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Papers of Sir Humphry Davy are extensive including the bond of indenture of apprenticeship, 1795 with its release, 1798; lecture notes of 1805-1812 relating to subjects such as the history of electricity, vegetable chemistry, electrochemical science, agricultural chemistry and geology; honours and diplomas relating to various institutions such as the Academy of Sciences, Saint Petersburg for 1826, the Danish Royal Society of Sciences for 1821 and the Pilman Society of Edinburgh for 1823; laboratory notebooks of 1805-1829 relating to experiments on galvanism, sulphur and phosphorous, ammonia on potassium, sodium, metals, muriatic and oxymuriatic gas, copper, and decompositions amongst others; RI laboratory notebooks of 1830-1861 which includes Davy's work on copper and water; correspondence relating to his work and personal life, to and from his mother, Mrs Jane Apreece, Samuel Taylor Coleridge (1772-1834) and others; personal notebooks c 1795-1829; mathematical notebooks; scientific observations notebooks of 1799-1800 relating to phosphorous, the combustion of iron and the philosophy of heat and light; papers relating to his published works such as the Elements of Chemical Philosophy, Consolations in Travel and Salmonia; papers collected by Michael Faraday (1791-1867) which includes some of the above mentioned notebooks; papers collected by John Davy (1790-1868) his brother, relating to extracts from Humphry Davy's journals and John's observations of his brother; papers of his poetry and sketches; his Commonplace book 1812-1815; a ledger of Edmund Davy (1785-1857) his cousin and appraisal for the miners safety lamp of 1815.

The papers are extensive covering Faraday's work in science. Details of his work on electro-magnetic induction, the laws of electrolysis and the theory of electro-magnetism are in the form of laboratory notebooks, lecture notes and various publications on experimental researchers in electricity. There are some administrative papers on the Royal Institution of Great Britain including cash books. The correspondence covers his work for the Admiralty and the Corporation of Trinity House whilst acting as Scientific Adviser; they also detail his general communication with people and other organisations. Other items include his book collection, scrapbooks, portfolio of portraits and apparatus. A few lacunae have been identified. There are no documents on his personal life or his work as Professor of Chemistry at the Royal Military Academy, Woolwich.