Showing 138 results

Letters of attorney given by holders of South Sea stock in Amsterdam, The Hague and Geneva to London merchants respecting their stock, 1731-1739.

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.

Letter from John Stuart Mill of Blackheath, [Kent] to an unidentified recipient, [1860]. Referring to a proposed article on the Anglo-French Treaty [of Commerce (1860)]. 'I never write well unless I feel moved to write on the particular subject, which on this subject I do not'.

Autograph, with signature. Written on black-edged paper.

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

Correspondence to and from Frederic and Ethelberta Harrison, including family correspondence and photocopies of Harrison's correspondence with Edward Spencer Beesly; Frederic Harrison's writings and speeches, including diaries on subjects such as the cotton famine in Lancashire, essays on subjects such as positivism, peoples education and the French Revolution, autobiographical notes, and ephemera; and press cuttings.

Papers of Edward Mayow Hastings Lloyd, 1906-1968, including early notebooks, essays and addresses, 1906-[1914], the latter mainly relating to economics and international trade; material relating to Lloyd's employment at the War Office and the Ministry of Food, 1915-1919, mainly comprising administrative papers concerning the supply and distribution of wool and food during World War One; material relating to Lloyd's post in the League of Nations Secretariat, 1919-[1923], mainly relating to international food control, the economic foundations and administrative organisation of the League of Nations, and international economic and financial conferences; material relating to Lloyd's employment at the Empire Marketing Board and the Market Supply Committee, 1926-1939, notably reports on the economies of Australia, Canada, the USA, Russia and South Africa, reports and memoranda for international economic conferences, memoranda and statistics relating to the international wheat trade, memoranda and correspondence on the National Food Policy, nutrition and agriculture, and correspondence with Arthur Greenwood, George Dallas and Sir George Ernest Schuster; administrative papers created during Lloyd's employment at the Ministry of Food, 1936-1944, mainly related to food supply during World War Two, notably minutes and papers of the Interdepartmental Committee on War Time Control of Food Prices, working papers on food controls, wages, and rationing, and papers of the British Food Mission, especially relating to food rationing; material relating to Lloyd's work as Economic Adviser to the Minister of State, Middle East, 1943-1944, mainly relating to the problems of inflation and rationing; material concerning Lloyd's work in the Balkans with the United Nations Relief and Rehabilitation Administration (UNRRA), 1944-1946, including UNRRA administrative memoranda, papers relating to the Balkan Mission notably reports and correspondence on the economic situation in Italy, Yugoslavia and Greece, especially relating to food supplies; various economic papers, 1920-1942, on subjects including international trade and economics, unemployment, British industry, agricultural policy, Independent Labour Party views on banking, credit and living wage, and post-war trade and food supplies; post-war papers collated by Lloyd, 1947-1967, notably material relating to food economics in the Middle East, notes on the history of food control, correspondence with the Ministry of Agriculture, texts of lectures by Lloyd on British agriculture and world markets, papers of the European League for Economic Cooperation; writings by Lloyd, 1920-1967, comprising articles and essays mainly concerning economics and agriculture; personal papers, 1907-1968, including an ILP engagement diary and material relating to Lloyd's death. Papers of Margaret Frances Lloyd, 1914-1970, including material relating to POWs during World War One, 1914-1919; letters to Lloyd from James Ramsay Macdonald, David Mitrany and James Joseph Mallon, 1917; pamphlets and leaflets, 1906 and 1914-1919, on subjects including the Russian Revolutions, conscientious objection, and sweated labour; material concerning Lloyd's work as an inspector for the Czech Refugee Trust, 1939-1947, including correspondence, reports on hostels, and papers relating to conditions in internment camps; material relating to Allies Inside Germany, 1942-1969, notably Council minutes, correspondence and exhibition photographs; correspondence with Polish, Jewish, Austrian, Czech and German refugee organisations, 1940-1944; material relating to Lloyd's work on the Nuffield College Social Reconstruction Survey, 1942-1943; maps and accounts of prisons and concentration camps in Germany, [1945]; correspondence with the British Council for German Democracy, 1947; correspondence and papers relating to a visit by Lloyd to Romania and Hungary, in her role as the International Secretary of the International Assembly of Women, 1954-1955; material concerning the Hemel Hempstead CND, 1965-1970. Papers concerning Edward Frank Wise (1885-1933), comprising notes and drafts by Edward Lloyd for a biography of Wise, 1935, and correspondence between Margaret Lloyd and Wise's family and friends, 1969-1973.

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...'.

Records, 1869-1975, dating largely from the 20th century, of the Guthrie Corporation, its predecessors and associated companies, comprising letterbooks and financial records, relating chiefly to plantation interests in Malaya and Singapore.

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.

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.

Papers, 1882-1943, of Sir Frederick Maze, including personal and semi-official letters, letter-books, reports and circulars, relating to his work with the Chinese Maritime Customs.

Records of Westways Greetings including sale catalogues and unused greeting cards published by Lip Productions Limited, Chicago, Illinois, United States of America and imported by Westways Greetings for sale in the United Kingdom. The cards depict gay and Christmas themes mainly marketed to the gay and lesbian community. Some of the cards depict Black people / people of African descent and other ethnic origin.

No administrative records of the firm are known to survive.

This collection was catalogued by Ros Hamner, volunteer, as part of Speakout London project funded by the Heritage Lottery Fund, supervised by Sally Bevan and Richard Wiltshire, Senior Archivists.

Mainly records of predecessor companies of Standard Chartered Bank, including African Banking Corporation; Bank of British West Africa; Bank of Nigeria; Chartered Bank of India, Australia and China; Eastern Bank Limited; E D Sassoon Banking Company Limited and related companies, London and South African Bank; P & O Banking Corporation Limited; Standard Bank of South Africa Limited and Wallace Brothers and Company (Holdings) Limited (together with Bombay Burmah Trading Corporation Limited)

The papers include foundation papers; minutes and agendas (except signed Board and Committee minutes which are retained by the bank); annual reports and accounts; financial and taxation records; papers relating to branches and agencies; agreements; papers relating to shareholders and investments; correspondence (including a large series of letterbooks for Standard Bank of South Africa); statistics; photographs; publicity material; administrative records and original banknotes and cheques.

Records of Thorne and Company Limited, merchants, including letter books; financial records; partnership deeds; share certificates; insurance policies and papers relating to land leased by the company in Shanghai.

Records of East India and general merchants Tribble, Pearson and Company. The records comprise partnership and tenancy agreements 1914-1957, financial records 1940-72, records of sales and purchases, including correspondence and ledgers, 1929-72, correspondence regarding finance and insurance 1933-70, correspondence with customers 1941-1975, records relating to trade, including papers regarding trademarks, specification books of products and a trade association membership certificate, 1900-1970, correspondence regarding the destruction of the company office 1941-1943, advertising material c 1942 and c 1950, cable books, telegraphic code book and postage book 1897-1959.

The collection also includes a register of members of the International Produce Exchange (1926) Limited 1926-1927 and 1955-1956; its connection with the firm is unknown.

Papers of John Motteux and Company, merchants, comprising letters from the company's agent in L'Orient (Brittany) and Paris.

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

William MacKinnon and Company records comprise: partnership deeds, 1919-25 (Ms 27849); and copy minute of an agreement, 1885 (Ms 27850).

Records of George G Sandeman, Sons and Company Limited, wine shippers and cotton merchants, comprising financial records 1799-1812 and 1838-9; an order book 1792-1809; merchant bankers' ledger 1817-1819; letter books 1795-1797 and 1885-1887; shipment register 1869-72; trade circulars 1840-2; private account books of stocks and shares 1821-60; and a copy of a letter by George Sandeman dated 1790.

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.

Letter from Sir Robert Peel of Whitehall to Andrew Rankin, Esq of Glasgow, 10 May 1843. Acknowledging receipt of a letter regarding the removal of import duties on cotton wool.

Written in another hand and signed by Peel. With the original sealed envelope bearing Peel's coat of arms.

Letter from Lancelot Hobson of Athens, Greece to Mr John Wise, merchant, of London, 1685. '... tis some yeares since you have not been pleased to make reply unto divers addressed you'; urging that friends should make 'further tryall of trade heere since tis now ye most open scale of [text missing] whither are brought to be shipped all ye good of Morea and Thessally [text missing] might be purchase against English commodities ...'. Goods mentioned include corn, cheese, wool, valonia [acorns used for dyeing fabric and tanning leather], silk, wax, tin, pepper, Brazil wood, indigo, oils, soap, aniseed and buffalo hides.

Begun on 24 Feb 1685 written in one hand and completed in another hand on 18 Ap 1685; the second hand appears to be Hobson's own.

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.

Papers of Walter Edward Guiness, Lord Moyne, relating to his chairmanship of the West India Royal Commission (WIRC), 1938-1939; comprising speech notes by Moyne for the first public session of WIRC; annotated notes for preparation of the WIRC report; copies of published Colonial Office reports including Report of the West India Sugar Commission, 1930, Report by Lord Moyne on Financial Mission to Kenya, 1932, Report of Enquiry on the Trinidad and Tobago disturbances, 1937, Report by G St J Orde Browne on Labour Conditions in the West Indies, 1939, WIRC Report on agriculture, fisheries and veterinary matters by F L Engledow, 1945; memoranda submitted to WIRC by interested parties in Trinidad and Tobago, on means of improving the social and economic conditions of the people, including the Port of Spain Ministerial Association, the Civil Service Association of Trinidad and Tobago, the Port of Spain Nurses and Midwives Association, the Railway Workers Trade Union, Captain C R Williams, Church Army, the Presbyterian Church in Trinidad, the Trinidad Labour Party, Port of Spain City Council, the British West Indies and British Guiana Teachers' Association, the Trinidad and Tobago Teachers' Union, Trinidad Federation Workers Trade Union, the Guianese and West Indies Labour Congress, the Chinese Commercial Association, Trinidad Chamber of Commerce, South Trinidad Cane Farmers Association, the Government of Trinidad and Tobago on agriculture, forestry and fisheries and social welfare, the Agricultural Society of Trinidad and Tobago, Trinidad Asphalt Operating Company, the Coconut Growers Association, the Petroleum Association of Trinidad, memorandum by Arthur Calder-Marshall on Trinidad, impressions of the social situation in Trinidad by A E Jeffery, the Trinidad and Tobago Union of Shop Assistants and Clerks and the Trinidad Landowners' Association.

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.

This handwritten volume is concerned with the freedom of trade which has caused the disappearance and bankruptcy of many small businesses. Bruyard also alludes to the fact that the only reason French manufactures are still exported is due to the war in which England presently is engaged and which absorbs a lot of attention and financial resources. The author claims that once the English have their hands free, the French will soon find out that they have little resources in comparison with the English. In the inner margin of the first page is a note stating 'Remis à M. de Montaran, le 9 Xbre (December) 1782.'

Papers of John Holroyd regarding imports and exports of Ireland, 1764-1783.

Information regarding the value of the trade of Britain and Ireland, 1698-1765.

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

Manuscripts relating to North American trade, namely:

1. 'An account of the value of the imports into England from the North American Colonies from Christmas 1739 to Christmas 1761.' The account shows the value of imports from each of the 12 colonies, with an abstract of the total amount for each year.
2. An account similar to the above, showing the value of exports from England to the North American Colonies, 1739-1761.
   There is no evidence to show by whom or for whom the accounts were drawn up. They appear to have been for official use.

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.

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.

Records, 1869-1967, of John Swire & Sons Ltd, comprising the bulk of known surviving material stored in the London Office, covering the development of the firm from about 1870 to 1947, and including series of correspondence coming in and out of the London Office; legal material including original deeds and leases; accounts; organisation papers; and photographs. The importance of the collection lies in the comprehensiveness of the nineteenth and twentieth century correspondence in illustrating the development of the firm and its subsidiaries from the London side where policies were decided, and from the Eastern side where they were implemented. It also gives a good picture of leading figures and firms involved in the Far Eastern trade at that time such as Jardine, Matheson & Company, the China Merchants Company and Holt's, and reveals aspects of Chinese trade and British business philosophy at the end of the Victorian era.

Volume of typescript copies of Sir Robert Hart's letters to J D Campbell, 1903-1907.

Records, 1909-1932, of Serdang Central Plantations Ltd, comprising Articles of Association, correspondence, annual reports and agreements relating to the voluntary liquidation and reconstruction.

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.

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