Papers of the Edmonton Local Board of Health relating to a legal case at Queen's Bench, 1871; papers of Southgate Local Board of Health relating to the Edmonton Local Board (Division of District) Bill, 1881-1890; and various deeds, leases, assignments, conveyances, mortgages and other property documents for the Southgate area, 1800-1960.

Records of the prison Supervisors comprising: "Act of Parliament to explain and amend the Laws relating to the Transportation, Imprisonment, and other Punishment, of certain offenders, authorising building of two penitentiaries", 1779; order by King appointing John Howard, George Whatley and Dr John Fothergill Supervisors of the penitentiaries to be erected under above Act, 1779; minutes of meetings of the Supervisors to discuss possible sites near London and a plan for the male penitentiary, 1779; draft letter from George Whatley to John Howard, acknowledging receipt of letter, overestimate of savings expected from convicts' labour, and difficulties ahead, 1780; memorial by Supervisors recommending site between Grays Inn Road and Bagnigge Wells Road read out at meeting with Lord Chancellor, Speaker, Judges and Lord Mayor, 1780; proposal by John Howard and John Fothergill for a new site for the Penitentiary near the White Conduit, marked on a map now missing, 1780.

Apportionment of rent charge in lieu of tithes in the parish of Hendon, with plan, 1741-1903.

Records of the National Association of Pension Funds Ltd, 1917-2009, comprising minutes, agendas, reports and correspondence from various committees; secretary's files; documents concerning membership; publicity and outreach material, including conference publications, yearbooks and published reports and surveys; and audio-visual material, including photographs and promotional videos.

Records of the Society of Pension Consultants, comprising minutes, agendas, reports and correspondence from various committees; secretary's files; documents concerning membership; published reports and surveys.

Lists of convictions under the Summary Jurisdiction Act, some filed from the police courts, 1889-1910.

Records of the Middlesex County Surveyor, 1853-1914. The records in this series relate mainly to the period when Frederick Hyde Pownall was County Surveyor for Middlesex. They cover two of his major responsibilities - the upkeep and repair of bridges (MS/B and MS/BC); and the inspection of plans concerned with proposed Acts of Parliament for local undertakings (MS/PU).

Records of the Middlesex Deeds Registry, 1709-1938. Deeds and documents brought into the Registry for registration were initially copied onto pieces of parchment called memorials, and then into large volumes or registers. The registers exist for 1709-1938. Information held in the memorials and registers includes the date of the transaction, the names of the parties and a description of the property. Plans were frequently included in the entries and from 1892 a separate series of plan tracings of larger map and plans was made.

The indexes cover 1709-1919, and consist of large volumes with entries arranged under the surname of the vendor or first party in alpha-chronological order. Against each entry is a note of the other parties and the location of the property. Indexes for 1920-1938 take the form of an alphabetised card index to the names of the vendors or first parties. Information is given on the location of the property, varying in detail from a parish to a street name and number.

The indexes 1709-1919 and registers of memorials have been microfilmed.

Records of the London County Council Public Control Department relating to Coroners, 1889-1965, including general files relating to the Departmental Committee on Coroners Law and Practice; the Departmental Committee on Coroners; the Coroners' (Amendment) Act, 1926; the Human Tissue Bill; the Suicide Bill; the Committee on Consumer Protection and Consumer Protection Bill; proposals for amendment of law relating to coroners; coroners' qualifications; articles and booklets on the office of coroner; coroners' statistics; cremation regulations; custody of coroners' records; pathologists and toxicologists; fees and payments, both to the coroner and by the coroner; removal of bodies; undertaking of funerals; employment of council's officers as expert witnesses; reorganizations of districts; reorganisation under London Government Act, 1963; proposals to set up one or more post mortem centres in London; unusual cases and inquests; deaths due to poisoning; inquests following motor bus and tram accidents, coal gas poisonings and demolition of buildings; deaths from drowning and removal of drowned bodies; deaths occasioned by starvation; deaths due to tetanus; incidents relating to unprotected fire-grates; accidents through window cleaning; inquests held as a result of air raids (First World War); fire inquests and treasure trove.

Papers relating to staffing, including general papers on the positions of coroner, deputy coroner, assistant deputy coroner and mortuary keeper; papers relating to appointments, including procedures and files on individual appointments; papers regarding salaries, pensions and expense allowances; and the personal files of various coroners.

Papers relating to coroner's premises, including individual coroner's courts and mortuaries; general papers relating to mortuaries; maps showing areas covered by individual mortuaries and statistics relating to the use of mortuaries.

Records of the London County Council Public Control Department relating to vehicle registration and driving licences, 1891-1971, including register of fees for daily use of locomotives on the roads under the Locomotive Act 1898; register of motor cars and motor cycles from LT 4001 to LT 4400, 1917-1919; samples of certificates of passing of test of competence to drive; posters for public display giving notice of Local Inquiries concerning the imposition of speed limits under the Motor-Car Act, 1903; sample driving licences, 1910-1966; form of declaration to be completed by applicants for establishment, motor and dog licences, 1910; Report of the Advisory Committee (Ministry of Transport) on the operation of the Road Vehicles (Registration and Licensing) Regulations, 1921; samples of vehicle registration books and forms; brief historical account of driving licensing from 1903 to 1971; sample books of petrol coupons; map of LCC area showing streets where locomotives can be allowed by day, by night and without restriction and bridges with and without restrictions, under the Locomotive Act, 1898.

Records of the London County Council Tramways Department, 1870-1933, including copies of relevant legislation; reports by solicitor; annual accounts; printed reports on the purchase of undertakings, methods of traction, electrification and so on, tramways development, financial matters, fares, staff and organisation and light railways; papers relating to arbitration proceedings against the London Street Tramways Company, North Metropolitan Tramway Company, London Tramways Company, London Deptford and Greenwich Tramways Company, Woolwich and South-East London Tramways Company and London United Tramways Company; arbitration concerning contract for construction of the superstructure of Greenwich Generating Station by Joseph Westwood and Company Limited; proceedings on claim for reduction of weekly hours from 56 to 48 and award thereon; proceedings on claim for increased wages for employees in the Electrical Section and award thereon.

Map of the tramways of London; maps showing the tramways of London North and South of the Thames; tramway map of London and suburbs showing the LCC tramways, their connections with other tramways and the tube railways; copies of the Official LCC Tram Map and Guide, containing descriptions of places of public interest and the tram routes serving them; 'Direct Services between North and South London - A Guide to Kingsway Tramway'; 'A Description of the System of LCC Tramways prepared on the occasion of the Annual conference of the Tramways, Light Railways and Transport Association'; issues of brochure 'The London Holiday Maker'; publicity brochures and fixture cards; regulations regarding the Electrical Power (Conduit System) on the LCC tramways; rules and regulations for conductors and drivers; 'What the progressives have done for the people's Trams', LCC election campaign literature (text and photographs reprinted from The Daily News).

Records of the Middlesex County Council Civil Defence Department, including general files, 1953-1964, relating to civil defence including planning, guidance, memoranda, reports, background information, general correspondence, correspondence relating to air raid shelters, surveys, conferences and papers on the use of the Civil Defence Corps in peacetime emergencies.

Files on training, 1949-1964, including syllabus and instructor notes for training in handling casualties, rescue, wardens, tactics, evacuation, care of the homeless, billeting, rest centres, operational control, cable laying and communications; orders for training exercises; demonstrations and competitions, and plaques presented to the Middlesex Division Civil Defence Corps for completion of training by the Royal Air Force.

Files on tactical studies, 1953-1962, including London tactical study exercise questions; London Region control and deployment study; papers from a London tactical exercise at Park Royal; and papers from a Middlesex County Council tactical study at Hirst Hall, Wembley including programmes, talks and notes.

Records of the London County Council Public Control Department relating to the registration of charities, 1897-1965, including general files on the War Charities Act, 1916; charities for the blind; the Blind Persons Act, 1920; the Departmental Committee on Collecting Charities, 1925 and Collecting Charities (Regulation) Bill, 1929; charities previously administered by Boards of Guardians and Metropolitan Asylums Board; War Charities Act, 1940 and the National Assistance Act, 1948.

Schemes for the administration of charities approved by the Charity Commissioners, including reports made to the Charity Commissioners; 'A Digest of Endowed Charities in the Administrative County of London made by the Charity Commission', printed by order of the House of Commons, and copies of Sealed Schemes made by the Charity Commissioners.

Registers of charities under the War Charities Act, 1916; Blind Persons Act, 1920 and War Charities Act, 1940. Also files of correspondence between the LCC and the Charity Commissioners relating to non-educational endowed charities.

Records of the Port of London, Thames Conservancy and Thames Navigation, 1505-1994.

Port of London records include administrative papers, committee reports, accounts, annual reports, bye-laws, papers of the Committee of the House of Commons appointed to consider the best mode of increasing the accommodation of the Port of London, 1796-1799, city tonnage dues cash books and canal boat registration.

Thames Conservancy records include papers relating to the City's claim to the Thames soil, shores and bed; correspondence; reports; maps; acts and bills for the Conservancy of the River Thames; papers regarding the boundary stones marking the limits of the jurisdiction of the City of London; minutes of the Navigation Committee and Parliamentary papers.

Thames Navigation records include accounts, bye-laws, petitions and reports.

Also papers relating to fishing including conservation of fish stock and issue of licences; Parliamentary papers relating to the Thames and the Embankment; papers relating to maintenance of embankments and wharves; publications regarding various aspects of the history of the Thames.

Records of the City Of London Lieutenancy, 1537-1987, including Lieutenancy commissions; lists of Commissioners; copy commissions; papers of the Court of Lieutenancy, including Committee of Lieutenancy minutes and reports; financial accounts; standing orders; attendance books; Court papers and correspondence; minute books of the Committee for Defaulters; enquiries, reports and proposals; Acts of Parliament concerning the Militia; press cuttings; monthly returns of officers, non-commissioned officers, and drummers; papers relating to the lease and use of artillery ground; papers concerning buildings and maintenance, including site plans; military and naval papers; general administrative papers and papers relating to the history of the Lieutenancy.

Records pertain to the management of Epping Forest by the City of London Corporation.

The collection includes records which detail the City of London Corporation's statutory responsibilities in administering the forest (including bills and acts of parliament, legal cases, bye-laws and the election of verderers); administrative records (including Superintendent's correspondence, committee papers, forest keepers' diaries and reports and information relating to licences and land alterations); financial records (including annual accounts, ledgers of income and expenditure and cash books); staff records (including wages books and staff registers); records concerning the museum at Queen Elizabeth's Hunting Lodge (including visitors books, research and interpretation materials and documents collected for their historical interest); printed materials (books, leaflets, posters and invitations produced both by the City of London and other organisations connected with Epping Forest); visual material (including photographs, postcards and slides); maps and plans.

The collection is particularly rich in visual material (see CLA/077/G) with photographs and slides covering the period 1880 to 2007.

Records of particular interest include: incoming and outgoing letters to the Superintendent comprehensively cover an 82 year period from 1880 to 1962 (CLA/077/B/01; CLA/077/B/02; CLA/077/B/03; CLA/077/B/15) . These letters illuminate many aspects of the history of the forest including forest management decisions, land-use changes and the relationship between forest staff and local residents and the central role played by the Superintendent.

Those researching individuals may be interested in the staff records for example, staff registers (CLA/077/D/03) and wages books (CLA/077/D/01) as well as the records kept by Forest Keepers (CLA/077/B/07 and CLA/077/B/08).

Minutes of the Central London Sick Asylum Board of Management, 1868-1914; minutes of Committees including the Finance Committee, Cleveland Street Asylum Visiting Committee, Hendon Asylum Visiting Committee and Special Committees, 1868-1914; financial records, 1868-1914; Local Government Board orders, 1871-1913 and correspondence, 1877-1912.

Cleveland Street Asylum registers of admission and discharge, 1875-1915, creed, 1875-1915, births, 1902-1915, deaths, 1875-1915 and burials, 1877-1915.

Highgate Infirmary and Asylum registers of admission and discharge, 1870-1883, creed, 1870-1883 and deaths, 1870-1883.

Hendon Asylum registers of admission and discharge, 1900-1917.

Records of the Committee of the Whole Court of Aldermen, comprising minute book and papers, 1836 and rough minutes, 1821-1825.

Records of the County Purposes Committee, Court of Common Council, including minutes, 1889-1956; committee papers, 1889-1956; papers regarding the use of inland waterways, 1917-1918; papers relating to the War Charities Act, 1916-1981; list of Chairmen, 1889-1931; list of powers and duties of the Committee, 1931; report books, 1913-1923 and 1941-1947, and solicitors' correspondence, 1890-1891.

Records of the Enquiries into the Constitution of the Corporation Committee, Court of Common Council, including minute books and papers, 1837-1840; minute book and papers, including Police Rate Assessments and returns of wards with lists of municipal election voters, 1852-1853 and minute books and papers, 1856-1861.

Records of the Epping Forest and Open Spaces Committee, Court of Common Council, including minutes, 1878-2004; committee papers, 1877-1957; subject files relating to specific developments including Jubilee Retreat, Bury Road, Chingford, Essex, 1941-1949, East Ham Civil Defence Centre, Capel Road, Wanstead Flats (including plans), 1952-1956, Western Sewage Works, Chingford Hatch, 1956 and report of Superintendent regarding Queen Elizabeth's Hunting Lodge, 1952; letter books, 1879-2001; reports of the Epping Forest Committee to the Court of Common Council, 1882-1949 and annual reports, 1983-1997. Please note that some of these records are closed.

Records of the General Purposes Committee, Court of Common Council, including journals, 1789-1858; minutes, 1789-1981; rough minutes, 1791-1842; committee papers, 1789-1957; proceedings from various subcommittees including the Compter Committee, By Law Committee, Mansion House Committee, State Coach Committee, Marshale Committee, Blackfriars Bridge Committee, Shop Tax Committee, Court of Requests Committee, and investigations including the Sheriff's Court, regulation of unlicensed Carts, riots at Knightsbridge, regulating elections within the City, conduct of staff and proposal to alter the date of the annual wardmotes, 1777-1924; standing orders, 1826-1841 and summary of powers and duties with a list of Chairmen and standing orders of the Committee, 1880-1920.

Minutes and papers of various small, temporary committees of the Court of Common Council, 1668-1990. The Committees were formed to consider various matters including the election, remuneration and behaviour of officers and staff of the Corporation of London; consideration of the effects of various Parliamentary Acts and Bills; the historical rights and privileges of the City of London; the provision of cemeteries; parishes and benefices; metage, particularly of coal and corn; the reform of the Corporation; markets; building maintenance and preservation; debtors, insolvency and bankruptcy; the Gresham bequest; food imports; transport including railways; presentation of the Freedom to William Pitt; militia; the erection of monuments and statues; the funerals of Arthur Wellesley, Duke of Wellington and Horatio, Viscount Nelson; legacies and bequests; care of orphans; poor relief; estate management; schools and libraries; City finances; water and gas supply; Port of London; sewers; regulation of trade and licensing; street lighting; prisons and compters.

Also papers relating to the general organisation and running of Court of Common Council Committees, including the decision to allow public and press to attend certain committees, 1974; lists of committee Chairmen and members for various years; committee books, 1690-1727 and 1813-1990; bills books, 1873-1884; notes on the historical powers of the Court of Common Council and the Court of Aldermen and notes on the streamlining of committees and administration, 1835-1965.

Minutes of the Policy and Parliamentary Committee and the Policy and Resources Committee, Court of Common Council, 1966-2005. Please note minutes created after 1978 are closed.

Records of the Railways Committee, including volume of minutes, 1864-1865; committee papers, 1864; Third Report of the Select Committee of the House of Lords on metropolitan railway communication, 1863 and report of House of Commons on railway schemes (metropolis), 1864.

Minute book of the Whole Court (Public Health Department) Committee, 1899-1905.

Papers of Thomas Woodford, comprising two volumes of history and precedents relating to the legislation and authority of the Corporation of the City of London, 1739-1740; with a cartulary and rental of the estates of the family of Woodford in Leicestershire and Buckinghamshire, 1510.

A collection of local Acts of Parliament relating to Middlesex and Westminster, concerning building permission (including building bridges over the Thames at Richmond, Staines and Ealing); the powers of Justices of the Peace; the administration of the Militia; street maintenance; enclosures; and legacies, especially the disposition of estates and land after death.

A collection of documents relating to Middlesex and Westminster, including property conveyances, marriage settlements, wills and court papers.

Copy of the Stanwell Enclosure Act, "for dividing and inclosing the several open fields arable and meadow grounds, and lammas lands, and commons, moors, and waste lands within the manors of Stanwell and Hammonds, otherwise Shipcot, and in the parish of Stanwell, in the County of Middlesex".

Copy will of William Bryant of Turnham Green, 1767-1768, relating to his estate at Sudbury and Turnham Green; lease and release relating to land in Acton Common Field and Turnham Green Common Field, 1807, and copy of Act for enclosing lands in parish of Hanwell, 1813.

Plan of the ancient enclosures, open and commonable fields, common marshes, and lammas grounds, chase allotments and other commonable and waste lands within the parish of Enfield, 1804; and ordnance map of Enfield, 1866.

Survey of Enfield Chase showing the boundaries and the various land holdings. Made by order of the Duchy of Lancaster in pursuance of an Act for Dividing the Chase of Enfield. 1776.

Papers, collected by the building society in the course of their work, comprising Land Registry certificate of charge on leasehold property, 21 Ackroyd Road, Honor Oak Park, 1935; legal charge between Charles Alfred Chappell of 21 Ackroyd Road, Honor Oak Park, postman, and the Liverpool Investment Building Society, 67 Lord Street, Liverpool, 1935.

Records of the Physiological Society, including all the minute books from the foundation of the Society in 1876, the proposal books for candidates from 1888, correspondence, histories and photographs. The bulk of the material dates from after 1939.

Papers of The Society of Medical Officers of Health, 1856-1998, comprising the constitution, 1892-1993; council records, 1856-1997; records of the general purpose committee, 1937-1981; records of the standing and temporary committees, and working parties and joint meetings, 1892-1996; general meeting records, 1856-1997; attendance books, 1872-1965; financial records, 1892-1996; members lists, 1895-1997; publications and official publicity, 1856-1997; historical material, 1866-1908; comments and evidence c 1879-1998; miscellaneous files, c 1879-1998; records of special interest groups, 1920-1997; papers, minutes and publications relating to the Society's Faculty of Community Health, 1988-1998; public health literature and sources, 1902-1997; files relating to the journal The Medical Officer, 1897-1973; non-Society records documenting public health measures, policies and issues in the first half of the 20th century; and minutes, files, transcripts of papers, correspondence, photographs, and ephemera relating to the regional Branches and Groups of the Society, 1875-1997.

POST 114 comprises Acts of Parliament relating to Post Office business covering the years 1657-1986. Parliamentary warrants, treasury warrants, details of parliamentary debates, memoranda and related reports can also be found within this class. The class is thematically separated into 24 Sub-Series' (which in turn are organised chronologically) covering a wide range of legislature, from major Post Office Acts that established such historic privileges as the state monopoly of postal communications, to numerous acts of a less celebrated nature, such as Road Repair Acts or Electric Lighting Acts. A number of important Acts can be found in Sub-Series 1 'The Establishment of the Post Office and Postage Rates', including the Post Office Acts of 1657 and 1969. Reports, policy reviews, various bills and other papers of a similar nature are gathered in Sub-Series 2 'Growth and Expansion of the Modern Post Office'. These records cover the years 1951-1986. All of the major branches of business that have been under the control of the Post Office during the nineteenth and twentieth centuries are represented in this class, including: telegraphs and telephones (Sub-Series 7); savings banks (Sub-Series 12); pensions (Sub-Series 15); and National Insurance (Sub-Series 16), amongst much else.

This series consists primarily of 'proof books', that is bound volumes and files containing specimen impressions of new date, machine cancellation or other handstruck stamps (both steel and rubber) for postal use, authorisations and instructions for use, handstamp destruction records and historical summaries of machine cancellations.

These two main collections of proof books have substantial gaps, notably, for steel stamps, for the period after 1821, and, for rubber stamps, after 1831. It is believed that the proof books for these periods were lost in the major fire which occurred in 1957 at the Supplies Department, Mount Pleasant, where these records were once housed. Regrettably, when the surviving volumes in these two collections were rebound in c1960, the original volume numbers were lost, and new artificial numbering sequences were given to the newly-bound volumes. This destroyed the evidence once offered by the original bindings, making it impossible now to determine exactly what has been lost from the original series.

The archive consists of:

• papers relating to Helena Normanton's career and legal work

• papers relating to matrimonial law reform

• publications and articles by Helena Normanton

• correspondence with editors of publications

• papers relating to Helena Normanton's other interests in history and to other organisations that she was involved with eg Union of Women Voters

• photographs

• press cuttings (eg Helena Normanton's career, articles and reviews, matrimonial law reform)

• Barristers robe, barristers bands, badges

There are no personal papers.

The archive consists of Priscilla Norman's personal collection of pamphlets, publications and propaganda material relating to the suffrage campaigns. There was a strong tradition of Liberal support in Lady Norman's family, and some of the material is concerned with their activities. The archive includes circular letters and memoranda from the Workers' Suffrage Federation, the National League for Opposing Woman Suffrage and the Men's Liberal Suffrage Union. Also included are pamphlets dating from the late 1870s, a series of annual reports of the Edinburgh National Society for Women's Suffrage (1875-1883), and some anti-suffrage material sent to Sir Henry Norman as a Member of Parliament.

This collection consists of items relating to Civil Partnership ceremonies in 2006: photographs, invitations, audio-visual recordings, celebration menus, registration forms, council registrar booklets. It also includes the participants' answers to a questionnaire about their civil partnership. The documented ceremonies and celebrations include those held in Kent (on International Women's Day, 2006); at Bromley Town Hall in Bow; in Hertfordshire and at the Liberal Jewish Synagogue, London. It also includes one folder of Civil Partnership ephemera.

As at 2008 the collection contains records donated by:

• Sarah Ingle and Carol Goulden

• Jan Pimblett and Meg Davis

• Bridget Leach and Susan Flanagan

• Susan Crane and Karen Newman.

Photographs and related memorabilia, including signed photographs and cards, of attendees at various international conferences largely concerning mental health issues, in Geneva, Washington and Brazil, between c1960 and 1977. Includes photographs of a symposium of the Brazilian Association of Psychiatry and the World Psychiatric Association in 1973. Also includes a photograph of family group (possibly featuring Eileen Brooke's mother), c1880. Brooke publications regarding mental health information systems 1961-1980, report of a meeting regarding suicide as a mental health issue, Dec 1978. Brooke publications c1959-1976, World Health Organisation reports of studies 1969-1975, Curriculum vitae Eileen Brooke. Various articles and reports used for research and evaluation into cost benefit of drugs, mental health rehabilitation programmes and systems c1966-1970s.

Archive, 1754 to date, of the Royal Society of Arts (RSA; formerly the Society for the Encouragement of Arts, Manufactures and Commerce, or Society of Arts), created by the Society in the course of its activities, and comprising records of its administration (Ref: AD), and records of its activities and events (Ref: PR), also including some printed material dating back to 1634.

Administrative records of the Society include:

Records of Miscellaneous Committees to discuss the programme and administration of the Society, including the Committee of Correspondence and Papers and the Committee of Miscellaneous Matters, 1754-1848 (Ref: AD.MA/104).
Records of the Society from 1754, later the Council (established 1845) (Ref: AD.MA/100).

Records concerning Chairmen of Council (from 1846) and Council membership (Ref: AD.MA/102).

Records of Secretaries (administrative head of the Society), after 1994 known as the Director (Ref: AD.MA/101).

Records of Presidents (Ref: AD.MA/103).

Records of Membership/Fellowship, relating to subscribers to the Society, originally termed 'members', referred to as 'Fellows' from 1908 (Ref: AD.MA/900). (The archive does not include extensive biographical information on RSA Fellows, although dates of membership of Fellows are usually recorded.)
Records concerning the Society's House in John Adam Street from its design and construction by the Adam Brothers, including correspondence, papers, notes, leases and other legal documents, relating to administration, management, alteration and repair of the building (Ref: AD.MA/300).

Records of various House Committees set up at different times to look at the building, its use, function, administration and management (Ref: AD.MA/305).

Accounting and financial records produced by various committees including the Accounts Committee and Finance and General Purposes Committee (Ref: AD.MA/400).

Annual Reports recording the Society's activities over the year, initially within the Journal (from 1852), but later as a separate publication (Ref: AD.MA/701).

Records relating to general lectures (developed from the 1850s when the Society ceased the award of premiums for inventions), with correspondence mainly concerning administrative arrangements for speakers and publication of their texts (in the RSA Journal) and suggestions for topics for discussion (Ref: AD.MA/800).

Records relating to the RSA Silver Medal awarded annually for the most interesting lecture over the preceding year (Ref: AD.MA/803).

Records relating to production of the Journal and other publicity, promotion and communication (Ref: AD.MA/203).

Donations and collections, comprising objects and artefacts donated to or bought by the Society (Ref: AD.MA/204).

Records of the Society's activities (such as award schemes, exhibitions, conferences, seminars and lectures), including joint initiatives with a range of other organisations, include:

Guard Books (30 volumes), 1754-1770, containing correspondence and papers about all Society activities and committees, on a range of subjects (Ref: PR.GE/110).

Manuscript versions of the Society's Transactions, comprising draft versions of the printed Transactions, including drawings, plans and diagrams in support of claims for premiums and awards. Also general correspondence to the Society on various 19th century campaigns, conferences and committees, covering subjects including lectures (arrangements for dates, speakers, chairmen, participants; suggestions for subjects, submission of lecture texts, corrections to texts, requests for tickets/programmes, acceptances, apologies for non-attendance etc), examinations (requests for syllabus, copies of certificates, programmes, rules; complaints, arrangements, agreements with colleges, details of examiners etc), membership (requests for information, applications, replies to circulars, notes accompanying subscriptions, resignations, complaints), Council/committee chairmen (intention to attend meetings, acceptances, general arrangements for meetings, requests for information, dates, times etc), Journal (receipt/non-receipt of copies, reciprocal arrangements with other libraries, requests for extra copies, corrections to proofs, advertising, arrangements for making blocks, photogravures etc), House (letters from freeholders, solicitors, contractors; booking of rooms), staff (applications for employment, testimonials, sick notes etc - a very small number of items), general (invitations, letters from bankers, auditors, business circulars, requests for funding, suggestions for campaigns, policies, events etc), and including artistic copyright, uniform musical pitch, domestic economy, art workmanship, musical training, food committees, patent law reform, prevention of fires in theatres and education exhibitions (Ref: PR.GE/118-19, 121).

Records relating to Premium and Programme committees (Ref: PR.GE/112); Albert Medal (founded 1863) (Ref: PR.GE/101); Memorial Tablet (blue plaque) scheme (founded 1866) (PR.GE/122); War Memorials Advisory Council (established 1944, disbanded 1948), concerning memorials of the Second World War (Ref: PR.GE/117); Exhibition of Exhibitions (1951), concurrent with the Festival of Britain, to commemorate earlier ground-breaking Society exhibitions on contemporary art (1760), industrial design (1847-1850), photography (1852), industry (1761), and the first international exhibition (1851) (Ref: PR.GE/102); R B Bennett Commonwealth Prize (endowed 1944) for outstanding contribution to the promotion of the arts, agriculture, industries and commerce of the Overseas Empire (Ref: PR.GE/116); Commonwealth Committee (Ref: PR.GE/113); proposals and planning for the Festival of Britain (1951) (Ref: PR.GE/103); events for the RSA Bicentenary (1954) (Ref: PR.GE/107); Benjamin Franklin Medal (instituted 1956) (Ref: PR.GE/100); Trusts, bequests, fundraising and development (Ref: PR.GE/111).

Records relating to manufacture and commerce, including the Paris Exhibitions (1844-1900) (Ref: PR.MC/109); Great Exhibition (1851) (Ref: PR.MC/107); International Exhibition (1862) (Ref: PR.MC/108); Chicago Exhibition (World's Columbian Exposition, 1893), British Section (Ref: PR.MC/112); Industry Year/Industry Matters (1986) (Ref: PR.MC/100); Tomorrow's Company (begun 1994), concerning the role of business in a changing world (Ref: PR.MC/115); Redefining Work (launched 1995) (Ref: PR.MC/116); Forum for Ethics in the Workplace (1997) (Ref: PR.MC/117); Manufacturing, Wealth Creation and the Economy (1998) (Ref: PR.MC/118).

Records of subject-based standing committees set up by the Society from 1754 to judge awards and premiums in particular areas, including minutes and correspondence about awards and attendance at and structure of committees: Agriculture (Ref: PR.MC/103), Chemistry (Ref: PR.MC/105), Colonies and Trade (Ref: PR.MC/104), Manufactures (Ref: PR.MC/102), Mechanics (Ref: PR.MC/101), and Polite Arts - including prints, drawings and other artwork submitted for award (Ref: PR.AR/103).

Records relating to fine and applied arts, including exhibition of works of Ancient and Medieval Art (1847-1850) (Ref: PR.AR/105); exhibition of the works of William Etty and William Mulready (1848-1849), including general correspondence, printed matter, catalogues, press cuttings, tickets and notices about mounting of exhibitions, and attendance (Ref: PR.AR/112); British Art in Industry Exhibition (1935) to publicise good design in articles of everyday use (Ref: PR.AR/101); Humorous Art Exhibition (1949-1950) (Ref: PR.AR/100); Art for Architecture scheme (from 1990), aiming to enhance the urban environment by encouraging cross disciplinary approaches to building and landscape projects, and associated with the Jerwood Art for Architecture Award (introduced 1994) (Ref: PR.AR/110); Shakespeare in Schools (begun 1992), a pilot project to introduce Shakespeare to children (Ref: PR.AR/108).

Records relating to promotion of design, including the Design Bursaries Board, Design Committee, the Design Board, Design Advisory Group and Design Section (Ref: PR.DE/106-7); Industrial Art Bursaries Competition (started 1924), succeeded by the Design Bursaries Competition, Competition of Industrial Designs and Student Design Awards (Ref: PR.DE/100); Royal Designers for Industry (RDI) scheme (created 1936) to encourage a high standard of industrial design (Ref: PR.DE/101); Bicentenary Medal (instituted 1954) for exceptional influence in promoting art and design in British industry (Ref: PR.DE/102); Presidential Awards for Design Management (instituted 1964) to recognise outstanding design policy (Ref: PR.DE/105).
Records relating to education, including the RSA Examinations Board (PR.ED/100); the Education for Capability programme (initiated 1979) to counteract academic bias in British education and promote practical, organising and co-operative skills (Ref: PR.ED/107); the future of Technological Higher Education in Britain (1982), a study group to consider the problems facing Britain in the development of technological higher education (Ref: PR.ED/118); Home-School links (from 1988) (Ref: PR.ED/108); Parents in a Learning Society, a development project to involve parents in education and assess home-school work (Ref: PR.ED/104); the National Advisory Council for Careers and Educational Guidance (established 1994), to promote and advise on provision of guidance for learning and work (Ref: PR.ED/103); Education Futures (2000) (Ref: PR.ED/116).

Records relating to the environment, including the Campaign for the Preservation of Ancient Cottages (begun 1926) to protect cottage architecture, establishing a fund which purchased or restored cottages near Worthing, at Bibury, Gloucestershire, West Wycombe, Buckinghamshire, Chiddingstone, Kent, and elsewhere (Ref: PR.EN/100); three 'Countryside in 1970' Conferences (1963-1970) (Ref: PR.EN/104); Environment Committee (formed 1971) to identify and anticipate major environmental problems and provide a forum for discussion (Ref: PR.EN/107), which began the Pollution Abatement Technology Award Scheme (PATAS) (1983-1986) (Ref: PR.EN/103), succeeded by the Better Environment for Industry/European Better Environment Awards for Industry (BEAFI/EBEAFI) (1987-1991) (Ref: PR.EN/101); the Environment Committee's sub-committee the RSA-Cubitt Trust Panel (to 1991), devoted to the built environment and working with the Cubitt Trust to convene conferences, seminars and an annual Cubitt Lecture (Ref: PR.EN/106); After the Earth Summit - What Next? (1992) (Ref: PR.EN/128); RSA Environmental Management Awards (begun 1993) (Ref: PR.EN/102).

The Early Library (Ref: SC/EL/1-5), comprising c500 printed works collected by the Society before 1830, including journals and periodicals, and c300 pamphlets and tracts covering broad-ranging topics relating to premiums and awards of the various sectional committees (Agriculture, Polite Arts, Chemistry, Manufactures, Mechanics, and Colonies and Trade), and including extracts from proceedings of other societies and learned institutions.

Papers relating to the University of Cape Town's opposition to the South African Universities Amendment Bill, under which univerisities were to be prohibited from admitting black students beyond a quota to be stipulated annually by the Government, 1982-1983.

Letter from Richard Doddridge Blackmore to B C Pugh, Esq, 11 Jan 1892. 'I cannot pretend to say what will be the effect of the new Copyright Act and I have thought very little about it'. Autograph with signature.

Letter from Richard Cobden to R C Chawner, Esq of Wall, near Lichfield, [Staffordshire], 9 Apr [1844]. Asking him to give a 'free trade address from the boards of Covent Garden.'

Autograph, with signature. With the original envelope, bearing the seal of the National Anti-Corn Law League.

Letter from P K Seaman of HMS Wolverine, docked at St Helena, to his father, 1 Jun 1851. '... I have already told you that we have caught 3 slavers ...'.

Autograph, with signature. 4 sketches of vessels captured by the Wolverine are pasted to the second leaf of the letter.

(1) Letter from William Manning of 14 New Street, Spring Gardens, [Westminster] to Thomas Tyrell, Esq, 29 Nov 1800. Concerning proposals for the regulation of a new coal market. Asking whether Tyrell sees any difficulty in it being managed by the Lord Mayor of London and whether the Corporation interferes with any market in the City. The building in Mark Lane is open to all on market days, but the Coal Exchange is open to subscribers only; the first buyers do not exceed about one hundred.

(2) Letter from William Manning of Totteridge, Hertfordshire to Thomas Tyrell, Esq, 4 Apr 1801. Discussing the fees to be incurred in passing the Coal Bill through the two Houses of Parliament [ordered Mar 1801; order for second reading discharged 12 May 1801], and the means of paying them. Asks Tyrell to show the letter to Mr Stracey, 19 Fludyer Street, and to confer with him about it.

Both letters are autograph, with signatures, and headed 'private'.

Letter from Mordaunt Martin of 'Burnham' to Dr [John Coakley] Lettsom, Sambrook House, London, 8 Mar 1801. Stating that he has despatched to Lettsom a parcel of mangelwurzel seeds. Explaining that he was prevented from answering Lettsom's letter of 3 Jan by an attack of gallstones, since relieved by pills of soap and rhubarb. Discussing the 'Brown Bread Act' [probably 41 Geo.3.c.16] to which, he says, Lettsom was in some degree accessory; quoting Lettsom and Horne Tooke on the Act; Martin prefers brown bread for his breakfast, using his own wheat 'sifted in the coarsest hair sieve', but deprecates the 'indiscriminate use of it'. Attacking at length the Potato Premium Bill, which had just been rejected, according to 'the paper of this night'; claiming that such a bill would force by premiums an unnatural produce on land which the occupiers could use for more profitable crops. Adding that his and Lettsom's 'hearts will beat in unison' on reading pages 109-110 of the 2nd edition of [Robert] Fellowes's Christian Philosophy [1799].

Autograph, with signature.

Letter from Henry Blain to Joseph T Pooley of 5 Church Court, [c1842]. Discussing the corn laws (with reference to Blain's pamphlet on the subject) and proposed duties [taxes]. Autograph, with signature ('H.B.'). Dated 'Sunday night'.