual reports; agreements; and valuations of tea companies managed by the company.

Records of J. B. Barry and Son, including partnership deeds, correspondence and financial accounts.

Records of both companies including articles of association; annual reports; financial accounts; maps of tea gardens; goods ledger; produce ledger; tea companies' ledger; correspondence and legal papers.

Also records of John Mackinnon's trusts and Duncan Macneill's trusts.

Records of E D Sassoon and Company Limited including accounts, balance sheets and reports.

Records of E D Sassoon and Company Limited including correspondence files relating to business links and investment in South Africa; and copy judgement.

Records of E D Sassoon and Company Limited including records relating to the foundation of the company such as memoranda and articles of association, certificates of incorporation and special resolutions; a board minute book and power of attorney.

Records of E D Sassoon and Company Limited including combined register of shares.

A volume giving information on the quantity and value of goods imported and exported to and from England, 1696-1701. The volume has the book plate of John Holroyd, Earl of Sheffield.

Records of the Federation of Commonwealth Chambers of Commerce, which comprise annual reports, minutes and reports of conferences.

Copy of power of attorney granted on behalf of Jose Fernandez y Lopez, resident in Havana, Cuba, to Messrs Morris and Elkan of London, concerning a brand of cigars and tobacco, 1902.

Manuscript letterbook, 1860-1863, of George H Fitzroy whilst at Shanghai, containing copy letters to various recipients, the subjects including his personal and financial affairs, property, and employment.

Records of the Foreign Cattle Market at Deptford, 1864-1988, including general administrative papers (letter books, committee papers, petitions, reports); printed copies of bye-laws, privy council orders and reports; machinery and equipment catalogues and inventories; posters; plans, drawings and maps; general financial papers (tenancy and rental agreements, rent ledgers, statements of income and expenditure, accounts, cash books, acquittance books). Also articles regarding the use of railways at the Market, particularly the Grove Street Tramway.

Records of Furness Withy and Co Ltd. For the parent company the records in the Museum include: ship files from the Naval Architect's Department, 1941 to 1961; building and service files from the Superintendent's Department, 1947 to 1964; movement books, 1946 to 1966; Charter Parties arranged by the Charter Department, 1917 to 1965; financial records, including wages and salaries, 1911 to 1958; one volume of commission accounts (mainly North American berths and the Danube), 1896 to 1952. There are papers for the three companies concerned in the South American trade: the Argentine Cargo Line Limited, minutes, 1908 to 1918; freight agreements, mainly 1908 to 1910 and printed reports, 1909 to 1917; the British and Argentine Steam Navigation Co Ltd, minutes, 1911 to 1934; meat contracts, 1914 to 1915; Furness-Houlder Argentine Lines, freight agreements (including Brazilian fruit and meat), 1914 to 1921; balance sheets and profit and loss accounts, 1940 to 1946. For the Prince Line (including the Rio Cape Line) there are reports of meetings, 1921 to 1949; files on oil prices and contracts, 1953 to 1958; and some notes on the Far East-U.S.A. Conference, 1919 to 1968. There are also the following records for other subsidiary companies: River Syndicate Ltd, minutes and accounts, 1920 to 1968; Compagnie Furness (France), accounts, 1923 to 1939; Furness (Montreal) Ltd, minutes, 1954 to 1964; Watson and Youell, cashbook for London, Bucharest and Galatz, 1919 to 1923. (Section 3: FWS/: 36ft: 1,097cm) Ships' Plans: the plans were presented in 1970. They consist mostly of prints of details of a few ships of the late 1940s and early 1950s. There are also two data books.

Records of Gabriel, Wade and English Limited, timber importers and merchants, including annual reports, financial accounts, sales ledgers and daybook, records of timber imported, property deeds, and photographs of tree-felling, logging and timber constructions.

Records of Ganges Transport and Trading Company Limited, including memorandum and articles of association; annual statements of account; and half-yearly accounts.