Papers of A G E Jones including biographical notes on Sir Allen Young, 1981; biographical notes on John L Cope, 1982; lists of ships leaving London for New South Wales and Van Diemans Land, 1786-1825; copies of press cuttings relating to finding the grave of one of Franklin's men in North Canada, 1984; copies of two letters on the loss of the log book of the DISCOVERY, 1904; copy of an article by Jaones in 'Notes and Queries' Dec 1984 on the crew of the TERROR and Franklin's last voyage; copies of two pages from the log of the SOUTHERN CROSS; typescripts of 'The Southern whale fishery' and 'Danial Bennett and Company', 1968.

Records, 1926-1951, of the Chinese Government Purchasing Commission (CGPC), including information on the state of Chinese communications; the workings of the Chinese Ministries of Communications, Railways and Industries; Chinese banking; construction and engineering technology and the work of British manufacturers; and some information on Chinese educational and cultural institutions in receipt of subsidies from the Board of Trustees for the Administration of the Indemnity Funds Remitted by the British Government.

Records, 1926-1951, relating to the foundation and constitution of the CGPC comprise printed report of the Anglo-Chinese Advisory Committee (China Indemnity Advisory Committee), 1926; correspondence, largely letters from the Board of Trustees to the CPGC, 1931-1950, concerning the constitution of the Commission, procedural issues, personnel and financial matters; file on procedure on appointment of a new member of the Commission, 1947-1948; correspondence concerning events preceding the winding-up of the Commission, 1951.

Financial records, 1931-1951, comprise papers on the Board Account, 1937-1950; papers on the Chin Fund (apparently a grant paid to Constance Chin, a patient of the Bethlem Royal Hospital), 1945-1951; summaries of expenses relating to purchase orders made by Chinese ministries, 1931-1951; Indemnity Fund cash books, 1937-1950; invoices and receipts relating to CGPC business, 1937-1951; financial statements and correspondence relating to banking matters with the Hong Kong and Shanghai Bank, 1931-1951, the subjects including investments and tax.

Operational records, c1928-1951, relating to the administration of purchase orders, comprise register of tenders/purchase orders, 1942-1946; contract registers (not comprehensive), 1931-1949, recording the management of contracts for the supply and delivery in China of plant, machinery and other materials manufactured in the UK for the Chinese government, and over 1,000 related contract files for engineering companies and manufacturers for industrial, construction, railway and other projects; tender forms, 1934, issued to contractors by the CGPC; specifications and standards, c1928-1937 and undated, largely for the construction of railways and carriages; correspondence concerning administration of purchase orders, 1932-1951, relating especially to delivery of locomotive spare parts and related materials; registers of export licences issue to British manufacturers under wartime regulations, 1941-1946; applications for export licences, 1939-1945; registers of shipments, insurance, freight and inspection fees, 1931-1951; shipping letters, 1937-1950, issued for CGPC shipments; general correspondence concerning the administration of the CGPC, 1931-1951, including correspondence with solicitors and correspondence concerning the CGPC premises in Tothill Street, London.

Annual reports and accounts, 1931-1950, comprise typescript accounts and reports, 1931-1950, of the CGPC and published annual reports, 1931-1950, including summaries of receipts and payments; and annual reports of the Board of Trustees, 1931-1938.

Miscellaneous records, c1932-1950, comprise one file including papers on subjects including railways, training Chinese students, Japanese imperialism, and CGPC records, a photograph of ships in harbour, and maps of China and the Far East.

Records, 1939-1943, of the China Purchasing Agency Ltd comprise standing regulations of the Board of Directors, undated; correspondence, 1939-1943, concerning various purchase orders; miscellaneous items, c1939-1940, including list of tenders passed for acceptance, 1939, and an undated schedule of materials shipped.

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.

Photocopies of papers, 1891-1892 and undated, of Walter Collins, comprising his journal, 1891-1892, covering his journey by sea and the overland journey to Lake Victoria, and his work around Kampala delivering goods to various missions, also describing the political situation and fighting between tribes, and the homeward journey; notebook, 1891, containing poems by Collins inspired by Biblical verses; undated notebook containing notes by Collins on Uganda; two books produced by the Church Missionary Society, 1892 and undated, on Uganda and its history, including published sketches; undated printed songs or hymns.

Letter, 1894, from Roger Turpie to the London Missionary Society concerning his expenses while in Britain, with printed Young People's Missionary Letter, 'Our New Steamer', by Capt Turpie and others [1893], on launching the John Williams (IV).

Photocopies of 13 letters, 1882-1899, from Alexander Russell to his sister, Barbara Russell, recounting trips on missionary and other vessels in the South Pacific, including visits to Sydney (Australia) and Fiji.

Typescript transcript of letters and extracts of letters, and some photocopies of original letters, 1818-1821, from Thomas and Abigail Beighton to family and friends, recording problems encountered on the journey from England to Madras; local customs; and missionary work in Malacca and Penang, particularly their work in education; also including much discussion of family matters and of relationships among the missionary communities.

Diary, 1825-1827, of the Rev William Fidler, describing his voyage from Bristol to St Vincent accompanied by his wife Anna and other Methodist missionaries, and containing detailed descriptions of events and places during his first two years in the West Indies, and religious reflections.

Papers, 1780s-1790s, largely of Captain Francis Light, including several hundred Malay letters, primarily letters received by Light and his business partner, Captain James Scott, from rulers and dignitaries of the Malay Sultanates.

The letters cover the history of relations, negotiations and conflicts between Light, the rulers of Kedah and the Governor General in Bengal leading up to and including the settlement of Penang in 1786 and the armed conflict of 1791. There are also letters dealing with business affairs between Light and Malay nobles such as the purchase, shipment and sale of commodities, ammunition, slaves and opium, and the maintenance of good political and economic neighbourly relations; letters from the Sultanate of Selangor; letters from royal merchants at the Malay courts; and letters concerning trade from various rulers and nobles in the Peninsula and Sumatra, especially from Aceh, Asahan and other North-Sumatran states.

In addition, the collection contains several dozen letters and documents from the same period relating to Bencoolen (Benkulen) and the West Sumatran Presidency, which are unrelated to Light.

Personal, estate and business papers, c1820-1893, accumulated by Sir William Mackinnon, predominantly during the latter half of the nineteenth century. The material covers a wide range of commercial, imperial and humanitarian topics, and includes correspondence and papers relating to the Imperial British East Africa Company, the British India Steam Navigation Co. and the City of Glasgow Bank.

Papers of and relating to Sir Robert Hart, 1866-1954, comprising two series of private letters from Sir Robert Hart to his personal representative in England, J D Campbell, one dating from 1868-1879 and one from 1879-1906; a run of semi-official letters to Campbell, 1874-1906; a file on the Chinese Fleet, 1876-1894; correspondence and papers, 1866-1954, concerning the letters, including their ownership. A run of Campbell's letters to Hart, 1874-1877, is also included in the collection.