Typescript memoir entitled 'Ships in bottles' covering his life and naval career, 1902-1952, notably his service in the North Sea and the English Channel, 1915-1916, off the West coast of Ireland, 1917-1918, in Turkey, 1922, China, 1927-1929, the Mediterranean, 1934-1936 and 1939-1940, the North Sea, 1941-1942, the Indian Ocean, 1942-1944, at destroyer base HMS DEFENDER, Liverpool, 1944-1945, and in West Africa, 1945-1946.

Collection includes five postcards, four of which are of British troops from 1 Airborne Div at Hotel De Tafelberg, Oosterbeek, Netherlands, during Operation MARKET GARDEN, the Allied attempt to establish a bridgehead across the Rhine river at Arnhem, 17 Sep-25 Sep 1944, and one of the Airborne Monument at Oosterbeek, built by J Maris, 1946; and a personal account by Henk B van der Horst entitled, Paratroopers Jump, Fury over Arnhem (Boekhandel Romijn, Oosterbeek, 1946), relating to the Allied airborne offensive at Arnhem, 17 Sep-25 Sep 1944.

Edition of 14 Heavy Battery RGA War Diary (Robert Scott, London, 1919), including the war diary, 1914-1919; list of honours and awards to officers, non- commissioned officers, and soldiers who served with the battery; list of officers who served with the battery; and the battery roll of honour, 1914-1919

Papers of Edmund Myers, 1942-1981, relating to his service as Commander, of the British Military Mission to the Greek partisans in German occupied Greece, 1942-1943, Special Operations Executive (SOE). Notably on Operation HARLING and the destruction of the Gorgopotamos Viaduct, Greece, Nov 1942 and Operation WASHING, the destruction of the Asopos Viaduct, Greece, Jun 1943. Also including reports, lectures and radio broadcasts on Greece and the British Military Mission; papers relating to the National Band of Rebels formed under Allied command; papers relating to a delegation of six Greek partisans (andartes) sent to Cairo to consult with the Greek government in attempt to avoid political crisis and civil war, Aug 1943; papers on British support of Greek monarch, King George II; correspondence on Myers' attempts to return to Greece; maps related to British Military Mission; photographs of the British Military Mission including individuals, landscapes and the British Military cemetery in Athens, 1971; post-war papers on Greece including correspondence with Myers, draft copy of Greek Entanglement by Myers with scrapbook of reviews and papers relating to the funeral of Gen Napoleon Zervas.

Diary covering his service in France, notably his involvement in gas attacks on German troops near St Omer, 1916.

Copy of typescript memoirs of the service in Africa of John Pitt, 1940-1943, entitled 'Adui Mbele (Enemy in Front): Some Recollections of a Platoon Commander in the East African Campaign (1940-41) and on Brigade Staff in Madagascar (1942-43)', detailing the arrival in South Africa of Pitt, the background to the campaign, personalities and expeditionary summaries.

The collection covers Pyman's career from 1937 until 1963 when he suffered a severe stroke which forced his retirement in 1964. The earliest papers date from Pyman's work with the Royal Tank Cadre in converting the 17/21 Lancers from a cavalry to an armoured regiment. There are also papers from Pyman's period as an instructor at the Staff College in Quetta, India, 1939-1941. Pyman was involved in the World War Two campaigns by the 8 Army in the Western Desert, in 1941 as General Staff Officer with 7 Armoured Div, 30 Corps and in 1942-1943 as Commander of the 3 Royal Tank Regiment, 10 Armoured Div, 30 Corps. The papers consist mostly of Pyman's assessments of lessons learned from the ongoing campaigns particularly with regard to tanks and armoured units. In 1944-1945 Pyman was Brigidier General Staff, 30 Corps, 2 Army in the Normandy landings and the invasion of Northern Europe, with particular responsibility for organisation and planning of the Rhine crossing and advance to the Baltic. This is reflected in the papers which largely consist of planning studies and reports for the operations involved, this section also contains maps used in the campaign. Pyman's next appointment was as Chief of General Staff, Allied Land Forces, South East Asia, 1945-1946 which is documented by a series of diaries which reflect the tasks faced by Pyman in this command including dealing with the build up of tension between newly liberated former colonies keen to assert their right for independence and the former colonial powers such as France and Netherlands. Pyman spent 1946-1949 as Chief of Staff, Middle East Land Forces and kept monthly diaries which form the bulk of this section of the collection. The diary entries and additional papers reflect the debate over policy in the Middle East in the British Government and Military command, they include detail on the British withdrawal from Greece, the problem of illegal Jewish immigrants and their internment in Cyprus, the end of the British mandate in Palestine and the the effect of this on relations between Britain with Egypt and the other Arab states and the subsequent Arab Israeli conflict. This section of the collection also contains correspondence between Pyman and Maj Gen Sir Miles Christopher Dempsey on personal matters and on the Middle East. There are also papers from Pyman's work at the Ministry of Supply as Director General of Fighting Vehicles, 1951-1953, Director of Weapons Development, War Office, 1955-1956 mostly brief diary entries and lecture texts. Pyman was also General Officer Commanding, British Army on the Rhine, 1953-1955 and General Officer Commanding, 1 British Corps, 1956-1958 and the papers relating to these commands consist mostly of lectures, reports and directives reflecting his interest in armoured divisions and training. There are some papers, mostly personal correspondence and press cuttings, from Pyman's final command as Commander-in-Chief Allied Forces Northern Europe in North Atlantic Treaty Organisation (NATO). The collection also contains correspondence relating to Pyman's role as Colonel Commandant of the Royal Tank Regiment and The Royal Armoured Corps and a series of letters covering the reorganisation of the Berks and Westminster Dragoons, of which he was Honorary Colonel. The rest of the collection consists of diaries, correspondence, speeches, writings including the draft copy and papers relating to his autobiography, some preparatory work on a history of the 2 Army and reference works. The collection also includes the Boer War diaries and other papers of Col James Redmond Patrick Gordon who commanded the 1 Cavalry Bde of the South African Field Force 1900-1901 which were given to Pyman by a friend.

'Some recollections of a Scots Guardsman, 1935-1947', a memoir covering his military career during the period 1935-1947, notably his service at General HQ, Middle East Land Forces, 1940-1943, and with the Scots Guards in Italy, 1943-1944 and 1947, and Germany, 1945, written in [1992].

'The attack on the Asopos Viaduct in German occupied Greece', May-Jun 1943, written in 1993.

Two typescript drafts of 'Failure in Malaya', an account of the Malayan campaign and the fall of Singapore, 1941-1942, written in [1963] and later published as Singapore, too little, too late (Leo Cooper, London, 1970).

Bridge House Estates papers including bridgemasters' accounts rolls, 1381-1398; bridgemaster's annual accounts and rentals, 1404-1850; weekly payments, 1404-1445 and 1505-1849; bill books, 1745-1789 and 1815-1889; receipt books, 1598-1851; cash books, 1602-1784; fair cash books, 1713-1851; rough cash books, 1713-1810, miscellaneous ledgers and cash books, 1787-1819; materials sold, 1614-1682; corn and granary books, 1568-1714; rent and arrears books, 1707-1941; papers relating to individual properties owned by the Trust, particularly leases and grants, and administrative papers.

Records of the Court of Husting, 1100-1990, including deeds and wills; Husting books containing records of proceedings; material relating to Pleas of Land including court rolls and writs of right patent and proceedings; material relating to Common Pleas including court rolls, writs and proceedings; charters relating to the Court and offprints of articles about the Court of Husting.

Records of the City of London Coroner's Court, 1300-1995, including coroner's accounts; inquests; depositions; inquisitions; fire inquests; fire brigade daily fire reports and police reports sent to the City Coroner to inform him about City of London Fires under the provisions of the London Fire Inquests Act, 1888, and prison inquests for Bridewell, Newgate, Fleet and Ludgate Prisons and Whitecross Street, Poultry, Giltspur Street and Southwark (Borough) Compters.

Records relating to manors, 1539-1985, including the manors of East Burnham (Burnham Beeches); Finsbury Manor; Isleworth Manor and especially Southwark Manors (Kings Manor, Guildable Manor and Great Liberty Manor). Papers include deeds, surveys, court baron minute book, court leet minute books, verdicts and presentments of leet juries and proceedings of courts leet.

The court leet was a special court of record which the lords of certain manors were empowered by charter or prescription to hold. The Recorder held the Court Leet on behalf of the Corporation as lords of the manor. The legal jurisdiction of courts leet was abolished in 1977.

Papers of the Morgan family, 1891-1963, comprising papers, reports, photographs, music and other personal memorabilia of Robert Orlando Morgan, R.G.S.M., Professor of the Guildhall School of Music and Drama 1887-1951, of his second son, Cyril Douglas Morgan, Principal Clerk to the Chamberlain of London 1946-1958 and of his son, M.D. Morgan, the depositor of these documents.

Papers of Dorothea (or Dorothy) Crompton, pupil at the Guildhall School of Music and Drama, 1913-1924. The collection, consisting of concert programmes, advertising posters, professors' reports and correspondence, had been found at the School and had been used in an exhibition there. The exhibition, entitled "Who was Dorothea Crompton?", had been mounted to try to establish some details about Crompton as nothing was known about her. As far as can be gathered, no information about Dorothea Crompton was produced as a result of the exhibition.

Records of the parish of Saint Paul, Finchley, Barnet. This collection includes parish registers of baptisms, marriages, banns of marriage and confirmation (1886-1991), registers of church services (1886-1989), Parochial Church Council minutes, other committee minutes, annual reports, electoral roll, faculties relating to the maintenance of the church, financial accounts, administrative files, parish societies including Sunday School and Finchley Community Work.

Copy of the enrolment of a decree of the Court of Chancery in a dispute between copyhold tenants of the Manor of Isleworth Syon and the Earl of Northumberland and others, concerning heriots and customs of the manor, 1656.

Petition from certain ratepayers of Ealing against the formation of a police force, 1830.

Records relating to the manor of Honeylands and Pentriches and the manor of Worcesters, Enfield; including court books and rolls for the Court Baron, Court Leet and Court of Survey; rentals and surveys; plans; and quit rents.

Collection of title deeds relating to property in Ealing, Brentford, Enfield, Greenford, Hampton, Harmondsworth, Harrow, Hendon, Heston, South Mimms, Shepperton, Teddington, Tottenham, Edmonton, Twickenham, Uxbridge, Hayes and Stratford-le-Bow.

Records collected by John Thurland, including court rolls for the manors of Isleworth Syon, Twickenham and Hampton Court; memorandum from Christ's Hospital; indentures of fine; bargain and sale and bond.

Papers relating to the Manor of Hendon, comprising extracts from court rolls and a rent roll. Also an extract from a court roll for the Manor of Ruislip.

Court rolls for the Manor of Paites, East Bedfont. The courts comprise general courts baron and special courts baron; and some out of court admissions.

Records of the Lake family relating to a property in Hounslow, called the Longhouse, including extracts from court rolls for the Manor of Twickenham; bonds; agreements; and receipts for quit rent.

Records of the Dixon family, including exemplification of a common recovery for premises in Kensington Square; and marriage settlement relating to premises at Winchmore Hill.

Legal documents acquired by the solicitors in the course of their work; comprising a right hand indenture of a fine relating to land in the parish of Saint Matthew, Bethnal Green, 1790; lease for premises on High Street, Tottenham, 1803 and exemplification of a common recovery relating to land in the parishes of Saint John at Hackney, Saint Matthew, Bethnal Green and Saint Leonard, Shoreditch, 1829.

Records relating to property, acquired by the solicitors in the course of their work. The records include mortgages, leases, lease and releases, fines, assignments of term, copies from baptism, marriage and burial registers, extracts from wills and correspondence; mainly relating to properties and persons in East Bedfont, but also Hatton, Heston, Egham, Leckhampstead, New Windsor, Wraysbury, Aldgate, and West Ham, 1708-1827.

Letters of the Lee family, comprising letter from Thomas Martyn to Sir William Lee of Aylesbury thanking him for having recommended him for the living of Edgware, 1788; letter to the Morning Herald newspaper regarding the building of almshouses at Edgware by Charles Day, probably written by Philadelphia Lee, 1828; and letter from Thomas Wall, vicar of Edgware, to John Lee, lord of manor of Edgware Boys, 1859.

Papers of the Wood family, including records relating to properties in Laleham, Littleton and Shepperton including title deeds, tax assessments, legal papers, rentals, court rolls and plans; family letters, particularly between Edward Wood and his London agent John Pack; family papers such as legal opinions, marriage settlements, wills, and financial accounts; and papers relating to court cases including the Chancery case of Sir Richard Lane versus Charles Wood, 1733, and the Chancery case of Wood versus Wood, 1738-1746.

The material as a whole provides a fascinating picture of the Wood family in the seventeenth century, their personal letters and papers complemented by the deeds of the property they acquired. The material is also interesting from a wider point of view. There are, for example, various references to the Elections of Members of Parliament for Middlesex, including a letter from Henry Spiller of Laleham in 1695 saying, "I have this day sent to particularly and spoken to myself every person in this parish that I thought a freeholder" (March 4th, 1695?). The results of his canvassing are given in detail. Less information has survived on the plague, however, than one might expect. Pack was apparently in the habit of sending down to Littleton the current Bills of Mortality, but unfortunately none of these have survived, although Edward Wood frequently makes pious and sententious comments on them. There are also interesting sidelights on the political scene, including two detailed accounts of the background of the 1688 deposition, and four political and satirical ballads. It is surprising, however, to see how little the family were affected by the enormous political changes taking place. Edward Wood, for example, made his fortune during the Interregnum but did not suffer from the Restoration when he set himself up as a wealthy landowner in Middlesex.

Papers relating to the Browne and Blake families, including copies of wills; marriage settlement; notes regarding property in Highgate; and genealogical notes relating to the families.

Papers of the Child and Jersey families, including household accounts of Robert Child comprising bills, receipts, and insurance policies for premises in St Clement Danes, Westminster; leases and agreements for premises in Westminster; household accounts for Lord Jersey including bills, receipts and expenses; papers relating to the Jersey estates including rentals, quit rents and fines for the manors of Northall, Norwood, Southall and Heston, and lists of the tenants; and maps of the Heston Enclosure Award 1818.

Records of the Combrune family, including extracts from the court rolls of Ealing Manor relating to premises in Brentford; agreements relating to the business of Blackwell Hall, factors and merchants; agreements relating to property in Ealing, Brentford and the City of London, and wills.

Papers relating to Harry Hart and family, 1789-1842, including copies of the wills of Robert Norris, 1816, and of Ann Henwell Morris, 1820; letters of attorney and affidavits by James Maxwell of Kingston, Jamaica, in favour of Clara Maxwell of London, 1822; grants by royal letters patent to Robert Salmon, surveyor, his executors, administrators and assigns, of the sole benefits and profits of the invention of 'Mathematic principled safe and easy trusses of the Relief and Cure of Ruptures' for 14 years in Scotland only, 1807; deed of co-partnership in the patent and manufacture of the 'improved trusses', between Robert Salmon, John Ody of St Anne's Soho, gentleman, and Harry Hart of St George's Hanover Square, gentleman, 1810; assignment of partnership and effects in the business as manufacturers and traders in sale of patent trusses, Harry Hart to John Ody, 1825; leases and counterpart leases for property owned by Harry Hart in the parishes of Saint George's, Hanover Square; Saint Luke, Chelsea; Saint Mary, Lambeth; Saint Mary, Newington and Saint Anne, Westminster, 1789-1842.

Papers, 1555-1728, collected by the solicitors in the course of their work, including deeds relating to premises in Uxbridge, Hillingdon, and licence granted by James II to Richard Blome of London, for the sole right of printing and publishing his 'History and Chronology of the Old and New Testaments' for 14 years, 1688.

Documents relating to Bridgen Hall Estate and Adelaide House Estate, Forty Hill, Enfield; including lease and releases; fines; wills; mortgages; bonds; agreements; conveyances; admittances; copies from court rolls; and other title deeds and legal documents relating to property ownership.

Papers collected by the solicitors in the course of their work, comprising legal documents, copies of court rolls from Ruislip Manor and the Manor of Harrow alias Sudbury, sale particulars, lease and releases, deeds, mortgages, conveyances, marriage settlements and assignments relating to properties in Acton, 1866-1903; Enfield, 1882-1920; Finchley, 1885-1912; Friern Barnet, 1887-1900; Harefield, 1767-1854; Hornsey and Tottenham, 1880-1919; Harrow and Ruislip, 1758-1913; Willesden, 1881-1900, and Stoke Newington, 1892-1910. Also business partnership agreements between Hodson, Smith Gale and others of Tottenham for brickmaking, building, selling and letting of houses.

Documents relating to Fulham House (also known as Stourton House), owned by Thomas Winter, including bargain and sales; fines; exemplification of recovery; releases; assignments; leases; mortgages; and copies from court rolls.

Papers, 1672-1882, collected by the solicitors in the course of their work, including deeds, leases, lease and releases, bonds, copy wills and probates relating to various properties and land in Hanwell, Ealing, Isleworth, Hampstead, Ashford, Finchley, Friern Barnet, Twickenham, Saint Marylebone, and Kensington.

Papers, 1587-1856, collected by the solicitors in the course of their work, including bargain and sales, bonds, copies of wills and probates, leases, releases, copies from court rolls, quitclaims, deeds, mortgages, feoffments, marriage settlements and assignments for property and land in Acton, Chiswick, Sutton, Ealing, Brentford, Hampton, Harefield, Harrow, Kenton, Wembley, Hendon, Hillingdon, Isleworth, Stanmore and Colham manor. Also sheet of 10 turnpike tickets for the "Middlesex and Essex Turnpike Roads", 1854.

Records of the Wood family, comprising 1695 marriage settlement between Edward Wood (son of Thomas and Dorothy) and Elizabeth Bridger of Guildford, mentioning land in Harmondsworth, Stanwell, Littleton, and Yorkshire. Also probate relating to money left by Thomas Wood of Littleton, 1856.

Bond discharging the parish of Clerkenwell to provide for the maintenance and upbringing of a child, 1596. Also letter explaining how documents in the parish chest of Saint James Church, Clerkenwell, were being given away ca.1898 to make room when church was being repaired.

Papers relating to property owned by the Gerrard (or Gerard) family in Harrow, including quitclaims, feoffment, bargain and sale, gifts and acquittance.

Papers relating to the Berkeley family estates in Middlesex and London. Please note that the original records in this collection are now held at the archives in Berkeley Castle, Gloucestershire and only microfilm copies can be viewed at LMA.

The documents relate to the Manors of Cranford, Harlington, East Bedfont, and Heston and to property in Harlington and Saint James's Park. They include Court rolls and books, rentals, financial accounts and other papers.

Banns book for the church of Saint Mary the Virgin, Harmondsworth, 1825-1848.

Records relating to property owned by the Irby family, barons Boston, in Shepperton, Sunbury, Barnes, Chertsey, Hillingdon and Hanover Square. The records include title deeds, legal documents, orders and inventories.

Records of Shepperton Manor including court rolls; indexes to court rolls; extracts from court rolls; court memos; surrenders and powers of attorney.

Papers, 1872-1885, collected by the solicitors in the course of their work, including copy will and probate for property in Friern Barnet and Grays Inn Road; marriage settlement between Florence Pullman of Grove End, Chiswick and Johan Jacob Rieber of Bergen, Norway; bond between Florence Pullman and Elizabeth Carey to secure payment of an annuity of £45.15.7.

Papers, 1764-1903, collected by the solicitors in the course of their work, comprising legal documents relating to properties in South Mimms, Highgate, Edmonton, Whetstone, Enfield, Hornsey and Islington; with papers relating to cases at the Chancery Division and Queen's Bench Division of the High Court of Justice.

Papers, 1592-1747, collected by the solicitors in the course of their work, comprising legal documents relating to property in Winchmore Hill.

Papers collected by the solicitors in the course of their work, comprising agreements to let premises called The Peaks, Harlaxton, Rosefield Cottage, Ford Cottage and Ascham in Ford Bridge Road, 1905-1910 and probate and miscellaneous papers of John Charles Gee of Avon House, Acton Hill, 1874.