Minute books containing the minutes of various ad hoc Joint Committees:

Joint Committee of the Officers and Clerks and the Law, (Parliamentary) and City Courts Committees regarding Admiralty jurisdiction in the City of London Court, 1875; the impact of the Supreme Court of Judicature Acts of 1870 and 1875 and reforms to the practice and pleading of the Mayor's Court, 1875; reform of the Mayor's Court and City of London Court, 1880; the duties of and the pension to be awarded to City of London Court judges, 1894-1895; the nature, duties and emoluments of the Secondary and elections in Common Hall, 1897-1898.

Joint Committee of the Officers and Clerks and the Port of London Sanitary Committees regarding the salary of Harry Leach, Medical Officer of Health for the Port of London, 1875.

Joint Committee of the General Purposes and the Special Tithes Committees regarding matters relating to livings and benefices, 1875.

Joint Committee of the Coal, Corn and Finance and the Officers and Clerks Committees regarding the salary of William Payne, Chamber Principal Clerk, 1878; the nature, duties and emoluments of the Office of Chamberlain and his staff, 1892-1898; the nature, duties and emoluments of the City Solicitor and City Surveyor, 1895.

Joint Committee of the Law and City Courts and the Local Government and Taxation Committees regarding taking action against the Toll Bridges/River Thames Bill which aimed to free the toll bridges, 1876-1877; and the Supreme Court of Judicature, 1883.

Joint Committee of the Gas and Water and the Local Government and Taxation Committees regarding the progress of the Metropolis Waterworks Purchase Bill, 1880.

Joint Committee of the City Lands and the Law and City Courts Committees regarding finding accommodation for the hearing of special jury cases, 1891

Joint Committee of the City Lands and the Coal, Corn and Finance Committees regarding finding a site for the construction of a new British School of Art (Tate Gallery), 1891.

Joint Committee of the Coal, Corn and Finance and the Billingsgate and Leadenhall Markets Committees regarding reduction of tolls on fish brought to Billingsgate market, 1894.

Joint Committee of the Officers and Clerks and the and the Improvements and Finance Committees regarding the retirement of Principal Clerk of the Public Health Department, 1899.

Joint Committee of the City Lands and the Improvements and Finance Committees regarding cooperation with the London County Council to preserve the historic building at 17 Fleet Street (Prince Henry's Room, part of an inn that was one of the few buildings to survive the Great Fire of London), 1899-1900.

Joint Committee of Coal and Corn and Finance and Officers and Clerks Committees, ordered to enquire into the nature, duties and emoluments of the office of Chamberlain, to reconsider the terms and conditions of the appointment and to recommend any necessary reform, Sept 1943-Feb 1945.

Records of the Select General Purposes (Porters) Committee, Court of Common Council, including minutes, papers, index of witnesses and synopsis of evidence, 1852-1853.

This collection consists mainly of letters written to George Cruikshank and drafts of letters, memoranda and speeches by him, with a few rough drawings. Most of the papers relate to Cruikshank's activities as Lieutenant Colonel of the 48th Middlesex Rifle Volunteers, and concern recruitment, muster rolls, discipline, drills, inspections, uniforms and arms.

Records of the British Tyre and Rubber Company, and associated merged or subsidiary companies, 1864-1978. This substantial collection consists mainly of statutory business records of associated companies with very little relating to production: meeting minutes of the board 1864-1937, directors minutes, 1868-1871, general meeting minutes, 1864-1918, shareholders committee minutes, 1875, debenture trustee minutes, 1887-97, 1901-02, finance and executive committee minutes 1864-1866; share ledgers, c 1917-38; balance sheets and accounts, 1920-1936; ledgers, c 1931-1934, private ledgers, 1934-61; journals, 1939-1942, private journals, 1934-1960; private cash books, 1926-62, petty cash books, 1938-8; cheque account books, 1933-8; bills receivable books, 1935-64; nominal accounts for Calcutta, 1889-1954, and Christchurch, 1920-44; and Durban private ledger, 1900-1922.

Records of Catesbys Limited, department store, 1908-1958. The records consist of registers of members and directors, annual returns and minutes. There are also private ledgers, many indexed; progress and stock books, as well as wage returns. There is a salaries book for Catesbys Contract and Export Ltd.

Records of the General Hydraulic Power Company Limited, 1882-1992, containing corporate and administrative records, accounting records, share details, property and legal records, personnel records, technical records and printed material for the General Hydraulic Power Company Limited and associated companies.

Records of Taylor Walker and Co Ltd, brewers, 1759-1972. This collection contains corporate, staff, premises and miscellaneous records. Corporate records include minutes of directors' meetings, articles of association and copartnership, registers of seals and supply agreements. Staff records include minutes of Employees Representative Committee meetings. Premises records include early title deeds for brewery premises as well as for individual public houses and mortgage records. The miscellaneous series comprises an album of advertising cuttings.

Records relating to the Bell Brewery, Tottenham, consisting of title deeds for property including documents on the Bell Brewery itself, employee name and wages books from the 1880s through to the 1900s, a claims book (1903-1953) and a summary record of sales from 1934 to 1957.

Papers of Charles Cox and Son, marine agents, comprising eight volumes of letters from Royal Navy and Royal Marine personnel concerning pay and other financial matters.

Records of unidentified subsidiary companies of Courage and Company Limited and Barclay Perkins and Company Limited, brewers, including brewing books; monthly beer duty book; photographs of beer tanks and brewery premises; deeds and papers for the Arundel Arms, Westbourne Road, Islington, land in Bury Green Road and Lordship Road, Cheshunt, Herts, the White Hart Hotel, Margate, Kent.

Also roll of plans and artist's views of proposed new brewery in Tanganyika, for Ind Coope and Allsopp Ltd, Burton-on-Trent probably from H and G Simonds and drawings, mainly of fermenters, for New Zealand Breweries Ltd, Wellington.

Personal papers of Joseph Baxter, teacher, including essays on 'My Future Life' written by some of his pupils; retirement certificate; and photographs of staff and pupils at unidentified schools.

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.

Within this class are volumes and files that contain basic information about established Post Office staff and about the principal Post Office branches in England, Wales, Scotland and Ireland. This class also contains details of Post Office establishments abroad, packet boat services, deceased officers, vacancies and committee reports regarding the Post Office Establishment, amongst much else. There are 24 volumes (POST 59/1-24) covering the period 1691-1798, but the majority of the material consists of lists of salaried officers at various British Establishments for the nineteenth and twentieth centuries.

The class is divided into eight Sub-series, a few of which should be mentioned at the outset. Sub-series 1 is the largest of these and contains the main Establishment books and lists of officers from 1691-1983, published annually from the late eighteenth century (bound copies for this series for the period 1869-1980 can be found in the BPMA search room). Sub-series 3 contains the Establishment books for provincial postal regions across Britain and so is naturally considerable in size, although the period covered for these books tends to be late nineteenth and early twentieth century only. By contrast, Sub-series 4 and 5 contain major and minor Establishment books for the London Postal Region, spanning nearly a 200-year period from 1800. The only series that does not contain lists of basic information (which is the essence of most of the Establishment books) is Sub-series 6, which contains 20 papers and committee reports for the period 1793-1923 that describe changes that have occurred and have been proposed to the Establishment system; a useful starting point for understanding the organisational development of the Establishment structure.

The sort of information included has changed over this 300-year period, but a large proportion of the information found in any particular Establishment book is likely to include an employee's name, their department or location, date of appointment, and yearly salary (or weekly wage). Similarly, the type of employee that has been included in the yearly establishment books has changed over time (and some consideration of the difference between 'established' and 'unestablished' staff will follow), but as a rule of thumb, in the main Establishment books that were published annually (which can be found in Sub-Series 1), it is staff who have been occupied in more senior positions within the Post Office hierarchy who are likely to be found. As a consequence, most of the yearly establishment books within this class will only ever list by name a modest proportion of the entire Post Office workforce for any given year. (It may be helpful for prospective researchers to note that the best starting point in searching for records relating to 'rank and file' employees are the appointments indexes and pensions indexes. A guide to these sources can be downloaded from the BPMA website and a printed version can be found in the BPMA search room, entitled 'Guide to Family History Research'.) POST 59/ 26, 28, 32, 33, 34, 37, 39, 40, 42 and 91 include brief summaries of duties performed by officers. POST 59/ 7, 11, 18 and 20 give complements of Packet Boats.

The records in this class cover a variety of aspects regarding working for the Post Office. The material relating to pay includes volumes detailing salaries and allowances paid to staff, official reports into pay and conditions, comparisons of pay with other companies and papers relating to numerous pay claims. Under allowances can be found copies of correspondence between the Post Office and the Treasury, Committee reports, claims before arbitration for changes to various allowances, schedules showing extra duty rates and special allowances payable and a history of good conduct stripes. Conditions of service includes papers on Sunday labour, promotion, exemption from jury service, hours of working, annual leave, and grade restructuring. There is also a section on Committee/Group reports looking into the way both individual departments and working methods could be changed to allow improvements, and papers from the Tweedmouth, Hobhouse, and Holt Committees to consider improvements in Post Office wages and conditions.

Records of the London County Council Public Control Department relating to Shops and Markets, 1886-1965, including papers on the catering trade; sale of fireworks; mock auctions; analysis of statistics of shops and stalls in the county of London; effect of the First and Second World Wars on shops; Consumer Rationing Order, 1941; sale of contraceptives from automatic machines; the Shops Act, 1912 and 1913; Shops (Early Closing) Acts, 1920 and 1921; Shops (Hours of Closing) Act, 1928; Shops Act, 1950; Government Investigation into hours and conditions of Employment in shops and Select Committee on Shop Assistants; Shops (Sunday Trading Restriction) Act, 1936; Fabrics (Misdescription) Act, 1913; Departmental Committee on Hours of Employment of Young Persons in unregulated occupations; Young Persons (Employment) Act, 1938; Covent Garden Market; Billingsgate Fish Market; Deptford Cattle Market; Whitechapel Hay Market; street trading; register of shops for Sunday Trading and examples of posters for public display giving notice of orders, regulations, and so on.

Reports, including Select Committee on Shop Hours Regulation Bill Report, 1886; Select Committee on Shop Hours Bill Report and Special Report, 1892; Departmental Committee on the Shops (Early Closing) Acts 1920 and 1921 Report and Evidence, 1927; Departmental Committee on the Wholesale Food Markets of London Reports, 1920-1921.

Papers of Frederick Gordon Spear, 1908-1980. These papers fall naturally into several distinct groups; items pertaining to his radiological research conducted in Cambridge at the Strangeways Laboratory, materials about the Strangeways Laboratory as an institution, presumably accumulated during his many years as deputy director, papers relating to his connections with other bodies associated with radiology, such as the Hospital Physicists Association and the British Institute of Radiology, of which he was president in 1961, publications and unpublished papers by him, and also some publications by others on subjects related to the work he was doing.

A very small amount of material, not classifiable under these headings, has been put together in a 'Personal' section.

While Spear originally studied tropical medicine, and spent some time at the Baptist Mission Hospital at Yakusu in the Belgian Congo in the early 1920s this aspect of his career is not represented in these papers.

Received along with Spear's papers were a number of notebooks formerly belonging to his first wife Ada Louisa Sowerby, which she kept during her nurse and midwifery training in London in the later 1920s.

Papers of Donald Hunter, 1910-1977. There are two large, parallel series of case files and reference files (section C) relating to a wide range of conditions, most but not all connected with occupational hazards and many being dermatological or osteopathic, as well as factory visit notes, correspondence, both personal and professional, publications, writings, and audio-visual material.

Papers of Alan Herbert, pensions manager, comprising entries to the Pensions Management Awards 2000 and the Professional Pensions Awards 2007, which typically include a submission paper for the award as well as a variety of communication material produced by the pension scheme for its members, press clippings about the scheme and papers on the administration of the scheme. The collection also contains a discussion paper for the Trustee Code of Conduct Group.

Records of the Middlesex County Council Health Department relating to staff, 1947-1965, including general files relating to: medical staff, dental staff, uniforms and protective clothing, midwives, home nurses, training, health visitors, day nursery staff, medical auxiliaries, residential special schools, airports, chest clinics and health education.

Records of Pembroke and Pembroke, financial recruitment consultants, 1969-2002. Records include candidates' application forms; correspondence with clients and candidates; advertising material; administrative and financial records.

Records of the Middlesex Quarter Sessions relating to local administration, 1590-1930. The number of series in MA reveals the wide scope of county administration dealt with at the sessions. A lot of the records date from the nineteenth century when there was an increase in central attempts at the regulation of many aspects of everyday life. MA/W deals with silk weavers' wage rates; MA/MW covers the work of Inspectors of Weights and Measures; MA/RS are reports from county committees and officers; MA/MS deal with military carriage rates; MA/S is concerned with the building and maintenance of the county's sessions houses; MA/MD covers the work of Inspectors of Animal Diseases; MA/C covers the work of the sessions' committees; MA/G is concerned with the building and maintenance of the county's prisons; MA/GS, likewise for Feltham Industrial School; MA/DCP are plans of county properties; MA/D and MA/DC contain deeds and contracts for county properties; MA/B are Bridge Committee papers; MA/A is concerned with the building and maintenance of the county's lunatic asylums; and MA/MN deals with military and naval recruitment in the county.

Papers of Dame Janet Vaughan, mainly 1939-1949, including material on her work with the Emergency Blood Transfusion Service, social and industrial medicine and post-War medical services, child guidance, Health Survey and Development Committee in India, and treating sufferers from starvation liberated from Belsen.

Papers of the Burroughs Wellcome and Company (BW and Co) and from 1924 the Wellcome Foundation Ltd (WF), [1860-1995], including records of the pre-partnership S M Burroughs Company; papers relating to the founders Henry S Wellcome and Silas M Burroughs; papers of senior managers from BW and Co and WF; legal papers, particularly concerned with Trade Marks and Stamp Duty; marketing records including operational papers, a large collection of images and of publications; financial records, mainly regarding salaries; papers relating to WF sites, including the Wellcome Chemical Works, Dartford; records of Coopers, the subsidiary veterinary company, together with records of Coopers own world-wide subsidiary companies; records of related bodies, the British Insulin Manufacturers Association and The Therapeutic Research Corporation.

These scrapbooks consist of press cuttings from the national and local press relating to 'women's organisations' ‘'he dangerous trades', 'child labour', 'home industries' and 'sweating'.

This scrapbook consists of press cuttings from the regional and specialist press, including many articles written by Cécile Matheson, relating to the Birmingham Women's Settlement and her other social welfare interests and activities.

The archive consists of historical and contemporary notes, statistics, press cuttings and correspondence on women's wages including specific classes of trades (1914-1919); printed reports on conditions of juvenile employment (1912), of the sub-committee of the Women's Industrial Council (1917), on women's employment in industry (c 1910-1915); press cuttings, articles and reviews, on women and their welfare (1912-1917); papers, reports and typescript of articles on women's wages and conditions (1912-1919); notes on the employment of women in the Civil Service (1914-1916); questionnaire of the Fabian Society's Women's Group and other organisations (undated).

The archive consists of answers given by Phyllis Vickers to a questionnaire on the 'position of married women in the British civil service', sent to Lady Paton, wife of the vice-chancellor of Melbourne University, at the request of Mary Field (with covering letters). The questionnaire specifically relates to the following issues: the marriage bar, Equal Pay, Equal Access to Jobs, Equal Promotion, maternity leave, superannuation, pension rights, relationships between single and married female employees, absence and punctuality of married women (compared to single women and men), retention and recruitment, grades. Vickers appears to have been a civil service employee, and her answers provide facts about civil service policy mainly gleaned from official literature.

Collection includes: The position of women after the war: report of the Standing Joint Committee, 1916; A comparison between the rates under certain trade boards for women, 1921; Women in the trade union movement, 1955; The Woman Worker - Journal 1907-1921; agenda of biennial conference; annual reports.

Administrative records of the Carpenters' Company, kept or created by the Company Clerk, 1862-2003, (note that the older records of these series, from c.1250, are held at the Guildhall Library Manuscripts Section, see Related material for details) comprising Clerk's Notes, 1978-2003; out-letter books, 1862-1888; reports to the Livery, 1901-1951; records relating to Company entertainment and events, namely minutes of Entertainment and Wine Committees, 1902-1929; menus, programmes, and orders of service, 1876-2003; general personnel files, 1940-2003; files concerning recruitment of staff, 1936-1983; individual staff files, 1939-2003.

Records of the Administration and Estates Departments of Imperial College, 1908-1991, comprising papers and correspondence relating to the reorganisation of the department, 1956-1957, computerisation of administrative records, 1973-1974 (GG); correspondence relating to the post of College Secretary, 1957-1962, Secretary's notes for Heads of Departments, 1983-1989 (GGB); correspondence relating to the appointment of staff, 1960, 1964 (GGBB); letters and press cuttings relating to the Imperial College management team, 1991 (GGC); correspondence concerning administrative staff salaries, 1964-1965 (GGD); papers concerning college buildings services, 1976, review of Estates section, 1978, organisation of the Planning office, 1957-1962 (GGH); minutes of the Maintenance Staff Committe, 1959-1970 (GGHA); correspondence and papers relating to college publications, 1948-1978 (GGP); papers relating to college stores, including lists and valuation, 1908, 1912, report of the working party, 1976 (GGS); correspondence concerning Telex system, 1965-1980, telephone services, 1967-1980, telephone directories, 1962-[1995] (GGT).

Records of the Social and Economic Studies Department of Imperial College, previously the Industrial Sociology Unit, 1965-1981, notably the papers of Professor Joan Woodward, relating to departmental organisation, lecture and course notes, [1959-1971]; course brochures and outlines, 1966-1978, press cuttings 1971-1978; Rectors' correspondence, 1968-1981, concerning the Joan Woodward Memorial lecture, 1971-1978; papers of the Committee on Sociological Studies, 1965-1970.

Records comprise Clerical, Secretarial, Manual and Technical staff files, 1953-1985 (CA/FPC), Academic staff files, 1960-1985 (CA/FPA), Personal record cards, 1977-1985 (CA/RC). On the admission of the College as a school of the University of London in 1966, staff were retained in post and staff files transferred with them. The Clerical, Secretarial, Manual and Technical staff files include porters, catering and kitchen staff, laboratory and research technicians, cleaners, service engineers, clerks, hall managers, secretaries, library staff, carpenters, administrative assistants, computer programmers and operators, research students and assistants.

Records of the River Plate Trust Loan and Agency Company Ltd, 1876-1978, including minutes, ledgers, registers, accounts, annual reports, legal documents, insurance records, staff records, letters and files, some relating to subordinate companies (Ref: A); and records of the subsidiary companies it administered:
River Plate and General Investment Company Ltd, comprising minutes, 1888-1965, ledgers, 1888-1941, and annual reports, 1889-1983 (Ref: B);
Mortgage Company of the River Plate Ltd, comprising minutes, 1888-1965, ledgers, 1888-1953, and annual reports, 1888-1981 (Ref: C);
Compagnie Française des Chemins de Fer de la Province de Santa Fé, comprising circulars to bondholders, 1891-1947, and reports, 1936-1947 (Ref: D);
London Trust Company, comprising ledgers, 1889-1928, registers of stock, 1889-1958, and miscellaneous papers, 1819-1974 (Ref: E);
Entre Rios Railway Company, comprising reports, 1891-1900, and circulars and minutes, 1933-1947 (Ref: F);
Cucuta Railway Company, comprising Presidents' reports, 1926-1936 (Ref: G);
Montevideo Waterworks, comprising reports and accounts, 1880-1940, and notices and circulars, 1949-1953 (Ref: H);
Consolidated Waterworks of Rosario, comprising reports and accounts, 1897-1946, and notices and circulars, 1930-1955 (Ref: J);
Rosario Drainage Company, comprising reports and accounts, 1898-1947, and notices and circulars, 1955 (Ref: K);
Buenos Aires Central Railway, comprising minutes, 1916-1944 (Ref: L);
Buenos Aires and Lacroze Tramways, comprising minutes, 1932-1940, and reports and accounts, 1933-1941 (Ref: M).

Letter from A Offley, c 1790. No address. To Mrs Walker. Supplies a character reference for a servant, Mrs Stent, who had among her recommendations that she 'stayd with ye dificall lady Manchester [Elizabeth Montagu, Duchess of Manchester] longer than most of her sarvents do but as to her [Mrs Stent's] temper it is warm and pashonat and she cant allways commande it ...'.

Autograph, with signature.

Letter from John Wood to Richard Oastler via the Post Office, Leeds, Yorkshire [redirected from Foxley Hall, Huddersfield], Nov 1830. 'I send you this as proof of the general disposition to meet the question. The signatures annexed include almost every Bradford Spinner ...'.

Autograph, with signature. Written on the dorse of a poster advertising a meeting of Bradford worsted spinners on 22 Nov 1830, with the aim of improving working conditions; the poster is folded in half, with the direction and postmarks on one leaf and the content of the letter on the other.

Letter from Thomas Clarkson of Playford Hall [near Ipswich, Suffolk] to Henry Hope, 'at the Bank', Wells, Somerset, 9 Jan 1826. Printed circular letter, asking for support for the petition to Parliament to urge them to carry out a plan for the improvement of the condition of the slave population. An addition in MS asks Hope to promote petitions in Wells, Shepton Mallet, Bruton and neighbouring towns. A note in another hand has been added to the dorse of the second leaf. A newspaper cutting Extracts from the new Jamaica Slave Code accompanies the letter.

Letter from William Ewart Gladstone of Hagley, [Worcestershire] to J Pennington, Esq, 21 Apr 1854. Asking for advice on the effect of the war payments on the Bank reserve. 'Can you direct me to any clear and trustworthy synoptical view of the laws applicable to the operations of the Bank since the date of its first Charter?'

Autograph, with signature.

Letter from Thomas Clarkson of Bury [St Edmunds, Suffolk] to Rev M Maurice, [1807-1816]. Urging him to restore the committee at Southampton to promote a petition to Parliament in favour of a plan for the improvement of the condition of the slave population.

A collection of fifty testimonials collected by James Hudson, 1837, to support his application to be Clerk of the University of London.

Two items c 1892, by John Burnett of the Board of Trade concerning the reduction of wages and strikes in the mining, shipbuilding, metal and textile trades.

Records of the Western Telegraph Company, comprising letter books, 1883-1949; staff lists including European staff books, 1910-1930, and Rio staff list, 1899.

Papers of the Board of Education Inspectors' Association (later the Association of Her Majesty's Inspectors of Schools), 1871-1992, including annual reports, minutes and papers of the Executive Committee and Divisional Committees, reports and memoranda, 1920-1992; lists of Divisions, Districts and staff, issued by the Education Department, 1871-1946; collected personal papers of individual HMIs; material gathered for a post-war history of the Inspectorate.

Extensive collection of records of the National Union of Women Teachers, 1904-1961, including minutes of the Council and various committees, conference reports, branch records, correspondence, press cuttings, handbills, pamphlets, posters and photographs. There is also a large series of subject files on particular issues, individuals, organisations and campaigns documenting the wide range of the Union's interests. These include, for example, papers concerning women's organisations such as the Six Point Group, the National Union of Societies for Equal Citizenship, the Women's Freedom League, the Open Door Council, the Association of Women Clerks and Secretaries and others and educational groups such as the English New Education Fellowship and the Workers Educational Association. There is also a series of collected biographical material on a wide range of individuals.

Main accounts of Royal Holloway College, 1887-1970, including Ledgers, 1887-1967; Journals, 1948-1969; and Cash Books, 1887-1970. Accounts of scholarships and prizes, 1887-1954, including Ledgers, 1887-1904, and Cash Books, 1887-1910, for Founder's and Entrance scholarships; Ledger and Cash Books for Driver Scholarship, 1901-1910; Registers of Payments for the Entrance, Founder's and Driver scholarships, 1890-1910, and other scholarships, 1935-1954. Accounts for the Marie Péchinet Fund, 1912-1970, including cash books and statements. Material relating to salaries and wages, including general Wages Books, 1887-1965, and a Wages Book for female household staff, 1923-1948. Volumes of accounts relating to household supplies, 1887-1910 and 1961-1969, notably an analysis of weekly expenditure on food, laundry and household necessities, 1887-1910; analyses of provisions consumed, 1887-1896; produce supplied from the College Gardens, 1887-1910, and 1961-1969.

Financial records of the Royal College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists, 1926-1999, comprising records of the Finance Department, predecessors and other College departments.
The records range from policy files, correspondence relating to various appeals and memorials, signed accounts and accounting records. A large quantity of the earlier records appears to be samples of records destroyed, retained as examples of current practice at the time. For details refer to individual series descriptions, which are arranged as follows:
F1: Annual audited accounts, 1968-1986.
F2: Trial balances, 1969-1977.
F3: Records relating to investments and the Investment Advisory Panel, 1954-1992.
F4: Journal books, 1974-1981.
F5: Chief Accountant's correspondence files, 1962-1987.
F6: Pension schemes for College staff: Accountants' correspondence, 1969-1976.
F7: Financial summaries of meetings and other College events, 1979-1982.
F8-F15: Appeals and memorial funds, 1932-1987.
F16: Regional councils' accounts and ledgers, 1954-1970.
F17: Papers relating to bequests to the College, 1952-1980.
F18: Review of the College's accounting systems and organisation, 1970.
F19-F24: Ledgers, journals and account books, 1926-1986.
F25-F27: Special funds' ledgers, cash books and journals, 1931-1982.
F28: Research and Development Fund, 1966-1978.
F29: Salaries books, 1946-1965.
F30: Fellows' and Members' subscriptions' and fees' cash books, 1929-1967.
F31: Fellows' and Members' day book, 1972.
F32: Joint Committee on Contraception: annual audited accounts, 1977-1995.
F33: British Journal of Obstetrics and Gynaecology: financial records, 1953-1971.

Published report of the Joint Working Party of the Royal College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists and the Royal College of Midwives on the Clinical Learning Environment and Recruitment, 2008.

Material produced by the Royal College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists promoting recruitment into obstetrics and gynaecology to medical students and young doctors, 1980-2008. Material includes prospectuses, booklets and promotional videos.

Records, 1968-1992, of the Polytechnic of Central London:
Minutes and committee papers comprise Court of Governors minutes, 1970-1992, and Annual Reports and Statements of Accounts, 1978-1988; Standing Committee of Academic Council minutes, 1972-1983; Academic Council minutes, 1972, 1977-1992; Finance and General Purposes Committee minutes, 1970-1989, Finance and Property Committee minutes, 1989-1992, and Audit Committee minutes, 1989-1992; Higher Degree Committee papers, 1973-1974, 1985-1987, Research Degree Committee papers, 1974-1983, Research Committee papers, 1976-1992, and other research papers; Staff Development Committee papers, 1976-1981; nursery management committee minutes and papers, 1978-1990; Committees of PCL Health and Safety, 1980-1988; Resources Committee papers, 1985-1992; Student Affairs Committee papers, 1984-1992; Committees of Directors of London Polytechnics, 1972-1986; and other committee papers.

Other administrative papers comprise Memorandum and Articles of Association, 1970; certificate of incorporation, 1970; Instrument recording designation as a Polytechnic, 1970; correspondence and papers concerning the Instrument and Articles, 1968-1988; Structure Commission Report on Poly/Holborn amalgamation, 1970; file on designation ceremony and Holborn foundation stone, 1960-1970; papers and reports of J Eric Richardson, including 'The development of the Polytechnic 1957-1970' [1970]; programme of designation and opening of new buildings, 1971; report of the Working Party on Examinations and Assessment, 1971; accommodation strategy report, 1971; papers on organisation of the academic administration, 1972; proposals for the London Regional Management Centre, 1973; annual maintenance grant applications to ILEA (block grant), 1974-1989; papers relating to the CNAA, including its Institutional Review, 1978-1992; specimen certificates for award on successful completion of courses [1970s]; consultants' report on efficiency review, 1986; papers relating to the merger with Harrow College of Higher Education, 1987-1989; papers on the change to University status, 1989-1991; Charity Commissioners' scheme for the Quintin Hogg Memorial Fund, 1991; correspondence with the Privy Council concerning adoption of the title University, coat of arms and letters patent, 1991-1992; PCL Accommodation Strategy report by Touche Ross and Co, 1991.

Financial records include balance sheet and accounts, 1969-1970, report and statement of accounts, 1971-1981, 1983-1985, 1988, and Enterprise in Higher Education Annual Report, 1990.

Departmental records include file of the Library Development Officer, 1972-1973; Library handbooks, 1971-1972, and guide to services [1978]; Library Development Plan, 1980-1985; Department of Surveying proposals for submission of BSc in Quantity Surveying to the CNAA, 1974; American Studies Resource Centre teaching materials, including videos and maps [1980]; photograph album and course booklets for the School of Management; School of Photography handbooks and teaching materials; Poly Law Review, 1975-1982.

Other records include Teaching Staff Association papers, 1970-1977.
Material, including ephemera, relating to events includes telegram of thanks for the Polytechnic's message on the silver wedding of the Queen and Duke of Edinburgh, 1973; programmes of annual dinner at the Café Royal, 1974, 1976; programme of supper and concert for the silver jubilee, 1977; publicity material relating to the 150th anniversary, 1988.

Publications, 1970-1992, include PCL prospectuses (general and departmental), leaflets, brochures and posters for courses and events, guides for applicants, student handbooks, and other information for students; programmes of presentation ceremonies, 1972-1974; Examination pass lists, 1974-1992; PhD student pass lists, 1968-1987; Polytechnic Institute Members' Magazine [1971]-1974; typescript Polytechnic Sports and Social Club monthly newsletter, 1974-1975, succeeded by the Newsletter of Polytechnic Members, 1976-1988; typescript Institute of Polytechnic Sports and Social Clubs newsletter, 1991-1992; publications for staff, comprising miscellaneous PCL staff information bulletins and magazines, 1970-1977, and Central Issue, the staff newspaper, 1977-1985, succeeded by Clarion, 1987-1992; McGarel, 1968/69-1992/93 (incomplete series), described as Polytechnic Students' Newspaper and later as Polytechnic Students' Union Newspaper; printed articles on Polytechnic buildings in Marylebone Road and New Cavendish Street, 1970-1971; Posters advertising the Poly Entertainment Committee concerts held in Portland Hall, 1965-1969; floor plans for Little Titchfield Street, 1971.

Photographs and slides, 1970-1992, including buildings, students, activities and events, among them the designation ceremony, 1971.

Working papers of the Survey of 'Labour and Life of the People' and 'Life and Labour of the People in London' by Charles Booth 1886 - 1903 comprising the original survey notebooks and papers: interviews, questionnaires, statistics, reports and colour coded maps describing poverty.
The papers and the original survey notebooks reflect the three areas of investigation undertaken in the survey: poverty, industry and religious influences.
The poverty series interviewed School Board visitors about levels of poverty in households and streets. The survey also investigated trades of East London connected with poverty: tailoring; furniture and women's work.
The industry series comprises interviews of employers, trade union leaders and workers for each trade and industry and questionnaires concerning rates of wages, numbers employed, details of trade unions and domestic details (food, dress and circumstances etc) which were completed by employees and trade union officials. The following trades and industries are covered by the survey: building trade; wood workers; metal workers; precious metals, watches and instruments; sundry manufacturers printing and paper trades; textile trades; clothing trades; food and drink trades; dealers and clerks; transport and gardeners; labourers; public service and professional classes; domestic service. Case histories of the inmates of Bromley and Stepney workhouses during 1889 and people who received outdoor relief from the union were also transcribed.
The religious survey includes reports of visits to churches and over 1450 interviews with ministers of all denominations including Church of England, Methodist, Presbyterian, Jewish, Roman Catholic. Salvation Army officers and missionaries were also interviewed. The reports of the interviews contain printed material relating to the churches. Questionnaires were also completed as part of the survey. The investigation went beyond documenting religious influences and incorporates a description of the social and moral influences on Londoners' lives.
The Maps Descriptive of London Poverty 1898-1899 are probably the most well known documents which survive from the survey. The Maps Descriptive of London Poverty 1898-1899 are twelve sheets colour coded by social class and poverty from black [semi-vicious] to yellow [middle and upper class, well-to-do]. The maps cover an area of London from Hammersmith in the west, to Greenwich in the east, and from Hampstead in the north to Clapham in the south. The working and printed copies of the maps are contained within the archive.
The social investigators accompanied police around their beats in London in order to update the existing street-level information for the Maps Descriptive of London Poverty 1898-1899. The reports of the walks are known as the 'police notebooks' and contain descriptions of London streets. All the notebooks have been digitised.
Other papers include an inventory undertaken in 1925 by Thomas Macaulay Booth, son of Charles Booth; additional manuscripts concerning the survey: circulars, statistics etc and booklets collected during the survey.

One bound volume containing the papers relating to the Capital and Labour Committee, a sub-committee of the Reconstruction Committee:
Item 1: Draft terms of reference to sub-committee folio 1.
Item 2: Enterance to trades (note) folio 2 - 3.
Item 3: Beveridge, Profit sharing between employer and trade union (memorandum, 8 May 1916) folio 4 - 10.
Item 4: Beveridge, Profit sharing between employer and trade union (corrected draft of above) folio 11 - 18.
Item 5: Beveridge, Relations of capital and labour after the war (memorandum 13 Jun 1916) folio 19 - 27.
Item 6: Beveridge, Relations of capital and labour after the war (corrected draft of above) folio 28 - 38.
Item 7: Report to the Board of Trade on the Industrial Disputes Investigation Act of Canada 1907, by Sir George Askwith (1861-1942) folio 33.