Papers of Portsmouth Dockyard. They consist of 566 volumes of the correspondence between yard officials, the Navy Board and the Admiralty, 1675 to 1899. There are also 147 plans for the yard, 1715 to 1884. The volumes are divided into four groups: those relating to the Resident Commissioner, the Admiral Superintendent, the yard officers and a miscellaneous group. Resident Commissioner's records. These consist of: letters from the Admiralty and Navy Board, 1773 to 1821, 1822 to 1827 (5 vols); abstracts of Admiralty and Navy Board letters and warrants, 1806 to 1823 (7 vols); letters to the Admiralty, 1707 to 1750, 1756 to 1763, 1769 to 1821 (19 vols); reports to the Navy Board, 1705 to 1722, 1732 to 1780, 1782 to 1815, 1817 to 1832 (41 vols); one volume of orders given by the Commissioner as a Flag Officer, 1712 to 1730, 1741; three volumes of letters to other yards and naval officers (including some by the Superintendent), 1809 to 1834. Admiral Superintendent's records. These consist of: 333 volumes of letters from the Admiralty, 1839 to 1840, 1840 to 1843, 1843, 1844 to 1845, 1845 to 1847, 1847 to 1848, 1848 to 1849, 1849 to 1851, 1852, 1855, 1855 to 1856, 1860, 1861, 1863, 1865, 1866, 1867 to 1871, 1871 to 1873, 1874, 1874 to 1875, 1875 to 1878, 1878 to 1879, 1880, 1883, 1895, 1898, 1899; and five volumes of letters to the Admiralty, 1832 to 1838. Dockyard Officers' records.
These consist of: Navy Board warrants, 1695 to 1780 and 1781 to 1822 (70 vols); the Commissioner's and Superintendent's warrants, 1694 to 1715, 1719 to 1780 and 1789 to 1848 (31 vols); an index to the Navy Board's and Commissioner's letters, 1675 to 1679, 1688 to 1690, 1694 to 1737 (3 vols); reports to the Navy Board, 1699 to 1713, 1714 to 1735, 1740 to 1780, 1782 to 1793, 1796 to 1822 (33 vols); Navy Board and Commissioner's correspondence with the Master Attendant, 1690 to 1692 and 1710 to 1713 (2 vols) and with the Ropeyard officers, 1751 to 1795 and 1796 to 1822 (2 vols); the first of these volumes also contains Navy Board orders to the Woolwich Ropeyard officers, 1746 to 1751. Miscellaneous records. These comprise: weekly reports of the progress on works, 1740 to 1744, 1778 to 1781 (2 vols); arrivals and sailings of ships, 1821 to 1848 (1 vol); arrivals and sailings of transports, 1829 to 1894 (1 vol); charts received and issued, 1809 to 1855 (2 vols); books received and issued, 1825 to 1843 (1 vol); one register of workmen entered and discharged, 1793 to 1801; reports of yard employees' trials, 1824 to 1855 (1 vol); one volume of the instructions to the Commissioner and officers, 1805, with manuscript additions, 1821 to 1822; one volume of orders to the yard Surgeon, 1823 to 1849. Plans. These include forty-four general plans of the yard and surrounding area, 1723 to 1884; forty plans connected with docks, wharves and slips, 1725 to 1854; and fifty-nine plans of buildings, 1715 to 1857.
