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.

Financial records of H and G Simonds Limited, brewers, including balance sheets; ledgers; journals; cash book; day book; statements; cheques and correspondence on financial matters.

Sales records of H and G Simonds Limited, brewers, including weekly cellar stock books; annual stock books; financial and sales records; brewing book; beer production records; daily brewing records; and monthly barrels racked.

Staff records of H and G Simonds Limited, brewers, including Staff Salaries committee minutes; Staff Salaries and Appointments committee minutes; private salaries; list of staff with bank and branch; First aid centre daily attendance registers; retail managers register; Pensions fund ledger; staff pension scheme register, being diary of contribution rises, receipts, etc., with extracts from Board minutes.

Premises records of H and G Simonds Limited, brewers, including Estates committee minutes and agenda book; estates ledgers (purchase of property); rough valuations of licensed premises; rent ledger; particulars of freehold, leasehold and copyhold, etc., estates, made up from Nov 1895; register of free properties; schedules of deeds and documents; register of private houses, shops, cottages and other properties and easements; register of fire insurance renewals; and correspondence about deeds.

General records of H and G Simonds Limited, brewers, comprising publication Tables of Simple Interest by William Stenhouse, Edinburgh, 1806, signed by author 'Sydney J. Mills'.

An exercise book of Margaret Harvey containing a list of 'books read', 1895-1900, with a note of when and where some of those books were read.

The collection consists mainly of minutes, financial records, manuscripts of unpublished texts and correspondence. It provides interesting detail on what one section of society thought would provide education for another. There is much useful information on the reading preferences of the public, and on the growth and development of Mechanics' Institutes. Most of those concerned with the founding of the Society as a project in self-education were also involved in the founding of the new University of London (now University College London) and some, like Augustus De Morgan and George Long, actually taught there. There is also considerable information on the work of publishers, illustrators, engravers and booksellers and on writers, whether already established authorities in their field or young hopefuls, like G H Lewes, who sought to establish themselves through the Society's patronage.

Papers of Rose Kosky, [1970s-1980s], chiefly relating to the Barking Reading Project, including schemes, cassettes, notes and teaching materials.

Records of the organisation known variously as the Polytechnic Sports Club, the The Institute of the Polytechnic Sports and Social Clubs, and The Polytechnic Sports Club Committee, as well as records of the Polytechnic's Men's and Women's Council, and Joint Council.

This collection includes all records relating to the organisation of sports and social activities by members of the Polytechnic except for records of the individual clubs themselves, which are catalogued as separate collections. However it does include correspondence with the clubs by the Secretary and Committees. This collection also includes papers relating to the award of Polytechnic-wide medals and trophies, including the Elsie Hoare Trophy, Studd Trophy and Ditchman Trophy.

Journals, 1873-1890, of Samuel Goodyer, describing his training, preparations for missionary work in Jamaica, religious practices including preaching and praying, his reading, the journey to Jamaica, missionary work and impressions of Jamaica, and his return to England.