Property records of Harmans Uxbridge Brewery Limited, including rent books; purchase of property book; estates summary; tenancy records; papers relating to building repairs; rating and valuations records; redemption of land tax certificates; insurance records; deeds; and register of plant and machinery.

Corporate records of R Halley Limited, brewers, including Board and annual general meeting minutes; papers relating to the acquisition by Harmans Uxbridge Brewery; general correspondence; papers of the Board; papers of the Company Secretary; and annual reports with accounts.

Records of Chandlers Limited, brewers, including London committee minutes with agendas; papers about share transfers; list of ordinary shareholders, divided into London, South Africa and other registers; correspondence; memorandum and articles of association; financial accounts; reports and notes on accounts and plant; and forms of proxy.

Corporate records of H and G Simonds Limited, brewers, including Board minutes; letter books; records relating to shares and debentures; registers of agreements, seals, directors, directors' holdings and interests; Directors' reports and accounts; papers relating to financial schemes; papers relating to the acquisition and liquidation of other companies.

Records of Charlton Brewery Company Limited, including minute book of board, committee and annual general meetings and register of debentures.

Records of the Oakhill Brewery Company Limited, comprising annual general meeting minute books and agendas.

Records of Plymouth Breweries Limited, including Directors' minute books; annual general meetings minutes; and letters.

Records of Ashton Gate Brewery Company Limited, comprising general meeting minute book.

Deeds and other legal documents relating to public houses owned by subsidiary companies of Courage Limited, including Ashby's Staines Brewery; Harmans Uxbridge Brewery; Harris' Knowle Green Brewery (taken over by Ashby's with half of its houses in 1903); Hodgson's Kingston Brewery and H and G Simonds.

Minute book of the Thames Ironworks and Shipbuilding and Engineering Co Ltd, 30 October 1899 to 14 June 1911.

Advertisement of John Besford, supplier of patterns and drawings for needlework and netting silk, dated to the 19th century.

Deed of dissolution of partnership between tailors Stephen Brown, 63 Buttesland St, Hoxton and Daniel Kirby, 43 Harmood St, Kentish Town, 1852.

Records of the Tudor Brothers, fancy drapers, comprising copy draft agreement by Evans to Tudor Brothers regarding shops numbers 4-6 Imperial Court, Albert Gate, Brompton Road, Kensington (with plans), 26 Aug 1903 and copies of profit and loss accounts of Tudor Brothers, fancy drapers, 1901-1904.

Records of the Belgravia Dairy Company, comprising financial ledgers, 1925-1931.

Records of Currys Group plc, 1896-1985. The collection comprises records of the parent company and a few records of subsidiary and associated companies.

The records of the parent company include memoranda and articles of association (ACC/3485/1-3), a series of board minute books, 1922-79 (with gaps) (ACC/3485/4-16), which, in addition to policy decisions, include minutes of some annual general meetings and committee meetings, one separate AGM minute book, 1927-72 (ACC/3485/17) and an almost unbroken series of annual reports and statements of accounts presented to shareholders, 1925-83 (ACC/3485/18-74). There are also minutes of meetings of three committees: the directors' committee (known also at various times as the depot management committee, the joint managing directors' committee and the group management committee), 1927-85 (ACC/3485/77-124), at which decisions concerning the operation of the business especially at branch level were taken, the committee of the staff life assurance scheme, 1952-8 (ACC/3485/125) and the sealing committee, 1966-8 (ACC/3485/126). The collection also includes a few share records (ACC/3485/127-31), internal accounting and financial records (ACC/3485/132-43), records relating to the administration of the business (ACC/3485/144-9) and records relating to property (ACC/3485/150-60).

Records of Sheer Pride Limited, metal office furniture manufacturer, 1941-1979, including five directors' minute books, company annual returns and one file and one register relating to share transfers.

Records of the London County Council Public Health Department relating to registration and licensing functions and the enforcement of legal requirements, 1851-1965, including registers of common lodging houses (some registers transferred from the Metropolitan Police); proceedings at special meetings of the Public Health Committee for the purpose of licensing common lodging houses; register of seamen's lodging houses; register of Police Court proceedings relating to common lodging houses and seamen's lodging houses; Special Licensing Meetings of Public Health Committee relating to Common Lodging Houses; notices and posters for display in lodging houses; registers of Licensed Slaughterhouses; registers of Licensed Cowhouses, registers of Cowkeepers, Dairymen and Purveyors of Milk, register of Premises approved as Dairies; street index to Dairies, Cowsheds, and so on; special meetings of Public Health Committee for licensing slaughterhouses, knackers yards and cowhouses; report by the Medical Officer of Health on the provision of public slaughterhouses; card indexes of foster parents registered under the Children Act 1908; registers of lying-in homes; registers of nursing homes; register of intimations sent to the metropolitan boroughs of infringements of the Offensive Businesses by-laws and registers of complaints of insanitary conditions and action taken thereon.

Records of Sengat Rubber Estate Limited, including articles of association, annual report, and circulars to shareholders.

Records of the Soengei Rampah Rubber and Coconut Plantations Company Limited, including articles of association, minute books, annual reports and accounts, circulars and a ledger.

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

Records of Sungei Kari (Sumatra) Rubber Estates Limited, comprising papers regarding Harrisons and Crosfield's management of the firm's business.

Records of the Tanah Datar Rubber Estates Limited, comprising articles of association and circulars to shareholders.

Records of the United Lankat Plantations Limited, including memorandum and articles of association; minute books; annual reports and accounts; and circulars.

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

Records of Wilkinson Novatex Limited, manufacturers in plastics, including articles of association; minutes, agendas and papers presented; annual reports and accounts; and papers relating to liquidation.

Records of Garden Reach Spinning and Manufacturing Company Limited, comprising board meeting minutes.

Records of MacKinnon, MacKenzie and Company, general merchants and agents of Calcutta, India; comprising: partnership deeds and other records concerning the establishment and regulation of the company, 1854-1955 (Ms 27793-6, 27838-41); private journals, 1929-51 (Ms 27797); correspondence, 1852-1955 (Ms 27798-814) operational records, 1847-1940 (Ms 27815-27); photographs, ca. 1905-31 (Ms 27828-8A); historical notes, c 1860-1955 (Ms 27829-34, 27847); and accounts, 1927-51 (Ms 27835-7, Ms 27842-6, 27848).

Records of the Nuddea Mills Company, comprising memorandum and articles of association.

Records of Rivers Steam Navigation Company Limited, including:

1) Corporate records, Mss 27910-20;
2) Internal accounting and financial records, Mss 27921-39;
3) General correspondence, Mss 27940-5;
4) Papers concerning the operation of transport services and the development of transport generally, and the transport of particular commodities:
i) general-river, rail and road, Mss 27946-53;
ii) river transport, Mss 27954-66;
iii) rail transport, Mss 27967-72;
iv) road transport, Mss 27973-8;
v) passenger services, Mss 27979-82;
vi) tea, Mss 27983-90;
vii) coal, Mss 27991-5;
viii) jute, Mss 27996-9;
ix) miscellaneous (oil, sugar, mail), Mss. 28000-2;
5) Papers concerning post war operations and the reconstruction of the company, Mss 28003-13;
6) Fleet records, i.e. fleet lists, and records of shipbuilding, repair, losses and casualties. (NB see records of subsidiaries for Garden Reach Workshops, R.S.N.'s shipbuilding subsidiary), Mss 28014-37;
7) Records concerning co-operation and competition with Assam Railway and Trading Co, Mss 28038-43;
8) Competition with other companies, Mss 28044-54;
9) Records of terms and conditions of work, pension funds and trade unions, Mss 28055-67;
10) Investment in other companies, Mss 28068-72;
11) Maps, photographs, historical notes, Mss 28073-8;
12) Subsidiary companies:
i) Pakistan River Steamers Ltd, Mss 28079-91;
ii) Rivers Steam Navigation Co (Holdings) Ltd, Mss 28092-5;
iii) Garden Reach Workshops Ltd, Mss 28096-9;
iv) India Rivers Steam Navigation Co Ltd, Ms 28100;
v) Pakistan Rivers Steam Navigation Co Ltd, Ms 28101.

Records of Wallace Brothers concerning Bombay Burmah Trading Corporation Limited, including memorandum and articles of association; board minutes; annual reports and accounts; agreements; papers relating to shareholders; correspondence; financial records; and papers relating to branches in Rangoon, Moulmein, Bangkok and Borneo.

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 accounts, balance sheets and reports.

Records of William James Barnsdale and Son, watch and clockmakers, comprising order and repair books and accounts, as well as a pedigree of the family from the 18th to the 20th centuries.

Day book of Holmes and Pyke, coachbuilders.

Day book of a Northamptonshire wool broker, recording purchases and sales.

Records of the Ouvah Coffee Company Limited, comprising a cash book and notes on the history of the company and of coffee planting in Ceylon.

Particulars of expenses incurred on the account of Thomas Pengelly, merchant of London, by the purchase of broadcloths at Aleppo [Syria], 8 Dec 1656.

Job order books of Edwin Robert Sills, watch and chronometer finisher.

Letters from Thomas Laugher to the manager of his colour manufacturing business about the progress of the business in Laugher's absence.

Financial accounts ledger of Toye and Bromley, yarn, hemp and fibre merchants.

Records of William Mawhood, woollen draper, comprising: diaries, 1764-90; cash account and note book, 1771-2; estate, legal and family papers, 1606, 1709-96; and letters and other papers relating to the diaries, 1875-1910.

Records of Whiffen and Son Ltd, manufacturing chemists, 1752-1972, including history of the company; articles of partnership and other contracts and agreements; legal documents relating to property; correspondence; circulars; financial accounts; papers relating to shares and shareholders; stock records; newspaper cuttings; photographs; staff wages books and pensions papers; records relating to staff associations and sports clubs including minute books; reports on chemical manufacture, laboratory notebooks and chemical analyses; papers relating to sales; papers relating to imports and foreign suppliers; advertisements; registers of product labels; samples of packaging; rules, regulations and legislation regarding factories and safety measures; papers regarding the Second World War including war damage to factories and papers relating to staff on active duty.

Also records of Saint Amand Manufacturing Company Limited including ledgers, letter books and journals.

These papers are the surviving records of the Musical Instrument Factory (MIF) 1893-1972.

The factory began making and repairing instruments for Salvation Army bands in 1889, and continued until the lease was transferred to Boosey and Hawkes Ltd in 1972.

No original order is evident, so the arrangement represents a logical grouping of the factory registers, catalogues and other administrative papers.

The arrangement of the records is as follows:

MIF 1: Administrative papers, 1893-1972

MIF 2: Registers, 1925-1972

MIF 3: Catalogues

MIF 4: Photographs

Records relating to the London Log Conciliation Board, 1891-1937, comprising papers and correspondence of William Cooling Lawrence, President of the Association of London Master Tailors and Chair of the Joint Log Committee, namely copies of the London Log, some annotated with amendments, 1891-1935; agenda and papers relating to the Conciliation Board meeting, 1922; papers relating to the Conciliation Board, 1923; papers relating to the annual general meeting of the Amalgamated London Master Tailors, 1924; minutes, correspondence and papers of the Conciliation Board, 1925, relating to demands by the Amalgamated London Master Tailors and National Federation of Merchant Tailors (London) for an increase in rates; Conciliation Board reports and papers, 1925; working papers and correspondence relating to the log, 1894-1895; press cuttings and correspondence, 1892, 1908-1912, concerning the London Log committee;

correspondence, [1910-1937], concerning a dispute between the London Society of Tailors and Tailoresses and Thomas & Son, [1910]; dispute over machine work at Kerslake & Dixon, 1911; definition and classification of fabric with the Association of London Master Tailors, 1910; hours of employment of women, 1914-1915; relating to the log, agreements and revisions, 1909-1931;

minutes and correspondence of the Emergency Committee relating to the supply of work to unemployed tailors and tailoresses due to the war, 1914-1915; papers concerning a strike by London Tailors and workshop accommodation, 1912; papers, correspondence and draft report relating to Sub-Committee of the Retail Bespoke Tailoring Trade Board on conditions in certain workshops, [1922-1924]; papers relating to tailoring apprenticeships, 1927-1937;

papers relating to the establishment of Area Committees of the Retail Bespoke Tailoring Trade Board, [1922]; correspondence relating to the Association of London Master Tailors, [1921-1922], including attempted extension of membership.

This series contains memoranda and extracts from minutes concerning the construction of new garages, the installation of new equipment and the extension of existing garages.

Papers of the National College of Horology and Instrument Technology, 1946-1960, comprising Declaration of Trust, 1947, and Ministry of Education appointment of governors, 1949-56; governing body signed minutes, 1946-1960, with annual reports and accounts; Director's reports, 1948-1960, with brief history and register of students; annual accounts, 1947-1960; invoice book, 1947-1960; journal, 1947-1960; cash book and ledger, 1947-1960; ledger sheets, 1947-1960; correspondence, 1944-1950; Directors' attendance book, 1946-1950; propectuses and correspondence relating to courses, 1947-1957.

Letter from Sir Charles Wood, Chancellor of the Exchequer, of Hickleton, [near Doncaster] to an unspecified recipient, 19 Oct 1849. 'Dear Sir, It is unlucky that the D.G. [i.e. Dei Gratia (by the grace of God)] was left out [from the inscription on the new florin (2 shilling) coin] - people attach more importance to such matters now a days. Yours truly C. Wood'.

Autograph, with signature.

Letter from J Cross of London to [Mr Oriel], 14 Apr 1794. 'I laid your proposal respecting the mill at Quemerford [near Calne, Wiltshire] before my Lord Lansdown [i.e. the Marquess of Lansdowne], in answer to which he had directed me to give you, in his own words, his opinion of the use of machinery in the cloathing manufacture - vizt "Nothing can be more mistaken than the prejudice conceived against machinery, nor could be more unfortunate for the country if suffer'd to prevail - for the consequence must be, the transfer of the manufacture either to the North of England, where the prejudice has been got the better of, and where they experience the advantage, or else to foreign countrys - or part to one and part to the other. Calne is calculated to be the seat of it, much better than either Chippenham or Devizes, or any town which I can immediately recollect, and independent of the great increase of trade, it would create a number of mechanists, and promote in consequence every sort of ingenuity, which would make up abundantly the loss sustain'd by the spinners; besides the navigations which are proposed [i.e. the Wilts and Berks Canal] will furnish a great deal of work; but rather than attempt any thing so arbitrary & absurd as to stop the progress of the machinery, I am very clear it would be better to come to a general rise of wage, especially if every person was compell'd at the same time to belong to some amicable society ...".'

Autograph, with signature.

Letter from Quintin Hogg of 5 Richmond Terrace, Whitehall, London [replacing 23 Rood Lane, London which has been struck through] to Mr Parker, 26 Feb 1876. Detailing the final stages of the transfer of an estate called 'Industry' by Parker to Hogg; mentioning the shipping of sugar and rum.

Autograph, with signature.

Letter from William Henry Leatham of 45 St James Place, St James's, London to the Rt Hon Sir Stafford H Northcote, Bart, MP, HM Secretary of State for India, 9 Jul 1868. Stating that he will forward the offer of a collection of plates (for a price of £100) illustrating the textile manufactures of India, to the Industral and Fine Art Institution (and museum), at Wakefield; giving the names of three officials in Wakefield who might be concerned with the offer.

Autograph, with signature.

Letter from Sir Charles Cockerill of Sezincote, Gloucestershire to [Messrs Thwaites and Reed, clockmakers], 28 Jan [1800-1850]. In reply to their letter of 27 Jan, Cockerell 'will send to the clock maker at Stow[-on-the-Wold] to examine the clock with his own clerk of the works and to oil them, as suggested. The result of which shall be communicated to T. and R.'

Autograph, with signature.

Letter from Peter Stephen DuPonceau of Phildelphia, [Pennsylvania] to J Vaughan, Esq, 19 Nov 1831. Asking him 'to send the enclosed [a copy of An Historical Review of the ... Silk Culture, Manufacture and Trade, etc (1831)] to your excellent nephew'.

Autograph, with signature.